Very RARE & MINT W.H. Destroyer badge

[all1knew]

Hello all,

This one is marked WH on both sides of the pin, but the inner marking is a little more faint.

Just wanted to share this one with you. Anyone else have any WH badges marked this way on the pin?

William Kramer

[all1knew]

2

[Norm F]

Hi William,

You bought it I see! We discussed this badge a bit when you posted it in March here.

Fascinating badge! The existence of this badge is logical and it looks almost exactly like I'd expect it too, but I wonder why only this one has surfaced after all these years -- a trial run perhaps? At any rate, I like it very much.

Is that greenish hue to the gilding from the lighting and your camera, or does it look that colour in hand? And could you please provide some sharp closeups of the external and internal margins?

Best regards,
---Norm

P.S. Oh, and weight and dimensions please!

[all1knew]

Hi William,

You bought it I see!
Best regards,
---Norm

P.S. Oh, and weight and dimensions please!

I've had it actually. Want to see the next kicker...........I have another one, only this one is marked W.H. three times (the first badge posted is missing its reverse finish in the center as the logo appears to have been filed/sanded away.

I am without a scale or micrometer at the moment, sorry. All my "extra" stuff is getting packed up as I'm trying to buy a house!

William Kramer

[Norm F]

I've had it actually. Want to see the next kicker...........I have another one, only this one is marked W.H. three times (the first badge posted is missing its reverse finish in the center as the logo appears to have been filed/sanded away.
...

Wow, you've cornered the market it seems! Is there any story behind these?

Why on earth would someone sand the WH logo off of the reverse surface? Very odd...

Best regards,
---Norm

[all1knew]

Wow, you've cornered the market it seems! Is there any story behind these?

Why on earth would someone sand the WH logo off of the reverse surface? Very odd...

Best regards,
---Norm

Norm,

Don't know, but these came with some impressive "green" W.H. badges. They all appear unissued; somebody got into a depot/factory.

William Kramer

[BubbaZ]

Anyone else have any WH badges marked this way on the pin?

Hi William,
This kind of marking is typical for Hobacher minesweepers.
Enlcosed is one of my latest additions
Cheers,
Hubert

[Norm F]

Norm,

Don't know, but these came with some impressive "green" W.H. badges. They all appear unissued; somebody got into a depot/factory.

William Kramer

Well, fascinating find. And it leaves absolutely no doubt that the "WH in oval" marking on the minesweepers is the same maker as the rounded "WH" of the Destroyer and Heer/Luftwaffe badges, i.e. Wilhelm Hobacher, as previously surmised.

Cheers.
---Norm

[all1knew]

additional photos.

[BubbaZ]

Very nice! Here is my classic variant.
Cheers,
Hubert

[Thomas Durante]

Very nice and hard to find variant William.

Tom

[Giel VW]

That's a rare beast Bill, really nice! Did you buy it back?

[all1knew]

That's a rare beast Bill, really nice! Did you buy it back?

there's two badges in this thread, I kept the better one with both maker marks and sold the one that had the mark ground off the reverse of the badge.

William Kramer

[all1knew]

I pulled two of these out of the woodwork; I have the better one on the left, which is the example shown in the book.

William Kramer

[Thomas Durante]

Gorgeous William Rare indeed to see two of these next to each other.

Tom