Double Marked Assman Para Badge

[PAB_Collector]

Gentlemen,

Does this Assman Para look good to you?

I have never seen a double maker stamping on a late war Assman like this.

[peterm]

Hi !
I'm not the great expert on Assmann-pieces (have 7 or 8 para-badges but no Assmann) - but from these pictures I think it's a good one.
Just waiting for Tom Durante's opinion. Everything he says has "hand and feet"...

Regards, Peter

[Thomas Durante]

Hi guys,

I can only agree with Peter, a nice late war original Assmann in my opinion.

These are a bit controversial and many have called them out as reproductions. However, they match up perfectly to other original late war die cast zinc Assmanns with regard to die characteristics, hardware, finish, riveting, etc., but not marked L/64. These have also been acquired directly from vets, so taking all that into account, its my opinion that these double marked badges are perfectly legitimate late war Assmann variants.

There are VERY well made fakes of these done by Carsten Staegemeir, but yours is not one of them, its a nice original.

Tom

p.s., thanks for the vote of confidence Peter

[cobra-2001]

badge

hi yes it is correct in having both maker marks on it . looks like a original to me also .

[Volksgrenadier 44]

Para.

Yep i agree also its a smasher.

Rossco

[Tom Yanacek]

I have always liked these double-marked, late-war Assmann Paratrooper Badges. Here is a nice example using the #2 wreath mold. This badge still retains most of the darkened finish to the wreath and a nice gilt finish to the eagle as well. Of interest is the fact that this eagle is finished on both the obverse and reverse. I know that many collectors doubt the existence of any type of LDO-produced Luftwaffe Badge. However, I can also vouch for their wartime existence based on veteran bringbacks. I once owned a grouping that was given to me by a U.S veteran. The grouping consisted of an unmarked EKI, an injection-molded Arno Wallpach Luft Ground Assault Badge, and a double-marked Assmann Paratrooper Badge. I believe that all three of these badges were taken from the same soldier.

Best regards,
Tom

[Tom Yanacek]

reverse:

[Tom Yanacek]

markings:

[Thomas Durante]

Very nice Tom. Thanks also for sharing the vet story, just a little more evidence to support these L/64 variants as true wartime originals.

Tom

[Tom Yanacek]

Very nice Tom. Thanks also for sharing the vet story, just a little more evidence to support these L/64 variants as true wartime originals.

Tom

Thanks Tom! That Assmann is another one of my favorites. It was keeping that Meybauer (the one you wanted pictures of) company in the safe deposit box.
This Berg & Nolte was also in there. I actually forgot I had this one. It is a nice example with a zinc wreath and buntmetall eagle.

Best regards,
Tom

[Tom Yanacek]

reverse:

[Tom Yanacek]

Tom D.,

Not sure what to make of these three spots of gilt on the wreath of the Berg & Nolte. The finish on this eagle looks completely original to me. What do you think?

Best regards,
Tom

[Thomas Durante]

Hi Tom,

Nice B&NL, very uncommon to have one with the brass eagle. A true rarity and very nice.

I think I see traces of gold finish on the reverse of the rivets, so that tells me that the eagle was most certainly finished BEFORE it was attached to the wreath. You would be able to see that better than me since you have it in hand, but if that is the case, then I think it is safe to say that the eagle would have been touched up at some point AFTER it left the factory. All original wartime eagles were gilt finished BEFORE the badge was attached to the eagle, even the very late war zinkers, so there would be no reason to have gilt on the wreath other than the possibility of it being touched up. As to when it was touched up, we can only guess. Could have been done by the recipient to make it look better, or done many years later by a dealer. Finish looks a little thick in places, especially the swastika. The few original brass B&NL eagles that I know of all had a nice fire gilded finish applied to them or high quality gold plating, definately not a painted on finish.

Tom

[Tom Yanacek]

Hi Tom,

Nice B&NL, very uncommon to have one with the brass eagle. A true rarity and very nice.

I think I see traces of gold finish on the reverse of the rivets, so that tells me that the eagle was most certainly finished BEFORE it was attached to the wreath. You would be able to see that better than me since you have it in hand, but if that is the case, then I think it is safe to say that the eagle would have been touched up at some point AFTER it left the factory. All original wartime eagles were gilt finished BEFORE the badge was attached to the eagle, even the very late war zinkers, so there would be no reason to have gilt on the wreath other than the possibility of it being touched up. As to when it was touched up, we can only guess. Could have been done by the recipient to make it look better, or done many years later by a dealer. Finish looks a little thick in places, especially the swastika. The few original brass B&NL eagles that I know of all had a nice fire gilded finish applied to them or high quality gold plating, definately not a painted on finish.

Tom

Thanks for the response, Tom!

[colin davie]

Hi guys,

I can only agree with Peter, a nice late war original Assmann in my opinion.

These are a bit controversial and many have called them out as reproductions. However, they match up perfectly to other original late war die cast zinc Assmanns with regard to die characteristics, hardware, finish, riveting, etc., but not marked L/64. These have also been acquired directly from vets, so taking all that into account, its my opinion that these double marked badges are perfectly legitimate late war Assmann variants.

There are VERY well made fakes of these done by Carsten Staegemeir, but yours is not one of them, its a nice original.

Tom

p.s., thanks for the vote of confidence Peter

The rivets are different to late war injected Assmann Observer badges. See one here.

http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...35#post3054735

C