Fritz Sauckel’s Gold Party Badge Sold at Auction

[der-hase-fee]

Well worth it.

[Silesien]

Interesting gold content marking on the DAF stickpin "333",- which is 8-carat gold; or 33.3% gold content. Very nice find.

[Howard Kelley]

Interesting gold content marking on the DAF stickpin "333",- which is 8-carat gold; or 33.3% gold content. Very nice find.

Seems that the early Gold Honor pins were marked with the gold content to the reverse.

I call these the "type I" pins.

Later pins do not have the gold content marked to the reverse.

Found another example on this forum in the 500 number range with the 333 gold mark to the reverse. Others from 1300 up do not have the marking.

Here's a link to the thread showing several other examples.

http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...t=gold+DAF+pin

[TxGauleiter]

I dont know exactly how the true value on pieces like this can really be determined...

I suppose an auction is one way, but since not every person can know about it or participate, its impossible to know what it would have ultimately gone for.

But I can say for certain, based on what other items go for, it was certainly a steal for $5k.

Congratulations to new the owner!

[juoneen]

A 375 mark would be 9ct gold, so 333 must be around 8ct. does anybody recognize the mark at the top....or for that matter the other one, likely a jeweler. Nice score for the secret buyer who obviously remains anonymous. This would is worth a lot more if the owner has the blood order to match. HHHMMMM I wonder? Bet this will surface again some day for sale.

[Br. James]

Fascinating comments indeed, juoneen -- thanks for them. In comparing the Sauckel DAF Honor Pin example with those found at the link provided by Howard Kelley, some interesting things appear: all the pins shown are made by one firm, Förster & Barth, Pforzheim; all of the pins shown are numbered EXCEPT the Sauckel piece -- was it perhaps a duplicate? The other pins include a clearer stamping of the RZM logo, so I assume that is what you're questioning on the cog below the "333." And while I have no idea what that mark at the top of the Sauckel piece represents, is it likely that a jeweler would mark such a piece in addition to the RZM M1/77 code? I didn't notice any similar mark on any of the other examples shown in the linked thread.

Very interesting!

Br. James

[ErichS]

This badge equals the Rosenberg GPB that came out of the woodwork a few years ago in the UK in importance.

[Bob Hritz]

Killer group at a bargain price. I wish I had known about that auction.

Bob Hritz

[Patrick W]

I couldn't bid live due to work and ended as runner up

[Mike P.]

Like Howard , you must have placed an online bid because the short exchange was only between myself and the 1 Phone Bidder . They told me there were 9 online bids before they started - that's why they opened it at $1600 instead of the $50 they listed. But the 2 of us bidding made the Audience look like they were watching a Tennis Match . As I said before, if this wasn't listed on-line ..I would have had it for somewhere under $1000 as not one person at the Auction was bidding. --- Bottom line here , I'm REALLY glad to hear "rumblings" that it was a fellow Collector that won it and the grouping won't be split up.

Here's a picture of the Auction ...

[Wim Vangossum]

It's still out there (from time to time).


Regards, Wim



Freedom is not for Free

[Jon Fish]

Erich thanks for bringing this thread to my attention.
Guys I have to hold my hands up to now owning this fantastic grouping. I was going to wait until I had the items in hand but I don't want to wait any longer because everyone is keen to see if it went to a collector or a dealer.

I spend 4 or 5 hours every evening trawling the high Internet sea's looking for just this type of score,and occasionally I'm lucky to hook and land a fish.

I had been aware of this lot for a couple of weeks and spoken several times to the auction house in the run up. I had fully expected to be in a bidding war with collectors and dealers and had anticipated to pay a lot more and was willing to go much higher in order to obtain the grouping.In fact it started very quickly and I was somewhat suprised to hear the hammer fall after what seemed an eternity on the last bid [sounded like some kind of shall I shan't I up my bid discussion in the room?!].
It's a bit weird bidding live on the phone to the USA at 2AM I can tell you and I was knackered for going to work at 6AM after!

Right then to the group. Yes such a desirable GPB,and taken from him on his capture in Berchtesgaden.Also looks in mint condition with no enamel damage and bonus the military style pin.
Looking in to the DAF pin thats an interesting one really. No issue number so one can presume Fritz didn't feel the need to have it numbered,or maybe had 2 or 3 and this was one or the replacement. As we know people had 2/3/4 GPBadges for different occasions uniforms etc,nice that this is the large one that Fritz is so often pictured wearing as earlier in this thread.

I intend to enjoy the grouping,when it arrives and will post further images at that time for WAF members.

Mike & Howard , on this occasion you guys just missed out but as we all know some you win ,some you loose. I still kick myself about certain auctions when I should have gone a bit higher. One that really gets me still was loosing a nice Blood Order in a small UK auction to a US collector,how the hell did they see it !!!, so I feel your pain
Mike respect for you words above about a collector getting the set.
It's the age on the Internet,the world is local and the days of getting steal deals at small provincial houses are very numbered for us all. Good for consignors,not so good for local collectors but great for hard working collectors willing to put the time in on the PC
Cheers,Jon

[Mike P.]

OUTSTANDING !!!
Congratulations Jon ....I'm really glad that you have it and not one of the few "Snyder" type dealers out there who would have split it up.

And you're right, I was almost ready to keep going but paused...and there was also some confusion between the Auctioneer and the Girl that had you on the phone because I think they almost had you bid against yourself at one point.
But they cleared that up fast and I stood down.

I've said it a thousand times ...ours is not a "Faceless" Community and being able to deal with each other ,or even compete as Gentlemen, reflects not only on us all but our "Hobby" as well.

I'm glad it's in good hands !!

[Jon Fish]

Mike, thank you. There is still honour amongst collectors, I have often in the recent past liased with collector friends over auctions and stood down at times and visa versa

Thats interesting Mike because I was on the phone with a guy, so there may have been 2 phone bidders after all, but maybe not because I think I overheard her mention about the louis vuitton trunk that was the next lot.
I was sure the next bid was coming but hey got lucky this time and glad we didn't end up bidding V each other much further!!

Don't worry it won't be split on my watch.No the DAF pin is not my area but it belongs together,especially as otherwise its just a un numbered non text book gold DAf pin!..... However I'm not sure how the armband fits in? Maybe it was an unrelated item that was picked up by the vet on his tour?
I have asked for the consignors details and hopefully might find out a bit more about the man who 'liberated' the items

[Mike P.]

You're right ...you were on the Phone with Theo (has a slight Dutch accent)
They had 3 Girls on the left of the Stage who were handling the Phones all night but Theo took your Call. With everything that was going on and $$ on my mind ..I forgot that

As far as there being an Honor Code among us, yes ..it still exsists with some of us. But , some have a Viper attitude and would rather Compete than Collect.
That's one of the reasons I've avoided the Forums for a few years.