Small Golden party badge , original ?

[magnusmilitaria]

Hello Guys!

I would like to get some opinions about this small golden party badge.
Thank You in advance!
Best Regards
Mark

[Wim Vangossum]

It's the Austrian fake.

Regards, Wim

[nycam79]

A reproduction that's fooled many a collector

[ErichS]

These badges have fooled many a collector and dealer.

[magnusmilitaria]

Hello guys!

Thanks You for comments!
Regards
Mark

[Gary Symonds]

What I fail to understand is that until fairly recently, nobody questioned these GPBs. Though these have been supposedly been around since the 80s, why did nobody notice that they were reproductions until about two years ago?

With all of our resident experts, why were they asleep at the switch?

[der-hase-fee]

What I fail to understand is that until fairly recently, nobody questioned these GPBs. Though these have been supposedly been around since the 80s, why did nobody notice that they were reproductions until about two years ago?

With all of our resident experts, why were they asleep at the switch?

Interesting question. The oldest thread on the Austrian fake I can locate here at WAF is this one (from 3 1/2 years ago): http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...d.php?t=242474

While I have been interested in GPB's a long time, I got seriously into the subject only a couple or so years ago and took the Austrian fake as a given. The 80's are long over, maybe with the Internet pieces of the Austrian fake batch found their way accross the pond and elsewhere more rapidly.

[sjl]

I'm proud to say I'm one of the people who outed this fake Fuess badge originally on the German Daggers Forum, I think in 2001. The original "a-ha!" thread is gone now, but there's reference to it in 2005 over on the German Daggers forum: http://forum.germandaggers.com/ubbth...481#Post194481

At that time they looked funky, and then three turned up with the same number "33333". The wonders of the internet brought all the pieces together. Someone else piped up how they knew they came out of Austria in the 1980s. You can see John Pepera and my comments and how they came to be realized as fakes.

They did take in a lot of senior collectors for 20 years (about 1980 to 2000), and still are out there. There are in fact copies of these copies out there now. Fortunately they have copied the same bad style and should not be a serious threat to those paying attention.

Cheers,

Stephen
Gold Party Pin Website: http://pages.interlog.com/~sjl/GPB

[Valentino]

If you compare the letters on original badges and those fakes, its easy.

[magnusmilitaria]

So if this fakes re fro Austria its possible that they re product of Souval fabric in Wien ?

[sjl]

So if this fakes re fro Austria its possible that they re product of Souval fabric in Wien ?

A distinct possibility. They are high quality fakes.

Stephen

[Valentino]

A distinct possibility. They are high quality fakes.

Stephen

Why are this "high quality fakes"?

[sjl]

Construction and materials are better than most. This one has been artificially distressed, so doesn't show well, but is supposed to be more "believable".

Here's what one of these fake types looks like when pretty:



Stephen

[sjl]

And the fake back:

[Gary Symonds]

I'm proud to say I'm one of the people who outed this fake Fuess badge originally on the German Daggers Forum, I think in 2001. The original "a-ha!" thread is gone now, but there's reference to it in 2005 over on the German Daggers forum: http://forum.germandaggers.com/ubbth...481#Post194481

At that time they looked funky, and then three turned up with the same number "33333". The wonders of the internet brought all the pieces together. Someone else piped up how they knew they came out of Austria in the 1980s. You can see John Pepera and my comments and how they came to be realized as fakes.

They did take in a lot of senior collectors for 20 years (about 1980 to 2000), and still are out there. There are in fact copies of these copies out there now. Fortunately they have copied the same bad style and should not be a serious threat to those paying attention.

Cheers,

Stephen
Gold Party Pin Website: http://pages.interlog.com/~sjl/GPB

Stephen:
Correct me if I am wrong. I had your GPB website as a favorite for years. From time to time I would go to the website for updates. This "Austrian Fake" did NOT appear on this website until the last couple of years. Certainly not in 2001 when you "discovered" it. Am I wrong?
Gary