General Assault Badge help !!

[M. A. Miller]

I received this GAB in a box full of stuff from a Vet. Everything in the box so far ahs been 100% good. I searched GAB's here and found only one like it. It was posted by George Stimson ,2 years ago.I'm hoping George will post his also as reference. While his was quite more worn than mine,which is almost mint. There didn't seem to be a general consensus on this badge.It didn't sound like there were known fakes like this. Maybe we can establish that it did exist as nothing out of the pile has been fake yet.I'm talking about 25 + items. Any help would be appreciated. I will be selling it on E-stand unless it is confidently deemed a fake.Thanks, Mitch

[M. A. Miller]

Reverse picture

reverse of badge

[George Stimson]

Here's mine again.

[George Stimson]

Reverse.

[Philippe DB]

Hi Guys,

Although I never had the pleasure to handle this GAB I'm convinced that it's made by the same guy's that made this PAB.

http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...t=flatback+PAB


As far as I'm concerned that specific PAB was a copie.

KR
Philippe

[Chet Sowersby]

Mitch,
I don't remember the issues with George's badge let alone the thread! However I think the both of them are good GAB's.

Chet

[M. A. Miller]

Gab

Hi guys,
Thanks for the answers so far. This GAB weighs 29.622 grams. I don't think that is heavy. In fact it is lighter than a couple other ones I have. I think if Detlev sold a similar PAB , I would like to know what it weighed. So far I have no reason to doubt this badge or the PAB from Detlev .I did ask the Vet that I got this from if he had purchased anything after the war and he said no.I asked him because I had gotten burned on Vet stories at shows.This buy was at his house and the items had been in a suitcase in his closet since the war.It doesn't concern me as much if it is not real, but it would be nice to establish these are war time badges for the sake of others with similar badges. Let's keep it going. Thanks again, Mitch

[George Stimson]

Mine weighs approx. 29.5 grams.

[Lorenzo Brown]

I think the weight of the badges falls well within acceptable standards. I see no reason to discount the badge as a fake…at least not so far on this thread.

Regarding Philippes reference link, he presumes the GAB is fake without holding it and seeing if the same characteristics appear on it that he cites on the PAB.. Secondly, why does he presume that they were the same makers? Thirdly, I don’t think he really presents a conclusive case that the PAB to which he refers was a fake.

Citing the referenced thread, the following reasons are given for the PAB being a fake:

1 ) the material of wich it is made<O></O>
2.) the numerous cracks that are visible in the material
3.) most important and probably related to the material used, the weight of this badge. With 43grams it weighs 53% more than for example an original massive Wernstein (28grams) PAB featuring the same design and 27% more than the heaviest PAB I know the massive Karl Wuster (34grams)

POINT 1: He never states what material it is. It appears to be zinc, certainly not tombac. What is it?
POINT 2. The “numerous cracks” cited certainly do not establish the badge as a fake, Zinc is known to crack….as does tombak. Many authentic zinc and tombak badge have fissures and cracks developed over time.

POINT 3. The “ important” point stated is the weight where he says that 43 grams is proof as being fake, yet he now claims to have a “monster PAB” that weighs 39.5 grams. I don’t think the weight is so far off from being realistic.
http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...ad.php?t=39159

Don't know first-hand, but I think the GAB looks good and I don’t think there have been sufficient points raised here thus far to question its authenticity. IF (repeat "if") it is a fake I would like to see better reasons and research than those presented so far.



Quote: "Hi Guys,

Although I never had the pleasure to handle this GAB I'm convinced that it's made by the same guy's that made this PAB.

http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/for...ht=flatback+PAB


As far as I'm concerned that specific PAB was a copie.

KR
Philippe"
<!-- / message -->

[George Stimson]

faulty observation deleted

Oooops! Optical illusion! Never mind!

[skip]

I´ve seen and held about 20 of these GABs over the last 3-4 years. I don´t have any proof that they are not good, but they do not give me the "feeling" that I usually get from authentic badges. I would tend towards fake.
No definate proof and just my 2 cents.

Skip

[Joe N]

Hope this helps. here is a GAB I dug in Europe several years ago now, dug it personally, looks very much the same, although detail on mine is just not there. See what you guys think, is it the same badge?

[Frank Heukemes]

I own another example of these, also ground dug and heavily rotten with zinc pest. For me there is no doubt these are originals. Joe N is right btw, his is also another example of these. They are perfectly flat, hinge and catch plates vary a bit in appearance. Mine is of the same catchplate-type as Joe N´s. Not the nicest design of GABs, but among the known types.

[Frank Heukemes]

reverse, one can still see where the catch plate of the type Joe N shows was attached.