Golden party Badge Case

[Greg Domian]

What are your thoughts on the GPB case Craig has in his auction?

http://www.cgmauctions.com/detail.as...sentation-Case

It does not look like the one Chen posted last year nor the one E-medals had on their site nor the highly priced one on Weitze's site. Were they all the same size/shape or were there different manufacturers who produced these presentation cases?

Thanks,

Greg

[Wim Vangossum]

They are rare as hell and you can't buy or find them cheap. Anyway, buying from that gravedigger is always tricky :grumble


Regards, Wim

[JoeW]

Question. Was there one design used for two types of 30mm pins? The 30mm AH pin is found in both the vertical pin and horizontal brooch pin. Was the slot for the large pin in the presentation boxes designed to accept either style of pin attachment?

[Br. James]

I believe it's been stated here on WAF previously that these red leather(ette) cases were only provided with the presentation of the AH Honorary GPB, and there have been a number of different case styles shown over the years. Since there were relatively few of the AH Honorary GPBs awarded -- approximately 900 in total -- and they were presented from 1934 through 1943 that we know of, with the years in which more than 100 were awarded in one year being 1938, 1939 and 1943, it would appear to me that the cases in which these rare presentations were made were probably created as required, possibly by different manufacturers, which would account for the different styles seen.

Br. James

[JoeW]

He also has on his non-auction site the v. Brauchitsch A.H. GPBs in their case, which incidentally are on the current Hermann Historica auction. An interesting comparison can be made of the exterior and interior of the lids of both of them as to the quality of the workmanship and material. But, as Br. James has pointed out, the time period over which the approximately 900 were produced and presented might have resulted in different styles from different manufactures. On the other hand, given the fact that some believe Schwarz had cut a deal with Deschler on the production of the badges, perhaps Deschler had a large number of presentation cases produced at the beginning to benefit form savings in larger production?

[Bob Hritz]

He also has on his non-auction site the v. Brauchitsch A.H. GPBs in their case, which incidentally are on the current Hermann Historica auction. An interesting comparison can be made of the exterior and interior of the lids of both of them as to the quality of the workmanship and material. But, as Br. James has pointed out, the time period over which the approximately 900 were produced and presented might have resulted in different styles from different manufactures. On the other hand, given the fact that some believe Schwarz had cut a deal with Deschler on the production of the badges, perhaps Deschler had a large number of presentation cases produced at the beginning to benefit form savings in larger production?

The von Brauchitsch set is in my collection where it has been for decades. Craig uses a photo he took of my set for reference. I believe the single 30 mm badge of Keitel is for auction.

Bob Hritz

[Robert H]

here is another one:
http://www.craiggottlieb.com/engine/...Filter=Gallery

Bob´s set from CG site:
http://www.craiggottlieb.com/engine/...rman+Militaria

CG auction side:
http://www.cgmauctions.com/detail.as...sentation-Case

from Militaria Scholz site:
http://www.militaria-scholz.de/de/sh...l/article:2101

I look and look and compare, when there are different makers its a lost answer, but I doubt different makers.

[JoeW]

The von Brauchitsch set is in my collection where it has been for decades. Craig uses a photo he took of my set for reference. I believe the single 30 mm badge of Keitel is for auction.

Bob Hritz

Thank you Bob for the correction. I am starting to wonder about my mental faculties and powers of observation.

[Bob Hritz]

I have seen two cases that I know are 100% original. I own one and collector Bob Moses had owned the other one. They were identidal in shape, curvature, size, and leather. The eagles were the same and all gilding and hardware were identical. There seems to ve an endless supply currently available. This leaves me a bit cold about the offerings.

Bob Hritz

[Br. James]

I have the memory that these red leather(ette) cases were exclusively used for the presentation of the AH Honorary GPB sets, that the system was that Hitler intended to personally present each Honorary set to each recipient, thereby underscoring the height at which he considered the importance of these badges to be.

The regularly numbered single badges and sets were sent from the Schwarz Office to each of the Gauleiters' offices that ordered the badges, and that each GPB Träger had to go to his Gauleiter's office to claim his badge(s). The badge(s) were usually received in an envelope from the Gauschatzmeister's Office...which to me undercuts the great importance which these symbols represented. IMO each Gauleiter should have personally presented each GPB to each member in his Gau...but of course, as there were supposedly 22,282 GPBs awarded to these earliest Party Members -- and this does not include replacement and additional badge orders -- this would probably have required far too much of each Gauleiter's time!

Br. James

[JoeW]

Br. James, you are correct in your understanding of the red cases. Although Hitler presented the earliest examples as evidenced in some photographic evidence, the latter issue of large numbers from 1939 on would have been presented by the Reichsleiters, Gauleiters or other senior authorities who provided their list of designated recipients. The archive information used by Patzwall in his book documents the mailing of the two AH engraved GPBs in an "Etui" (case) to be presented without newspaper acknowledgement.

The standard GPBs were mailed out to treasurers of the respective political level for presentation. At least the documentation found in Party Correspondence files indicates this. Weitze has one replacement badge for a Kreisleiter with the mailing "box" that was mailed from the office of the Reichsschatzmeister to the Kreisleite.

[FrenchVolunteer]

Hi,

i do not have the Jo Rivett massive book on the Golden Party Badge, and i suspect that many infos could reply to the few questions that may be raised by the two files i'm proposing to you.

From left to right, I included the cases of :
a) Bob Hritz (also presented on Craiggottlieb as item 5037, von Brauschitsch set, 15./16. III. 1939)
b) eMedals (Schörner set, 30.1.1943)
c) Militaria-Scholz (30.1.1939)
d) Craiggottlieb (30.1.1943)
e) Craiggottliebmilitariaauctions (empty)
f) Ulric-of-england (52661)

I think that many comments can be made.

First, the Ulric-of-england presentation case is clearly different from the one of Bob, and the space between the two GBP is too small if we compare to the other ones. There is also no "black" line around the case. The eagle "lost" his gold (well, not if it is not original). Clearly not good in my opinion. Also if the red case was made for GPB awarded by Hitler himself, i suspect that this is a way to "pimp" a pair of two original GPB with the same number.

Second, there is so many discrepencies between all the "January 30" GPB that i don't know what may be strange or not between each model. The book of Jo probably tell us more on that.

Third, the current presentation case on Craiggottliebmilitariaauctions seems to have a clearly more "squarish" curvature than the case of Bob. I personally do not like this one.

Four, we are lacking pictures for the Craiggottlieb 199 case, but the 90° position of the larger badge is clearly not right... Could it be possible that the artificial silk was changed ? Or that, more easily, the box is fake ?

Five, about the various eagles, visually they are very similar, but the best ones are the three ones of the left. The pictures of the two CG sets and the UOE set are very low quality, but the beak on the CG sets seemed to be shorter ?
Hard to make any conclusion there. Or maybe only that fakers are able to do very convincing gold eagles...

See You

Vince

[Bob Hritz]

Vince,

Thank you for the outstanding comparison. I believe this speaks volumes.

Bob Hritz

[Robert H]

to judge the ealges 100% you need clear photos of them, same with texture of all the cases and the closure button, we see they where also colored outside.

[FrenchVolunteer]

Hello Robert,

this is why i say that it is hard to make any conclusion one the eagles. And the curvature of the presentation case corners is a stronger clue to dissmiss it (or not).

To provide (actually to provide nothing) ultra low pictures for such "rare" and expensive items is in my opinion a bit outrageous for the potential buyer...

See You

Vince