Collecting Golden Party Badges ...

[Military]

Hi all,

Just wondering for those who collect GPBs - Would it be more desirable to collect those with standard serial numbers and researchable or rather to go for the AH version? Why so? What are your thoughts?

I personally feel that a serialised badge would be more interesting to start off as a project, etc, but not necessarily that the case file might be so - it might just be a dead-end?

Lastly, our Jon Fish, the finest purveyor of BOs and wounded GPBs has also struck me that collecting wounded GPBs might be a way of getting round the damage to my pocket? Any thoughts on collecting "wounded" ones?

Thanks.

Mil

[ErichS]

Personally I like the numbered badges due to the possibility of them being able to be attributed. That said, most that are attributed belonged to ordinary party members who IMO were the backbone of the party and were instrumental in bringing Hitler to power.

The AH GPBs are nice but are way over priced IMO.

[Military]

I agree that the AH ones are overpriced. How many AH ones were issued each year and how many of these AH ones were actually bestowed?

Did they have two sizes for the AH ones?

Mil

[ErichS]

I agree that the AH ones are overpriced. How many AH ones were issued each year and how many of these AH ones were actually bestowed?

Did they have two sizes for the AH ones?

Mil

Not as many AH badges awarded as the numbered ones and yes they came in both the large and small size.

[Military]

Thanks, Erich.

Cheers,
Mil

[der-hase-fee]

Fully agree with Erich.

Please keep collecting something else, Mil. How about CB's ?

[sjl]

A little over 900 people received the AH honour version, vs over 22,000 of the numbered ones. AH Honor Badge was only made by Deschler in both sizes - no Fuess small ones to my knowledge.

http://pages.interlog.com/~sjl/GPB/ahaward.html

[Russ H]

collecting GPBs

I think any collection of GPBs would benefit by having a AH badge as well as the numbered ones.

[Military]

Hi der-hase-fee,

I would, if I could but no other CBs to my knowledge as far as the last one appeared on HW's site. I was thinking of getting a GPB or maybe a BO. I know where BOs are, all locked up in Jon's basement so I'll put that off for now. As for GPBs, where should one start? Collecting by random numbers? There's a three-piece set on HW's site which is also nice but I was really looking for something a bit more interesting.

Mil

Fully agree with Erich.

Please keep collecting something else, Mil. How about CB's ?

[Military]

A little over 900 people received the AH honour version, vs over 22,000 of the numbered ones. AH Honor Badge was only made by Deschler in both sizes - no Fuess small ones to my knowledge.

http://pages.interlog.com/~sjl/GPB/ahaward.html

Thank you very much - I appreciate your input greatly.

Mil

[ErichS]

Mil,

you can find attributed badges listed from time to time and that's where i would start.

[Br. James]

Hi Mil,

Sorry to chime in late, due to having to deal with internet connectivity problems here, over the last day or so. Erich has nicely summed up the GPB situation, in favor of the numbered version over the AH honorary version. In my view, the GPB is such a fascinating artifact because of it's link to the specific individual who originally received it. Very few other awards can claim the strength of a link to a specific person, and that link is what is so fascinating to me. I personally have little interest in the AH honorary GPB since the only way the collector can have any idea who originally received that particular badge is through the provenance that may come with the badge...and very few Honorary GPBs come with any attestation as to who the original recipient was. And this for a very good reason: at the end of WWII, most members of the NSDAP sought to disappear into the woodwork, leaving no trace of who they were or what they might have done.

Excepting in a very few individual cases, the AH honorary GPB was awarded on one of about 23 different dates, and this means that large numbers of badges were produced with the same date on the reverse. How can anyone tell who the individual was who was awarded a specific golden badge with just that to go on? With the numbered GPB, there is always a chance that an unknown number will become known tomorrow or next week... I have had two unattributed numbered GPBs in my collection for more than 15 years, yet I still have hope of finding out who those badges once belonged to. If those were honorary GPBs with just a date to go on, there is no way that they would be conclusively attributed.

Apologies for chuntering on; Erich has nicely summed up the GPB situation! Cheers, my friend,

Br. James

[Military]

Thanks James and Erich.

Yes I do agree that numbered GPBs will make it more interesting than honorary ones. But why were honorary ones not numbered? Surely there must be even more reason to record / document who those honorees were?

Of course the other numbered badge would be the BO.

Which would you choose then? a BO or a GPB? Both are different. I think a BO sums up a man more for his sacrifices, whereas a GPB sums up his partei affliation.

Mil

[ErichS]

Thanks James and Erich.

Yes I do agree that numbered GPBs will make it more interesting than honorary ones. But why were honorary ones not numbered? Surely there must be even more reason to record / document who those honorees were?

Of course the other numbered badge would be the BO.

Which would you choose then? a BO or a GPB? Both are different. I think a BO sums up a man more for his sacrifices, whereas a GPB sums up his partei affliation.

Mil

For me, a 1st pattern BO would be my choice between the two.

[jabnus]

First and second type both!

The BO had such a high status, the GPB is also more often awarded and often to quite "normal" people. On the other hand we all have our favorites, mine is just the BO!