HSF on E-stand

[Eddie]

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[Eddie]

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[Eddie]

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[Eddie]

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[John R.]

OK, I am now NOT worried about the pin and catch with these photos. John

[John R.]

Eddie,

If you are going ahead with the test, this is the area I would try the acetone on with a rag. I would rub fairly hard to see if it is paint and if it comes off.

This way, being an inside edge, it does not matter too much what happens.

Let us know the results and what steps to take next can be discussed.

No matter what, a zinc Schwerin HSF badge is not common. So this badge is worth collecting.

John

[John R.]

OK, I am now NOT worried about the pin and catch with these photos. John

I corrected my post above, sorry Eddie. Typing too fast.

John

[Jeff V]

I find Norm's theory to be absurd. First the zinc badge is struck, when it leaves the press it is a very shiny silver metal. The badge is then finished in a dark gray coating front and back. Last there is an application of gilding on the front of the wreath which spills over to edges of the reverse.

There is no neusilber application over the dark gray first coating and before the cheap gold wash that Schwerin used for gilding.
best wishes,
jeff

[Norm F]

I find Norm's theory to be absurd. First the zinc badge is struck, when it leaves the press it is a very shiny silver metal. The badge is then finished in a dark gray coating front and back. Last there is an application of gilding on the front of the wreath which spills over to edges of the reverse.

There is no neusilber application over the dark gray first coating and before the cheap gold wash that Schwerin used for gilding.
best wishes,
jeff

Hi jeff,

I don't claim any knowledge of Schwerin's finish on zinc badges, and if you've made I study on the techniques on zinc badges I would defer to your greater experience.

My comments were based on some study of Schwerin's technique for finishing tombak badges, and indeed Schwerin (and Assmann and Meybauer, for example) silvered the reverses and then treated them with a chemical that darkened them. I believe Rob can comment on this as well.

As an example of such a process, here is an excerpt from a 1905 publication called "The Workshop Companion":
"Oxidized Silver
This is not an oxidization, but a combination with sulphur or chlorine. Sulphur, soluble sulphides, and hydrosulphuric acid blacken silver, and insoluble silver salts, and particularly the chloride of silver, rapidly blackens DV solar light. Add four or five thousandths of hydrosulphate of ammonia, or of quintisulphide of potassium, to ordinary water at a temperature of 160 to 180 Fahr. When the articles are dipped into this solution an iridescent coating of silver sulphide covers them, which, after a few seconds more in the liquid, turns blue-black. Remove, rinse, scratch-brush, and burnish when desired. Use the solution when freshly prepared, or the prolonged heat will precipitate too much sulphur, and the deposit will be wanting in adherence; besides, the oxidization obtained in freshly-prepared liquors is always brighter and blacker than that produced in old solutions, which is dull and grey. If the coat of silver is too thin, and the liquor too strong, the alkaline sulphide dissolves the silver, and the underlying metal appear. In this case cleanse and silver again, and use a weaker blackening solution..."

On the back of tombak Schwerin minesweepers like this one, you can see the silver areas where the application of the chemical misses areas. (Ignore the gold areas in this example since this is simply chipped finish exposing the tombak base metal). I admit I could be erroneous in extrapolating this technique to the finish of the zinc Schwerins. I have not studied these in hand.

Best regards,
---Norm

[Jeff V]

Hi Norm, I agree with you re: tombak production. I do not see any evidence of this on Schwerin's zinc production.
best wishes,
jeff

[Eddie]

Hi guys,just did acetone test and absolutely nothing come out finish is strong and acetone is not doing anything to it at all.

What is the next step ?

I can send this badge to someone if this will helps,now i believe even more that this badge ok but always looking forward to more opinions.

[Van]

Hello,
I own two Schwerin badges, one Destroyer and one HSF....
As you can see, there is a silver finish over the grey and on the back of the destroyer you can see gild spots over the silver... hope this helps a bit with the discussion...
Van

[Van]

destroyer
Notice the gild spots over the silver at the bottom

[Van]

Now the HSF...

[Van]

Hsf..