NSDAP Party Pin GZD 7 / 18 MM

[EK Collector]

Hello

I got this party pin.
In my opinion a extrem rare variant.
Can someone tell me the marker?
I want to go sure until i sell it ..

Thanks a lot
Best regards
Robin

[Wim Vangossum]

First time I see this reverse. I like it. Genuine piece
IMO.


Regards, Wim

[EK Collector]

First time I see this reverse. I like it. Genuine piece
IMO.


Regards, Wim

Thank you!
Can someone help me with the Marker?

[salzmann]

IMO looks like made yesterday...

[ErichS]

A very early badge

[Eric Broome]

Very old badge, definitely not made yesterday....I'm assuming that post was meant as a joke. These unique badges are what keep me collecting. The plain old M1/'s get boring pretty quick. Thanks for sharing.

[Eric Broome]

This badge reminds me of one I had before but don't anymore. See the photos below, it is the first badge on the second row. The reverse is similar. Instead of gzd in circle it has just a z in circle and instead of 7 it has a 28. One exactly like this one is in the party badge book and discussed by the author. The one Jo owns and this one are the only two Jo had ever seen. I think this one is related in some way. the markings are just too similar to me. But who knows...?

[ErichS]

These early badges showed a lot of character before the RZM standardized them.

[salzmann]

Dear Eric, you are right I'm joking often but in this case I don't. Sorry but that badge I didn't want in my collection. Maybe I'm wrong...

Very old badge, definitely not made yesterday....I'm assuming that post was meant as a joke. These unique badges are what keep me collecting. The plain old M1/'s get boring pretty quick. Thanks for sharing.

[EK Collector]

The Badge is Original for sure..
Its in Great condition...

[Zirnhelt]

It is an excellent example of an early badge. Vincd

[Eric Broome]

Salzmann, I would pay top dollar for that badge. As a matter of fact, I tried to but was outbid. These old non rzm, pre transitional party badges are the top tier IMO for collecting.

I had a huge collection of party badges few years ago and had to sell them due to hardship. When I decided to start another collection I told myself I would not buy a single rzm M1/? badge this time around. I only wanted to collect rarities like this one, transitionals, maker marked and slogan badges. I have broken down and bought two m1/ badges but they were both odd balls. One was the m1/145 that is double stamped on reverse. Badges like this one that are outside the given, agreed upon standards but which are obviously authentic are what keeps me seeking everyday.

I will point out what (to me) proves this badge is correct. First off is the oddball pattern of the red ring versus the white center circle. The skinny red ring is so different than the standardized badges which have a pretty even ratio between red and white. A faker would never make a badge like this that is so not normal. They would make it as much like the standard ones as possible to fit in.

Next is the very sloppy font of the lettering on the obverse. Fake badges are always machine made with lettering that has rounded ends. This indicates the router type bit that was used to engrave the mold. The end and edges of these letter are sloppy with one A that totally does not match the other A. This indicate a hand engraved die that was made by a small boutique badge maker and used for a small short run early on before the rzm clamped down on standards. This is why most of us have never seen this particular one before. There might have only been 50 made. It might have been even less. When I see these older badges with ugly sloppy fonts and abnormal reverse markings, I can't get my money out fast enough.

In our hobby I think the fakers have scared us all into believing only what we have seen in print and what has been accepted as the "standard". While the third Reich was very rigid and rigorously controlled, there was an early period when it wasn't a sure thing that the Nazis would come to power. During this period there were some small badge makers who were making both Nazi badges and Communist badges. There weren't tens of thousands of people clamoring for Nazi party badges and as such a small maker might only make a handful of them by hand to fill their small orders for one small group or another. These small "by hand" runs of badges are the grail for me personally. I know lots of guys want to have every maker number of the m1/ series and I used to want that too. But man it gets boring.

I think this badge could have been made by a maker we have never heard of before. Or maybe by one that went on to be a prolific maker. Who knows? But I love it. The party badge book by Jo Rivett opened my eyes to these older treasures and the not so rigid way they were made in the early days. Sorry for the long winded response. I get carried away sometimes. Really hate I missed this badge.

[salzmann]

Eric, all these facts are known.

[Eric Broome]

Eric, all these facts are known.

Wasn't trying to be a know it all, just sharing why I think the badge is authentic. I personally have never seen a fake party badge that didn't have an rzm symbol on it. They may be out there, but I haven't seen one. I believe fakers always go for standardized on party badges. I don't think it's a coincidence that buyers also tend to go for standardized. Sorry if I came off the wrong way. Wasn't intended.

Eric