Minesweeper opinions wanted

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Hasse,

I think Lorenzo really wanted a clear picture of the side of the pin, unfortunatly yours are a little to fuzzy to see it clearly. You should be able to see small thin lines on the thin side of the pin. These were caused in the stamping out process during manufacture´.

Well spotted from Lorenzo is the the misstrike on the swastika. Thats strange but I have seen other, authentic badges that showed such manufacturing mistakes.

All in all I still think its ok, but we should keep an eye out if any more of this type Minesweeper start popping up in large numbers.

Skip

[Mark S.]

I wouldnt get to worked up over mistrikes. I think I have seen it more on real badges than on fakes, but to be honest I dont have ner the time invested with bogus badges as I do with the real deal, except in certain cases.

Anyhow, here are few original mistrikes...

a Herman Aurich silver PAB..

[Mark S.]

..and a 4 marked IAB (the type with the cast hinge and catch w/ejection pad marks..

[Mark S.]

..and just for fun, a KVK 2nd class w/o swords..

now back to our regularly scheduled program.

[Lorenzo Brown]

Fair enough!! I don't wanna cause a ruckus over misstrikes!! I did also say...
"This does not mean the badge is fake.." and "... Doublings and misstrikes do occur...".

I also have some misstrikes on my own authentic badges.

[Hasse.M]

Many thanks to you guys for taking time! Well here is some more I really hope they are good enough:

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Yeh, the 3rd one shows what we wanted to see.

I´d vote for an ok badge.

Skip

[Hasse.M]

Hasse,

I think Lorenzo really wanted a clear picture of the side of the pin, unfortunatly yours are a little to fuzzy to see it clearly. You should be able to see small thin lines on the thin side of the pin. These were caused in the stamping out process during manufacture´.

Well spotted from Lorenzo is the the misstrike on the swastika. Thats strange but I have seen other, authentic badges that showed such manufacturing mistakes.

All in all I still think its ok, but we should keep an eye out if any more of this type Minesweeper start popping up in large numbers.

Skip

Skip there is lines on the side I think you can see them on pic.nr.3 in my latest set of bad pics...
Only for edducation is it what you mean?

[Lorenzo Brown]

Hi hasse.

First of all, let me say that I ADMIRE your tenacity in your attempt to get an honest appraisal of this badge's authenticity. You have been very forthright and obviously are an honest man.

Secondly, the pin pictures are better and do show some striation pattern.

However, I will have to go back to my last statement and defer judgement to somebody who may have first-hand experience with this badge.

I am not ashamed to say that my final assessment is...."I don't know".

[Hasse.M]

Thank you Lorenzo for the kind words.
And your last assessment "I dont know" is good enough for me, really!

Im not into badges at all and my knowledge is zero. It has been really fun to following this thread with all of you "badges" guys. And I think I learned alot.

Nr.1: Stay away from badges

I will put this one in a locker and if he's long lost twin being found somewhere then im a happy man.. But if he got like 10twins that being discovered in a short time. Then he goes to the garbadge

Thank you all for taking time I really appricated your help with this nasty boy.
I hope I can make it up to you guys someday.

Warmest regards Hasse Marnell

[Lorenzo Brown]

Hi Hasse...KEEP THE FAITH!

There are still other members out there who have not yet posted their opinions. I will bet you that somebody will come along who may have more information about this badge.

[Hasse.M]

Hi Hasse...KEEP THE FAITH!

There are still other members out there who have not yet posted their opinions. I will bet you that somebody will come along who may have more information about this badge.

Hi Mr.Brown I Will try Keep my faith!
But I really dont think I have end up with a badge that is "never seen" before a one of a kind.. Well if anyone have seen someone like this dont be shy to post it here!

[Hasse.M]

It looks like this thread never ends...
Well I think their is alot of gamblers out there.
I have recived many pm:s about this minesweeper asking for a price!
Their is some peoples out there with good faith anyway.

It is a gambling and im ready to pass this one on. But what about the price.
Mr.Brown, Philippe, Skip, Schroeder My s Do you have any idea?

As always ALL replys are welcome.

[David R.]

Just catching the end,But I just bought an exact copy of this badge from a member off of estand,and that member got it from Joeseph D.The gold finish is just a shade darker or just dirty? Mine has shear marks on the badge and pin.

[Mark S.]

Hi Hasse

Even though I never miss the chance to bust Lorenzo's chops.. He made some very valid points regarding why a mistrike would go on to be finished out, especially so on this badge, with a two tone finish. In this context, it does lead one to raise the eyebrow of caution.

I am inclined to think that you may never find the solid answer you so desperately seek. Ultimately, it will be solely up to YOU to make the decision about this badge. You are the one who has it in hands; how does it feel to you, and how do you feel about it? If you don't have the hands on experience yet to judge a badge by such criteria, then perhaps purchasing a badge without a benchmark wouldn't be a wise decision. If you have a nagging doubt about this badge, it wont just wash away with time. Those seeds of doubt are planted deep.

Regarding the badge, I again reviewed the pictures you presented, and my gut feeling (based only on these images) is I don't like it. I get the same seed of doubt in my stomach that you possibly have, which lead to you sharing it with us for opinions. It isn't one thing that jumps out at me, screaming "Fake!", but an overall sense of "something doesn't seem right.."

For instance, those "bubbles" on the back don't look like zinc bubbles to me at all. They look like someone put sand in the finish trying to replicate bubbles. I might be wrong, but this is something I would consider if it was my money I was spending.

The finish, as minty as it is, doesn't bother me so much as the uniformity and total lack of any type of even storage wear. So maybe it was in a box the last 60 years, fair enough, but if that is the case, why is there zero tension of the pin against the catch? This alone isn't enough to condemn any badge, as many of mine have loose pins, but I have to ask myself how this would have managed to stay attached if this is how is was made, and never worn. Of course, just theorizing, but maybe the reason no one has ever seen this type before is because they all fell off into the ocean.. I am kidding, of course.

Speaking of the hardware...the set up on this has been eating at me, and although I cant afford the time at present for a more thorough investigation, something keeps reminding me of some of the fake close combat clasps we see so often, right down to the alignment marks they sit in. They have done such a spectacular job of faking the clasps, it wouldn't take a stretch of the imagination to see the same degree of detail in a minesweeper badge.

So there you go Hasse, yet another reply with no answers. Sorry about that, but sometimes that's the nature of the beast in this hobby. Good luck, and let us know what you decide, and why, wont you?