Cased Zerstörer-Kriegsabzeichen

[Woolgar]

Just added this SHuCo to my collection.

Any comments welcome

Many thanks

nick

[Woolgar]

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[Woolgar]

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[Woolgar]

Any comments please guys ?

Norm is unsure about the hardware so getting more pics

Nick

[Woolgar]

Closer pics

[Woolgar]

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[Pepe77]

Nick, I like it. It has exactly the same hardware like one from my collection.

IMO good catch mate..

[Woolgar]

Thanks Joseph

Nick

[Norm F]

Hi Guys,

Nick's badge looks very nice (killer in fact), but I just thought it needs a bit more study because of a few "non-standard" features.

When you consider the classic common S.H.u.Co. Destroyers (like the three attached), you think of a hinge with either narrow or wide flanges, a rounded rectangular catch plate and a ferrous main pin. The location of the maker mark on the lower reverse varied all over the place which suggests either multiple reverse dies or the same reverse die mounted in slightly different locations for various production runs.

Nick's has an unusual oval catch plate which I hadn't yet seen and I believe the round-wire catch is also bent differently from usual. Also, the tapered tip of the main pin is non-standard. I found pics of another with example with very similar finish to Nick's, but with the maker mark shifted over and the usual standard catch, catch plate and hinge. Now I notice the main pin on that other example is unusually long, which makes me wonder if Nick's also used this unusually long pin stock originally and then the tip was snipped off to a normal length, resulting in the different tip taper.

@ Nick, when you get a chance, could you please post another closeup of the the catch from the other side, and whether the pin is ferrous or not?

@ Joseph, could you please post your example for comparison?

Best regards,
---Norm

[Woolgar]

Thank you Norm, I very much appreciate your help and advice on this

Yes I will get the pics you require

Nick

[Norm F]

Here's another S.H.u.Co. example, this one from the end-of-war "trophy belt" previously posted here.

You can see the typical finish of a darkened central motif and reverse, and then gilding of the wreath with a variable amount gilding sometimes on the reverse as well. I get the impression gilding the reverse was an optional step, either usually skipped or perhaps applied thinly so that it's worn off of most examples - can't decide which?

Best regards,
---Norm

[Norm F]

In the S.H.u.Co. hoard find a few years back, the badges came in a white carton, and the gilding was that type that fades to silver over time like we see in late war from other makers like S&L, F&B, Mayer, Schwerin. I suspect that that there was a transition to this type of gilding (durable but fading to silver) in late war from the earlier more granular type that was less durable but didn't fade (but I can't be certain).

Best regards,
---Norm

[Pepe77]

Nick and Norm,
my not so good trained eyes haven´t recognized some minor differences (catch plate, pin) between mine and Nicks example. From that reason I can´t provide pictures of pretty same badge I´m afraid.

Anyway here goes pictures of my S.H.u.Co. with faded gilding.

[Pepe77]

Next

[Woolgar]

Thank you for your valuable help Joseph

Nick