Fake Fuess

[Enzian]

Party Badge

This is sort of like coming in to land on a hot LZ, so I will just say the red background
does not look like the real Bavarian work or physical substance of the early party stuff--especially GI bring-backs--the enamel workmanship or materials or both is missing. Circle round again.

[GRENAIDER]

To an uneducated collector, these badges are pretty real. They even fooled me until I took a closer look. A shame that these would eventually turn the hobby upside down. Martin

[Br. James]

The Fuess-marked badge in note #29 is an excellent example of THE AUSTRIAN FAKE GPB. I should know...I've had one in my collection for perhaps 20 years, since I bought it from Ron Manion. I have no reason to believe that Ron sold me a badge that he knew was fake, and "the Austrian fake" has only come to light in the past few years.

Br. James

[Gary Symonds]

I have yet to see any credible evidence these are fakes. I keep demanding evidence, but so far all is based on the fact that supposedly none of these "Austrian" GPBs have been proven to have some kind of family history, and that the serial numbers being repeated as to the same digits somehow proves these are fakes.

Where are all the others? Why don't they show up with regularity at shows. Are we to believe that the fakers only made a handful, and then ceased operations? They should be readily available at the MAX and the SOS, and they are not. At the recent Pomona Show in Southern California, not a single example was for sale. How come guys? How about an answer other than an unsupported opinion, which is what we are treated to in this thread.

How was it that these were under the noses of all the experts unitil maybe ten years ago, when the experts woke up at the switch?

I own both a "real" Fuess, and this "fake" Fuess, and I can tell you the fake is of better quality then the original.

We know that Fuess was not a maker, but at best a designer. In my opinion these examples are nothing more than a change in sub contractor parts for whatever reason.

I purchased my Austrian from Bob Hritz in 1991, and Bob has stood behind his sale, and to this day has offered to refund my money.

[der-hase-fee]

Maybe the sellers don't want to take these to the militaria shows for the odd chance to run into the few (non-)believers.

Here is another one, it even has the off center MM on the pin plate (source: https://www.originalgermanmilitaria....ze-fuess-36609):









And very special, one with only a 4 digit number (at least per the description, https://www.sandsmilitaria.com/small...ly-researched/):

[sjl]

I'd say this one is perfectly fine. It has all the characteristics of a genuine Fuess - spikey letters, squarish "P", good looking leaves and lines underneath, round "C" in MUNCHEN. That one gets a thumbs up from me. None of the red flags of the "Austrian fake".

Maybe the sellers don't want to take these to the militaria shows for the odd chance to run into the few (non-)believers.

Here is another one, it even has the off center MM on the pin plate (source: https://www.originalgermanmilitaria....ze-fuess-36609):









And very special, one with only a 4 digit number (at least per the description, https://www.sandsmilitaria.com/small...ly-researched/):

[ErichS]

Agree, a nice original Fuess.

[der-hase-fee]

Sorry for the mistake, I messed up. I meant to show 30338 instead. Unfortunately I did not keep the link for the large size pictures.

[all1knew]

the #6683 Georg Dietz badge is a textbook original for me as well.

William Kramer

[all1knew]

some good photos of the Austrian reproduction in this thread:

http://wehrmacht-awards.com/forums/s...d.php?t=459861

William Kramer

[der-hase-fee]

the #6683 Georg Dietz badge is a textbook original for me as well.

William Kramer

Agree. Sorry again for the mess in the earlier post.

[der-hase-fee]

Check this one out: Austrian fake numbered 11204 has dotted stippling vs. dashes, and the rail tracks on top of the leafs.

[salzmann]

What a beauty!