Coastal Artillery badge, FFL 43 Original ?

[Valentino]

Today, i got a few items offered... all are ok.
But, this coastal FFL 43 looks like a cast piece for me. I never had a coatal badge from Linden, are they that bad? This badge was cleaned from him, yesterday...
many thanks for your help!

[Valentino]

2

[Valentino]

3

[JAndrew]

That does look pretty dubious. Can you bend it with your fingers?
JAndrew

[Valentino]

its not here at the moment, but no it was not to bend.

[Valentino]

Mhhhh... No One else an idea?

[Norm F]

Hi Valentino,

It's a tough call. The silver finish is atypical and that pitting in the lower right corner of the reverse is odd, but the FLL Marine Artillery badge is quite variable in its production quality, hardware and finish anyway. The round wire catch was typically buried in solder in a recess like that, which unfortunately gives the same appearance as a casting with a fake wire catch simply soldered into a small hole -- makes it harder to tell fake from real. But otther than that the hardware looks fine.

Because of these difficulties in judging, it might be harder to sell except to someone who specializes in odd variants with outstanding questions. Most casual collectors would hold out for a "classic" example I would think.

For what it's worth, it doesn't look like the typical known Staegemeir fake like is featured in this thread (but who knows what he's up to these days):
http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...d.php?t=482484

Best regards,
---Norm

[Valentino]

Hi Valentino,

It's a tough call. The silver finish is atypical and that pitting in the lower right corner of the reverse is odd, but the FLL Marine Artillery badge is quite variable in its production quality, hardware and finish anyway. The round wire catch was typically buried in solder in a recess like that, which unfortunately gives the same appearance as a casting with a fake wire catch simply soldered into a small hole -- makes it harder to tell fake from real. But otther than that the hardware looks fine.

Because of these difficulties in judging, it might be harder to sell except to someone who specializes in odd variants with outstanding questions. Most casual collectors would hold out for a "classic" example I would think.

For what it's worth, it doesn't look like the typical known Staegemeir fake like is featured in this thread (but who knows what he's up to these days):
http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...d.php?t=482484

Best regards,
---Norm

I am not sure... as I told you he polished the badge the day before he showed me... hoping to get more money... because it looks not " very nice "
In orther words... there was a lot of patina...he regrets it as I told him, that polishing badges is not better for value of them. most collectors dont like this..

It it his badge for decades now.

[Norm F]

I am not sure... as I told you he polished the badge the day before he showed me... hoping to get more money... because it looks not " very nice "
In orther words... there was a lot of patina...he regrets it as I told him, that polishing badges is not better for value of them. most collectors dont like this..

It it his badge for decades now.

Well, like I say, I'm not sure either! It could very well be a good badge. But even if he cleaned a "classic" FLL with the darkened reverse and obverse feature, he wouldn't end up with that silvered finish, so that is a different finish entirely. It's not a deal breaker, just unusual. I still think the most likely buyer would be a collector of unusual variants - a somewhat smaller market.

Best regards,
---Norm

[BubbaZ]

Hi,
I agree that it looks crude even for a FLL. Silver finish is atypical but known for this maker.
For safety reason I would better stick to accepted variations like mine.
Cheers,
Hubert

[Thomas Durante]

Hi guys,

I tend to think it is an original, thats been refinished. I really like the reverse hardware and the detail look OK IMO. But the finish is certainly odd and I suspect its been tampered with.

Tom

[Norm F]

Silver finish is atypical but known for this maker - Norm, do you remember one posted in GCA DB?

Hi Hubert,

Yes, that's what I was thinking of when I mentioned different finishes have been seen.

But also Valentino's example has the oval sheet metal hinge instead of the usual rectangular type. This feature does occur on the FLL CA badge, but again is much less common than the rectangular hinge. So that's two unusual features on one badge -- maybe better than just having an atypical finish alone?

Here are two examples previously posted by Tom D., both uncommon variants. The one on the left has the less common oval hinge and robust stamped sheet metal catch (but the standard darkened finish) while the one on the right has the more typical rectangular hinge and catch but the unusual stamped maker mark and silvered finish.

Best regards,
---Norm

[Norm F]

Hi guys,

I tend to think it is an original, thats been refinished. I really like the reverse hardware and the detail look OK IMO. But the finish is certainly odd and I suspect its been tampered with.

Tom

Hi Tom,

I just noticed that the "atypical" finish on this CAB is not unlike that on the FLL PAB just posted by "Stukapilot" here:
http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...d.php?t=667460

Could be an original variant finish on the CAB?

Best regards,
---Norm

[Thomas Durante]

Hi Norm,

Looks different to me. The finish on the PAB looks to be frosted; almost powdered (what I typically think of as cheap brennlack or silver wash).

Whereas the finish on the CAB looks like a type of cheap plating (like you could peal it off in sheets if it was loose). If you look at the closeup on post #3, that is what it looks like to me.

Tom

[Ludwig]

I don´t like the first badge. IMO a fake.