Schwerin Blockadebrecher-Abzeichen in zinc...?

[mgidhagen]

Hi,
I admit, this is not the most pretty of all badges that I have seen, and I admit that I have been away from war badge collecting a little too long to be good for your health (...? ), and, yes: the hinge/pin/catch are repaired/replaced. But still...

When I received it I immedeately though: ok, too bad, this was a bummer. But I started noticing details that I kind of liked, anyway...! What do you, the active expertise, say; could this be a poor quality "dish back" zinker of late production, heavily worn and sadly enough having had the hinge/pin replaced and the catch replaced/resoldered? I tend to like the crispness of the eagle and ship housing, as well as the crispness of at least some of the letters of the markings...? There is obviously a plate beneath the sloppily soldered catch, and there is evidence of a rather uncommon way to cut the end of the catch.

As said, even if it is a good one, it would not be highly valued, but if it is good, this badge has certainly not spent its active days in a velvet case...

Thanks!

/Mikael

[mgidhagen]

next couple of pics...

...

[mgidhagen]

And, the markings...

...

[mgidhagen]

Lastly; the replacement hinge...

... a far-from-beinge-a-jeweller-made replacement...

[Mike Kenny]

Hi Mikael,

For me, too many things point to this being a simple cast repro with incorrect hardware. Obverse pockmarking (in a rough line from the eagle's tailfeathers to the 0500 position) weak portholes, soft reverse edge, weak maker mark and what appear to be remnants of a casting line (eg post#2, 2nd pic, either side of the swas) are some of the main problems I have with this badge.

Regards
Mike

[mgidhagen]

Mike, thanks for your input! Yes, I agree - the pockmarking was what disappointed me at first sight. However, when comparing to other reference pictures of Schwerin zinc badges, I have seen at least as much or even worse in badges judged to be good. News that surprised me, considering the quality control I though was legio in highly esteemed German manufacturing. Anyways, these results of hasty and/or sloppy production seem to appear at about the same areas as in my questionable badge. In addition to this, Schwerin seems to have had problems to get the "maker mark area" 100% good, or at least it appears so from comparing with other SB zinc BBAs.

But, I do agree that it is more likely that this is actually a bad casting with incorrect hardware...

Cheers,
Mike

[mgidhagen]

Still not sure...

Sorry for keeping this thread about a relatively uninteresting badge (quality-wise) alive, but I must admit that when comparing with quite a few excellent close-ups of Schwerin "dish-back" zinc BB-badges, certain details are so extremely exactly a match to this badge - even down to the "casting-line" effects...!

Please note, that I have not much invested in this badge, so I am not in any way "desperatly defending" it, but I just find it intriguing. I have another, regular, Schwerin zinc badge in great condition to compare to, but could anyone of you who owns one of these dish backs please give me some measures, in mm...? (Preferrably also tiny measures, like the swastika's arms, the mast's width etc.?) I mean, in case there would be any slight differences between the two types (of reverse designs).

My otherwise (although not considering KM badges) fairly vast experience in spotting cast badges tells me that this badge deserves the benefit of a doubt before being completely disregarded as being a copy. However, the fact remains that something happened to the metal during production, causing the pockmarks, and, the obverse hardware are definitely home-/onboard-made replacements...

Thanks for your patience with me...! I think I have over time grown to enjoy the research on/about particular items more, and finding that more fascinating than the actual badges per se...

/Mikael

[John R.]

If you wish to study the badge a bit more, please provide the height and width of this example. I am not sure the weight is particularly useful since the hardware is not correct.

John

[mgidhagen]

Measures...

But of course I can! Here are some measures, compared to my "non-dish" type Schwerin zinc Blockadebrecher; assumingly the measures may vary a little...? The difference in total width is not a good sign, but the other measures are pretty much matching.

My dish-type/My non-dish type:

Height: 48.6 mm/48.7 mm
Width: 48.2 mm/48.7 mm
Height of the void beneath the eagle (eagle's cheek to the water surface): 13 mm/13 mm
Width of the "chained wreath", beneath the eagle 5 mm/5 mm
Width of swastika: 4 mm/4 mm
Width of "rectangular lower bar of anchor": 3 mm/3 mm
Width of mast: 2.6 mm/2.6 mm

/Mikael

[mgidhagen]

Some details...

/Mike

[Nordmark]

Sorry, not for me...