CUPAL Use Timeline?

[vonStubben]

I always thought cupal was an early manufacturing process. Was it?

Chuck

[Hans Kondor]

One of the earliest with the Neusilber IMO.

[Greg]

I think so too, but I don't recall seeing documentation to that affect. To me it stands to reason that with aluminum being scarce and more needed for specific weapon systems, its availability for badge manufacture would decline rapidly.

Best,
Greg

[Thomas Durante]

Hi guys,

Cupal was more of a mid-wartime material in my opinion. It was certainly used early on by firms like Assmann, but for the most part it was touted as a replacement material for the more expensive copper and brass in the 1940-1942 timeframe. We have period advertisements from 1942, 1943 & 1944 that tout the benefits of using CUPAL as a replacement metal. That is why we can find Cupal's use on IABs, PABs & GABs, that came AFTER the nickel silver and tombak variants.

Also think about the S&L Para badges. These are always found with zinc wreaths, and its my opinion S&L didn't get into Para production until later in the war, yet they are sometimes found with Cupal eagles.

Tom

[Seiler]

Cupal is from the family of Multilayer or Clad metals and
been in the metals field for many many years.
Commonly found in use for thermostatic bi and tri metals.
Used in the Jewellery business for donkeys years watch cases etc.
Origins are in the European metals field/coinage.Usually cheap metals clad to more expensive metals for cost,performance benefits.
For instance the USA is large user in the field of coinage with the
10cts/25cts/50cts composed of three layers yada yada yada.
OK schools out
Seiler

[vonStubben]

So far I am finding this quite interesting.

So,...would it be fair to assume that cupal was then used throughout the course of the Third Reich period, or may my personal feeling that after "Total War" was declared that any strategic metals would not be used much, if at all, hence kriegsmetal etc.?

Chuck

[Seiler]

I would say YES.
Multilayer/clad has been used in Germany prewar for coins
the pfennig is brass clad on a core of steel.An economic
application.
Thermostat metals were /are still used /made in Germany.
I know Rau of Pforzheim and Kammerer same place
make multilayers since the the turn of the 20th Cent and
made cupal for many badge types to save strategic metals.
Whilst some are two layer,many are three/four layer and
are of the CUPAL combination.These are engineered metals
for specific thermostatic applications.
Vaccumschmelze in Hanau also made/make clad metal for badges/
medals during WW2 period.I was in the industry with Texas Insts
Who had a very big Plant near Boston and sold clad metals AND
wire world wide to most of their smaller competitors as "feed stock"
Seiler.

[Hans N]

Hi guys,

Cupal was more of a mid-wartime material in my opinion. It was certainly used early on by firms like Assmann, but for the most part it was touted as a replacement material for the more expensive copper and brass in the 1940-1942 timeframe. We have period advertisements from 1942, 1943 & 1944 that tout the benefits of using CUPAL as a replacement metal. That is why we can find Cupal's use on IABs, PABs & GABs, that came AFTER the nickel silver and tombak variants.

Also think about the S&L Para badges. These are always found with zinc wreaths, and its my opinion S&L didn't get into Para production until later in the war, yet they are sometimes found with Cupal eagles.

Tom

I agree with Tom. There are L/12 Cupal WB´s in both silver and gold as well so Juncker is another maker that used Cupal.