Auxiliary cruiser for review

[amiklic1]

This looks like nice zinc piece, but let's see what others say about it.
I am not an expert ;-)

[amiklic1]

...

[BubbaZ]

Hi,
The globe and the rivet scream postwar on this S&L zincer.
Cheers,
Hubert

[Martin W]

I have to agree with Hubert here.
The globe is typical of postwar S&L production and can be seen on their 1957 awards.The domed rivet is also an example of postwar production on these HK awards,IMO.

Regards,Martin.

[Norm F]

I agree with Hubert and Martin this is a post-war badge. The difficulty comes in telling whether it was made by S&L in the post-war period or by Staegemeir (or one of his suppliers).

Attached here is a very similar offering from Staegemeir although the globe is somewhat brighter and the rivet is missing.

The possibilities are:
1) assembled by S&L in the post-war period from wartime wreath and post-war stamped Type 2 globe.
2) assembled by a 3rd party in the post-war period from S&L leftover wreaths and post-war stamped Type 2 globe.
3) completely post-war production by S&L on original tooling.
4) completely post-war production by a 3rd party who acquired S&L's tooling.

Since none of these options are a wartime produced badge, most collectors would find the distinction irrelevant, but it would be nice to know if S&L ever embarked on the risky business of stamping swastika-bearing products in the post-war period or if they passed their tooling on to a 3rd party. I think many believe it's the latter scenario, which certainly seems a safer business model for the official provider of Bundeswehr awards (at least after November, 1955 when the Bundeswehr came into existence). S&L could have produced the globes alone for their '57 products and left the controversial business of illegal WW2 replica awards to others after 1956.

That wouldn't rule out S&L engaging in or complicit in the assembly of post-war leftovers between May, 1945 and 1956 when economic survival was all that mattered and there was no Bundeswehr.

Best regards,
---Norm

[Norm F]

Previous thread on these post-war badges:
http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...d.php?t=700982

Best regards,
---Norm

[Norm F]

And once again for future reference, an illustration of the differences between the Type 1 (wartime-compatible) globe and the Type 2 (post-war) globe.

The Type 1 comes in both ferrous metal and Tombak while the Type 2 is only in Tombak.

[Norm F]

And two "1957-form" S&L Auxiliary Cruisers (without swastika). The early production with solid hinge and riveted construction uses a Type 1 globe while the later production with a hollow hinge, no rivet and coarser texture uses a Type 2 globe.

This suggests the flawed Type 2 globe probably came into existence in the late 1960's.