Please help with this Minesweeper!!

[William J]

Hi guys,

I am a dagger/belt buckle/pistol/helmet collector mostly but I'd love to get a few nice examples of wartime badges, but of which I know very little. I have been offered this unmarked minesweeper that has a very nice finish. Should I assume this is "tombak" or "buntmetal"? I can certainly tell it's not zinc!

The reverse looks like tarnished silver. There is some bending to the pin and catch but does it look like a legitimate wartime badge? Finally, the piece is being offered at $165. Please let me know your opinions on authenticity, and if real, on its approximate value..i.e. whether to let this be my minesweeper example or wait for another down the road.

Thank you all in advance!!

William

[William J]

Reverse

Definitely a tarnished silver appearance....hope this pic shows that.

[William J]

Angled Reverse View

Both the pin and the catch have a bend in the middle....each sort of forms an "M"

I look forward to your opinions. If authentic, I would enjoy knowing who might have made this badge. I can also take more pics if needed.

Thank you and great collecting!

[Mike Kenny]

Hi William,

It appears to be a nice original tombak example, probably by B H Mayer based on the hardware. I really like the "been there" look to the pin on this one!

Regards
Mike

[William J]

Thank you so much Mike. I had the exact same reaction when I was first offered the badge. I almost typed "it has a great 'been there' appearance" but I didn't because I would have felt foolish if the members said it was a 70's made Floch!!

[Martin W]

William,

you could always save your money towards something better, but $165.00 for a nice original tombak badge,even though it is unmarked,is a very good price IMO,and as Mike mentioned a possible Mayer.

Regards,Martin.