Which Paratrooper Badge is considered the best design?

[wrongplanet67]

After the enormous succes (I was able to buy a really nice early J2 Flugzeugführer-Abzeichen) in this thread: https://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/for...he-best-design, I dare to ask the same for the Paratrooper Badge.

Which neusilber or tombak Fallschirmjäger-Abzeichen should I be looking for?

Assmann, Berg & Nolte, Brüder Schneider, Deumer, Juncker, Friedrich Linden, Gebrüder Wegerhoff, ...?

Thanks for the suggestions!

Any nice sale offers?

43dce7cb1ac2354823743bacf0d1a253.jpg
Fallschirmjäger unregulatorily showing (off) his awards.

[Jelle M.]

Hi Dirk,

well first of all everything depends on what amount you are willing to spend on a nice paratrooper.
My absolute favourites are the pre war, flat wreath examples from Assmann, Deumer and Juncker.
These are the best designed badges with an elegant design. The disadvantage is that they are very difficult to find
and expensive to afford. They are also often in a beat up condition, the rough life of a paratrooper you know.

For the second pattern, thick wreat badges my favourites are the IMME/JMME. A very distinct maker with a different wreath compared to other makers. The combination of the silver wreath and golden eagle is very appealing. They can have visible surface cracks, so you have to look for a nice example. Deumer is nice too, like every Deumer flight badge it's just top quality. As last i would mention the Juncker but only if it's an early version. Later strikes of the second pattern Juncker have in my opinion a disturbing flaw in the cut-out of the swastika arm and the reverse surface get's a grainy surface, probably because the die was worn out.
Also second pattern badges can have a high price.

If your budget is more tight you can choose more common makers and maybe go for a nice zinc example.
In the end they are all nice you just have to find a version that matches your desire. People can give suggestions but in the end you should buy what you really find attractive. That's the fun of the hobby, do some research and discover.




Jelle

[wrongplanet67]

Hi Jelle,

I only need one nice common tombak and/or nickle silver example. I won't collect different manufacturers.

I'm not looking for the rarest variant, hence not the most expensive badge. I also don't care about having the corresponding box.

No zinc examples for me, so my budget isn't tight.

I suppose you cannot spare such a not uncommon, but nice example from your collection?

Dirk

[Jelle M.]

Maybe the best type you can search is the thick wreath Assmann.
These are representative examples as many of these were worn in the war.
Easy to find on the market and affordable. I think you can have a nice example between 700-1000€

Jelle

[wrongplanet67]

Maybe the best type you can search is the thick wreath Assmann.
These are representative examples as many of these were worn in the war.

That's it all about. A representative example. Thanks Jelle!

[S1991]

Hi Dirk,

well first of all everything depends on what amount you are willing to spend on a nice paratrooper.
My absolute favourites are the pre war, flat wreath examples from Assmann, Deumer and Juncker.
These are the best designed badges with an elegant design. The disadvantage is that they are very difficult to find
and expensive to afford. They are also often in a beat up condition, the rough life of a paratrooper you know.

For the second pattern, thick wreat badges my favourites are the IMME/JMME. A very distinct maker with a different wreath compared to other makers. The combination of the silver wreath and golden eagle is very appealing. They can have visible surface cracks, so you have to look for a nice example. Deumer is nice too, like every Deumer flight badge it's just top quality. As last i would mention the Juncker but only if it's an early version. Later strikes of the second pattern Juncker have in my opinion a disturbing flaw in the cut-out of the swastika arm and the reverse surface get's a grainy surface, probably because the die was worn out.
Also second pattern badges can have a high price.

If your budget is more tight you can choose more common makers and maybe go for a nice zinc example.
In the end they are all nice you just have to find a version that matches your desire. People can give suggestions but in the end you should buy what you really find attractive. That's the fun of the hobby, do some research and discover.




Jelle

Jelle,

Can we see close ups on that Heer flak badge? Looks to be in gorgous condition!

[wrongplanet67]

So it's not that as with the Heer badges (IAB, PAB, GAB), EKs and Knights Crosses (L/12) that everybody wants Junckers?

[Jean-Claude]

So it's not that as with the Heer badges (IAB, PAB, GAB), EKs and Knights Crosses (L/12) that everybody wants Junckers?

I cant speak for others but I like Deumer just as much as Juncker but Juncker made pretty much everything across the board so its more popular but... Given you recent success with a very nice J2 Pilot I would try to find a matching J2 Para to eventually build a matched J2 set. I agree with Jelle that a lot of J2 paras have crappy looking swatisca cut outs (not to mention cut off/butchered 1st talons) but there are also some good ones to be found. Of course the PO wont be easy (or cheap) but the Observer & ROAG from that family are fairly common badges to find

Whatever you decide, good hunting

JC

[spectre]

Lots of nice design features, though most of these have since found new homes in the last 10 years (and that includes the J1).
One turned out to be bad, the Meybauer on the bottom left of the 2nd pic, though they used an original for the casting.
Alan

[jlga]

Hi Dirk,

well first of all everything depends on what amount you are willing to spend on a nice paratrooper.

They are also often in a beat up condition, the rough life of a paratrooper you know.

In the end they are all nice you just have to find a version that matches your desire. People can give suggestions but in the end you should buy what you really find attractive. That's the fun of the hobby, do some research and discover.



Jelle

Spot on Jelle great advice here is my Juncker that saw for sure some share of action