SS Proficiency Badge Opinions

[tower]

hello,
I need some opinions on this SS badge. I guess it´s a fake but want to confirm that with some opinions from the forum. Thanks a lot.
Alex

[tower]

[tower]

[Robin Lumsden]

I guess it's a fake.

You guess right.

[tower]

[wh014d4394]

theres only 10 known examples in the word

[Kevin1261]

Maybe a dumb question....But how many ever issued and why are they so rare.....any collector's still have them?

[Adrian Stevenson]

Hi Tower, the badge shown is indeed a fake.

Hi Jimmy, the "10 known examples" which I think is acredited to Robin, is (as I am sure Robin would be the first to say) now an outdated statement. Many more have come to light since that was first written.

Hi Kevin, it is still a rare badge to find. There were perhaps around 1000 issued? There is some film footage of Himmler giving them out in a ceremony at Avegoor near Arnhem in Jan 1944. He presented 18 silver and 77 bronze. In fact, I think I have seen it on "You Tube" via this forum. Come May 1945 as you can imagine most original owners ditched them pretty quickly. We have several collectors on the forum who own them

Cheers, Ade.

[clevischi]

This kind of badge never have a RZM mark.

[Kevin1261]

Thanks for the answer,I could see alot of things being hidden buried,and so on after it was over.I alway's like the look of this award,so another question.Why were'nt these given to German members of the SS,and was'nt there a gold or golden type.Thanks again

[Adrian Stevenson]

Hi Kevin, there was never a gold class, only silver and bronze.

The award was purely for non Germans.

Cheers, Ade.

[Robin Lumsden]

The "10 known examples" which I think is acredited to Robin, is (as I am sure Robin would be the first to say) now an outdated statement. Many more have come to light since that was first written.

Absolutely right, Ade.

Back in the late 1980s, pre-Internet, I compiled a list of collectors worldwide who were known to have an example of this badge in their collections. The total came to about 10. I still have the list somewhere.

Since the Internet, around 15 or so others have come to light.

There will doubtless be a few others out there.................but the badge is still one of the rarest around. Much rarer than a Knight's Cross or a Totenkopfring.

[Robin Lumsden]

The award was purely for non-Germans.

I used to think that as well, but this badge COULD be awarded to Germans. Very few received it, though.

[Adrian Stevenson]

Hi Robin, that is interesting. Just as we were saying earlier in this thread, all part of the new info that is still coming to light 60 odd years on.

Cheers, Ade.

[Ludwig]

Oh... if that widow could only find her husband´s badge...