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**der-hase-fee** · 10-10-2018, 07:26 AM

I got lazy and posted links only, because uploading the pictures was quite an effort.

Here are a few more of the case with the Poellath sticker.

https://www.amazon.com/clouddrive/sh...V5onjYVrSawZ7m

https://www.amazon.com/clouddrive/sh...pAiL27XqBWHg3V

https://www.amazon.com/clouddrive/sh...DRts0uQZSW8A1E

It does not have the mushroom shaped button.

**JoeW** · 10-10-2018, 04:10 PM

I did some analysis of the two existing list of awardees. Though the badge was created for presentation in June of 1933, there were only 960 names in the first list that included 21 honorary awardees that included the Bormann brothers. It was not until December of 1937 that a second listing was created that unfortunately only listed the party numbers of the 1139 awardees. That means that 179 new badges were presented over the approximate four year interval. Of these new awards, 91 had party numbers over 100,000 meaning they were some type of honorary awardee. But of the remaining 88 new awardees, there were additional honorary recipients with either no number or under 100,000: Göring and his wife.

We know that there are at least two variations of the badge attachment design displayed by silver examples with numbers under 1139. Can this style attachment design be expanded past 1139?

**Stan** · 10-11-2018, 02:26 AM

So we are discussing TWO separate boxes here-

One in orange/red colour with black velvet insert and a mushroom-shaped push button.

A second one which is bright red in colour, has a brown velvet insert, no mushroom shaped push button and a Poellath sticker on the base which was sold on Militaia321.

What is the evidence that the suspicious-looking Poellath case sold on Militaria321 is an original case for the Gau Thueringen badge which would prove that Poellath was the actual supplier of these awards?

Stan

**Reinhard2** · 10-11-2018, 10:04 AM

Hi ! I will ask some people who had or have the badges in cases.
But one thing is very interesting: The highest number on the pictures is in between the 1600 and the needle system differs only a little bit from the first type. Why would anyone produce a bronze one with a really different needle system if there were so many awarded ?

**JoeW** · 10-12-2018, 12:03 AM

Originally posted by Reinhard2 View Post

Hi ! ...................................... Why would anyone produce a bronze one with a really different needle system if there were so many awarded ?

Perhaps the metal in the bronze/brass eagles is more suitable for attachment to the solid base pin structure than the silver material eagles? Just a supposition.

**Stan** · 10-12-2018, 02:14 AM

Originally posted by Reinhard2 View Post

Why would anyone produce a bronze one with a really different needle system if there were so many awarded ?

Reinhard,

That is the million dollar question.

We have been asking this question for the past 70 years and one day it will surely be answered.

That is the great thing about our hobby.

Stan

**Stan** · 10-12-2018, 05:35 AM

The suggestion that the Bronze badges were awarded to PG's who did not qualify for the Silver award but merited special recognition is still the best explanation that I have heard.

Stan

**JoeW** · 10-12-2018, 11:56 AM

As an aside, those who own Gottlieb's book on Gau awards might note a correction for pps 168-169 that discuss the NSDAP party book that supposedly recorded the receipt of a silver Gau eagle badge in Aug 1933. Craig misread the party book entry, as it was merely a notation in Aug 1933 that the book owner received his Gau badge in June 1933. The owner is noted in the first listing of recipient as having received badge 499.

**Gary Symonds** · 10-12-2018, 12:47 PM

Originally posted by Stan View Post

The suggestion that the Bronze badges were awarded to PG's who did not qualify for the Silver award but merited special recognition is still the best explanation that I have heard.

Stan

I own both a silver and a bronze example.

As noted, the bronze used the same die as the silver, with the alternative pin system.

My opinion is that he bronze were made during the war, to honor Gau members who significantly contributed to the war effort.

Why not?

**JoeW** · 10-12-2018, 02:23 PM

Originally posted by Gary Symonds View Post

I own both a silver and a bronze example.

As noted, the bronze used the same die as the silver, with the alternative pin system.

My opinion is that he bronze were made during the war, to honor Gau members who significantly contributed to the war effort.

Why not?

It's an interesting theory Gary. But the KVK I o/S was specifically used to honor all who contributed significantly to the war effort. The image of the KVK I was used on those flags presented to Musterbetriebe that were renamed Kriegs-Musterbetriebe in 1942. Both factory owners and workers were presented the KVK I o/S. And the Gau Adler even in the 1943 Org Book was recognized only as a party Gau award.

**der-hase-fee** · 10-13-2018, 11:23 AM

Originally posted by Stan View Post

What is the evidence that the suspicious-looking Poellath case sold on Militaria321 is an original case for the Gau Thueringen badge which would prove that Poellath was the actual supplier of these awards?

Yep, exactly. I dismissed the case as an original to the Gauadler, because a picture of the lid lining was not included in the auction description and the seller chose to not respond to my inquiries.

**der-hase-fee** · 10-13-2018, 11:27 AM

Originally posted by Stan View Post

The suggestion that the Bronze badges were awarded to PG's who did not qualify for the Silver award but merited special recognition is still the best explanation that I have heard.

Stan

I am skeptical of the bronze Gauadler, until evidence of it's existence before 1945 surfaces.

**JoeW** · 10-13-2018, 12:10 PM

Originally posted by der-hase-fee View Post

I am skeptical of the bronze Gauadler, until evidence of it's existence before 1945 surfaces.

The only source documentation of any type of Thürigen Gau Adler are the two presentation lists and the NSDAP Org Books from 1936 to 1943. Only the Silver Gau Adler is mentioned. The latest presentation documented is August 1939.

I believe the story of the Bronze Gau Adlers is that they were acquired en mass by a US dealer from a vet buy. Please correct me if mistaken. Were any acquired individually from non-dealer sources by other collectors in the US or Europe? The factory marked paper envelopes in which they were discovered is the only "period" documentation for them. We can speculate all we wish, but as noted above, there is no documentation of their existence prior to 1945. But there exists sources which should be searched such as the archives in Suhl and Weimar. It is up to someone to find the documentation. Gau Thürigen published monthly circulars of local and national decrees as did other Gaues. I found in US archives some pages from such a circular containing changes to the Dienstrangliste of December 1937.

**Stan** · 10-17-2018, 11:33 AM

Yesterday I had the pleasure of calling in to see my old pal Chris Ailsby for a couple of hours and naturally had another look at his great collection whilst I was there.

When I flipped over his Gau Thüringen badge in silver I couldn’t believe my eyes - it had the same hardware as the same badge in Bronze!

So when WAF members have questioned why no Silver grade badge has been found with the same hardware as the bronze, we now know that some were indeed made using the same pin system.

The badge is marked “800” on the lower arm of the swas and is considerably heavier than the bronze grade.

Chris allowed me to take fotos to post on this thread and here they are.

Another piece in the jigsaw.

Stan

Attached Files

**Br. James** · 10-17-2018, 01:56 PM

Silver Eagle #800 was awarded to Gustav Kripp, who held the GPB and NSDAP Membership Number 44744. Silver Eagle #946 was awarded to Hermann Harbauer, who held the GPB and NSDAP Membership Number 2652.

Br. James

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