UBOAT badge for review

[LVAZ]

Hello guys,
I need please your opinion on this uboat badge.
thanks a lot. best regards.

[Norm F]

Hi LVAZ,

It's interesting how clusters of postings on the forums can provide additional insights.
Your posted badge is the same as Jan Arne's recently posted example but with a different catch. This hinge looks distinctly post-war and we initially wondered about post-war hardware replacement but now seeing the same hinge on your example certainly suggests these are both post-war assembled badges.

This obverse design is found on only two other badge types -- the maker-marked Wiedmann and the unknown fatback maker. It's clear the the margins are slightly different from the Wiedmann (see comparison), whereas the flatbacks are characterized by their variability. It's possible (likely?) that this is simply another variant of the fatback maker's.

Whatever it is, I'd be inclined to think of it as a post-war product but already quite old.

Best regards,
---Norm

[Norm F]

These are the other two setups seen on "Wiedmann-like" obverses, lumped with the "flatbacks". These show the variability of the margins.

[Patrick W]

the first 2 posted badges are post war souval badges before they started clipping the round catch plates out. the square hinge plate is very telling

[Norm F]

the first 2 posted badges are post war souval badges before they started clipping the round catch plates out. the square hinge plate is very telling

Hi Patrick,

That's a great thought! I forgot the Souvals also used the same obverse design as Wiedmann but of course with different outlines and their maker mark incorporated into the reverse die. I had a "blind spot" due to the lack of their maker mark.

As you say, Souval was known for using the square hinge with the pointed corners on the flanges.When you compare the one posted by LVAV and a Souval from Weitze's site you can even see a similar notch in the beak. So this badge (and Jan Arne's) were possibly among the first of Souval's post-war production after they ran out of wartime struck planchets to assemble?

Best regards,
---Norm

[Norm F]

Here's the reverse of the Souval marked R.S. -- a so-called "wartime compatible" example but as with all such Souvals you never know for sure when they were assembled, during or post-war. It would appear the use of a different reverse die and trimming methods resulted in different outlines to the margins when compared with the post-war badge posted by LVAV.

[Norm F]

And here's a badge currently marketed in the internet described as a post-war Souval for 49 Euro. Certainly the same badge but without the cutout under the sub and now with a classic post-war Souval setup. Notice too the small ridge on the inner cutout in the oblique view; that seems to match a ridge seen on the right in the obverse view posted by LVAZ. This must be a later version of the one that started this thread.

Best regards,
---Norm

[LVAZ]

hello,
thank you for your help Norm. Very appreciated.
cheers.