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**CPB** · 05-09-2020, 03:05 PM

Originally posted by Jon Fish View Post

Personally never been a fan of the AH honour badges- absolutely no way of attributing them to a specific individual, regardless of story and fable passed on with a badge. The badge in question, well it a huge leap in faith isn’t it? Was it wartime engraved, or has a blank been sexed up to double the value at some point?
I am on the side that thinks it was wartime engraved, but would always have a small nagging doubt in my mind, and that’s why I personally would not buy it. It’s the same with a lot of the SS daggers with stamped numbers, you can think they are period stamped, but you never just know for sure do you.
Different with the standard textbook numbered GPB, you know for 100% the number, and the owner if you get an archive match.
It’s a lot of money to lay down on a hunch or a feeling.

Thanks Jon, yep this is also pretty much the opinion I've reached now. Too bad, as that would have been a nice addition to my collection focus....but the nagging doubt would always weigh on my mind.

Thank you to everyone who chimed in and contributed their expertise to this thread...

Chris

**Br. James** · 05-09-2020, 03:43 PM

"1943 and 1939 seem to be the biggest years for honor badge awards according to Patzwall."

Yes, I agree, Stephen, with 1938 coming in third:
1943 -- 388
1939 -- 264
1938 -- 198

"Personally never been a fan of the AH honour badges- absolutely no way of attributing them to a specific individual, regardless of story and fable passed on with a badge."

And I have always felt exactly the same, Jon; I have never had the slightest interest in adding an AH Honorary GPB to my collection. In the end, there is no difference in terms of personal attribution between an AH Honorary GPB and an EK of any grade, or even a Coburg Badge for that matter, since none of the CBs bears any mark of identification with any of the 450 recipients of that prestigious award.

Br. James

**Erich B.** · 05-10-2020, 08:04 PM

The only reason I can think of to having one's name engraved on the reverse of the honorary GPB would be if the badge was lost. The person finding the badge would be able to make sure it was returned to the rightful owner. With only the date on the reverse, it would require the wearer to list the loss in a newspaper or SAVB (which usually has some lost GPBs listed-nearly always numbered, though) or whatever organizational Blatt that would be appropriate, and hope the finder found the listing.
Otherwise, why bother having it engraved.
Even though this badge was inside a Godet box, it might have been for storage purposes--I would expect Godet to have access to finer engravers. The engraving here is not bad but it's not outstanding.
Personally, I think this badge has no red flags that I can see.
Erich

**Br. James** · 05-11-2020, 11:11 AM

Another possibility for anyone who happened to find a lost GPB -- either numbered or AH Honorary -- would be to return it to the nearest Gau Treasurer's Office. Since every order for additional GPBs had to pass through that holder's Gau Treasurer's Office, so that the orderer could pay the nominal fee for each new badge, it would be appropriate for the finder of the lost badge to turn it in by that route.

Of course, the GPB was a rarity in either format -- as it was intended to be -- so most people would probably not have known what to do if they found a lost badge on the street or in a building somewhere...

Br. James

**JoeW** · 05-11-2020, 11:28 AM

Originally posted by Br. James View Post

"1943 and 1939 seem to be the biggest years for honor badge awards according to Patzwall."

Yes, I agree, Stephen, with 1938 coming in third:
1943 -- 388
1939 -- 264
1938 -- 198

"Personally never been a fan of the AH honour badges- absolutely no way of attributing them to a specific individual, regardless of story and fable passed on with a badge."

And I have always felt exactly the same, Jon; I have never had the slightest interest in adding an AH Honorary GPB to my collection. In the end, there is no difference in terms of personal attribution between an AH Honorary GPB and an EK of any grade, or even a Coburg Badge for that matter, since none of the CBs bears any mark of identification with any of the 450 recipients of that prestigious award.

Br. James

Wow, Br. James and Jon, your collecting parameters have surely restricted your collections to high ticket named items like BOs, RK documents, promotion documents and the like. James, do you sell those GPBs you buy if you can't identify the recipient? What are your chances of finding the recipient of a regular GPB? 20% or so? At least that is the chance from my list.

I have a 1943 AH badge. Yes, the highest number issued. And there is no chance to identify the recipient. But it represents a conscious decision by AH to recognize those significant individuals on the various Gaues, party formations and governmental units.

**sjl** · 05-11-2020, 01:29 PM

There were about 7200 recipients of the Knights Cross of the Iron Cross, but only 900 honor Gold Party Badge holders. That makes the honor version of the GPB 8X rarer than the Knights Cross.

Yes, the RK was for valor, but also some less than heroic generals wore it as well. Once separated from its owner, an RK is practically impossible to trace as well. I'm sure many loose RKs have been magically "reunited" with paperwork that didn't belong to it.

The lesson is, in collecting to each his own.

**ErichS** · 05-11-2020, 05:22 PM

Originally posted by sjl View Post

There were about 7200 recipients of the Knights Cross of the Iron Cross, but only 900 honor Gold Party Badge holders. That makes the honor version of the GPB 8X rarer than the Knights Cross.

Yes, the RK was for valor, but also some less than heroic generals wore it as well. Once separated from its owner, an RK is practically impossible to trace as well. I'm sure many loose RKs have been magically "reunited" with paperwork that didn't belong to it.

The lesson is, in collecting to each his own.

The Coburg badge also mostly unidentifiable is more rare than either award.

**Br. James** · 05-12-2020, 11:09 AM

Hi Joe,

All good points, to be sure...though not necessarily mine! I own exactly two GPBs that are not identified; one I still have hopes of having it identified -- #12795 -- and the other turned out to be a beautiful example of "the Austrian Fake!"

Cheers, my friend, and do stay safe!

Br. James

**der-hase-fee** · 05-12-2020, 05:08 PM

Originally posted by JoeW View Post

I have a 1943 AH badge. Yes, the highest number issued. And there is no chance to identify the recipient. But it represents a conscious decision by AH to recognize those significant individuals on the various Gaues, party formations and governmental units.

Like for the later issue BOs, many honorary GPBs were awarded early on based on lists of recommendations. In 1937, there were many Alte Kämpfer wo did not make the short list (membership number <100,000) but were considered significant supporters, and got this most prestigious NSDAP award through the honorary nomination.

Others not fitting this picture, but considered to advance the Nazi cause by being part of it - another form of being significant -, got the honorary GPB pinned to their chest and did not dare to not wear it.

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Gold Party Badge, Wilhelm Brückner

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