blockade runner badge

[Ken S]

Need opinions on this Blockade Runners Badge. Please overlook the fact that some idiot painted it silver. Is this real or repro?

[robert60446]

Hi,

I’m not a specialist, but below you may see the few differences between your badge and other Blockade breaker badge. I hope this will help you.






I cannot post the whole picture of the other badge, because this badge is not from mine collection. Sorry.

Regards

Robert

[Mike Kenny]

Hi Ken,

Interesting an not a simple badge to authenticate from images. It's obviously been repaired (catch and hinge), but the hinge/pin and catchplate (not the catch) look like genuine schwerin zincer construction. Maker mark looks correct as well. I like what appears to be an original silver plating on the reverse as well. The obverse is interesting as there are definite indications of double-striking (normally a good sign imo) on the anchor and left hand side, top two portholes. The obverse detail is generally good but there may be some loss of detail if it has been refinished as Ken states.

Imo, from the images only, it may be genuine but HEAVILY messed with (repaired and refinished on the obverse).

Regards
Mike K

[robert60446]

Hi,

As Mike said, it is a tough call based on the pictures only. However it is very interesting example. Wait for the Frank’s opinion. Good luck!

Best regards

Robert

[Darrell]

Hi Ken,

The obverse is interesting as there are definite indications of double-striking (normally a good sign imo) on the anchor and left hand side, top two portholes. Regards
Mike K

Mike ... this statement caught my eye ... "double-striking" ... can you explain what this means ... as well as ... did this happen to other badges as well ??? I have a couple where it appears there is a faint maker mark underneath an existing maker mark but shifted by a few mm's (they are identical makers).

Thanks

[Frank Heukemes]

Wait for the Frank’s opinion. Good luck!

Absolutely not necessary. Mike K is a mentor of mine I look up to. I merely taught myself to look at badges the way he does.

[John R.]

br badge

The badge looks good when compared to a known example. Like Mike said, the badge has been repaired as can be noted by placement of catch. Who knows, this one might have a history. John

[John R.]

badge

OK, that was yours, now a known good example. John

[Patrick W]

That is an original zinc Schwerin badge. The only repair is at the hinge were the original plate has been resoldered. The catch is correct IMO you often find them obscuring the makers mark on the zinc badges. If you can get it cheap then snap it up.

[Mike Kenny]

Hi,

Darrell, re "double-striking", I do not know exactly how it occurred. I can only guess that the badges were either struck more than once to ensure good detail but some badges moved between strikes, were moved slightly before the "trimming" process or were moved/dropped when being removed from the die while still hot enough in places to be re-impressed. I have seen it on other badges - there are many examples of Schwerins HSF badge which show this and some of these double-strikings are imaged in my article.

What you may be referring to with regard to the maker mark is probably a different process. Here I'm thinking stamped MMs on eg LW badges. They appear hand-stamped and the ghosting is either from a weak first strike OR "bounce" after the main strike. Imaging a hammer hitting a metal plate. It doesn't hit and then stop, it hits and bounces back a little bit. If the punch moves a bit during this "bounce-back", you'd get a ghosting or double-striking effect.

Frank, I've said before, you've taken things way beyond whatever I may have "taught" you! You deserve any/all kudos that members give.

Patrick, I disagree, imo the catch (not the catchplate) has definitely been repaired as the catch is WAY too wide - compare the width of the catch to the height of the lettering. The catch should be narrower than letter height but on Ken's example it is much wider than letter height.

Regards
Mike K