Pilots Badge

[Gene]

No one's figured that out yet. Many ideas were proposed as to who made these late war pilot and pilot observer badges (I said the eagles were reminiscent of GWL manufacture) but nothing has concluded this issue satisfactorily.

[Gene]

I'd say around $250

[Tim Calvert]

Sure looks similar to this one.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...tem=2120101355

I've seen these "late war" badges with about 8 different pin / hinge / rivet systems. How do you know which are the real ones and which are the fake ones?

[Tim Calvert]

I've never picked up a late war pilot's badge for that very reason. There is no solid info on them that I know of. I think the block hinges are considered OK.
Gene, what features make you give this badge a "thumbs up"?
Good Luck Mark

[Mark S.]

Yea, Gene, are you holding out on us?

I would expect a zinc badge to have just as much detail as an early one, and with out errors. I have many zinc badges in my collection that have magnificent detail, and I would expect no less from a zinc Pilot badge.

When I see the uneven swastika on this one, and the balls on the talons, and what generally looks like weak detail overall (really hard to see for sure from these pictures, though, Ill admit) I really have to wonder about originality.

What also bothers me about these zinc Pilot badges is how they cant be matched to known makers. I find it hard to believe that the known makers all of a sudden stopped production (except for Juncker, who were bombed out in '44) and some unknown company picked up where they left off.

Another thing that I wonder about, is how many people were actually getting their qualification "late war"? By late 1944 the Luftwaffe was in a tailspin, and the end was coming up fast.
There werent that many new Pilots being qualified to begin with, let alone so many that warranted so many new Pilot badges that they had to switch to zinc becasue there wasnt enough good metal to continue making them. Wouldnt there already be plenty of old stock around to fill this void?

I dont know, maybe they are replacement badges, but things dont add up, IMO. Too many unanswered questions for me to feel 100% comfortable.

[Gene]

Gents,

I am not giving this badge a thumbs up, I was just giving a value based on what appears to be a late war zinc pilot's badge. The pics are actually too dark and not clear enough to render an opinion about it's originality. I have two late war pilot observer badges that are made like this that are 100% good; late war badges made of crummy materials exist for just about all qualifications (aerial gunner especially).

[Warren O]

I have to agree with Gene that GWL is the closest type eagle on this badge. I've only seen three types of hinges , the type picture the raised barrel hinge and the type with the block (schwerin). Although exact date of manufacture is impossible to tell most dealers consider this mid/late war.
It was also my belief that many pilots were still being qualified at the end of the war but were not fully trained hence shot down very easily. So why not make a lesser quality badge, they were still making airgunners badges and lord knows not many bombers were flying.
Warren

[Warren O]

back

[Warren O]

Heres a photo of a fake this style badge.

[Warren O]

Reverse Fake

[Jan Arne S]

Assmann Pilotbadge

Hallo !
Here is pics of a Assmann Pilotbagde in zink , late war badge .
http://groups.msn.com/Tyske2WWKrigsm...to&PhotoID=148
Click next ( neste ) to look at back of pilotbadge .

Lillegutt

[Mark S.]

and there you go..

Lillegutt has displayed what I would expect to see it a zinc pilot badge. Excellent, and thank you.

[Frank Mills]

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[Frank Mills]

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