RPT colour?

[Steve DT]

This might seem like a basic question, but I just realized that I don't really know what colour the 34-37 RPTs are supposed to be. I don't mean the "red-brown" (copper) colour of the 38's for Nürnbergers, but the 34-37's. For the example my 37 and most I've seen are black, the 35 is a dark bronze and the others are silver. I've seen gold looking 36's and silver 35's though. I guess I'd just assumed they were silvery and the finish had worn off - honestly I hadn't really given it much thought. I tried a search but couldn't find anything. If anyone can help out I'd appreciate it!
S

[jabnus]

Here's mine:


- 34 Silver

- 35 and 36 bronze (colour). 35 is solid bronze, but 36 is painted and many lost most of their colour. Should be bronze though.

- 37 i think was intended to be silver, but since the badges are zincers they ate the colour. Because of the bad basematerial most are damaged or grey nowadays.


I was Lucky to have found one almost complete silver remaining 38. Compare it to 37 and 39.

Best regards,
Gaston

[jabnus]

read now you mention a silver 35. Are you sure you dont confuse that one with the table medals? The 35 badges should be bronze. Unless maybe a presentation piece, but im highly sceptical of those.

[Br. James]

You've collected a great collection of RPT badges -- congrats, Gaston! I've enjoyed doing the same, but am still missing the first Party Congress (January 27-29, 1923, in Munich) and the second one (the "Refounding Congress," July 3-4, 1926, in Weimar).

Cheers,

Br. James

[Steve DT]

Well, you're ahead of me James, I only go back as far as '29!
Thanks for the info Gaston. I've only just seen the bronze 36, everyone I'd seen up until now had lost its colour, including mine as you can see. The silvery 35 was on a dealers website, I forget at the moment which but I'll try to find it again.
Steve

[Br. James]

A beautiful set, Steve -- congrats to you, too! Every now and then an example of the 1927 RPT badge surfaces, though usually without the paper rosette; I had been offered such a '27 badge some decades ago but I simply didn't have the funds to land it...and it took me at least 20 more years to find another one, also without the rosette...but the point is, I did find one, and so will you if you just keep looking! I also recently obtained an example of the rare RPT Commemorative Medallion cast for the 1940 RPT, which was also the first one I had been offered. I am not aware that there were any participants' badges created for that RPT as it was still too far out, but the medallion does make a gorgeous centerpiece for an RPT collection!

In the early 1920s there were a number of "Deutscher Tag" -- German Day -- events held in local communities, but none of these is regarded as a RPT since the NSDAP was just one of a number of right-wing organizations that attended these folkish festivals. The most well-known "German Day" was the one held on October 14-15, 1922 in Coburg, and that event became known as the origin of the Coburg Badge...but it was not the site of the Party Congress for that year, so it isn't included among the RPTs.

Br. James

[jabnus]

Br. James, that information is a nice addition to this thread. The Deutscher Tag badges are very hard to find and obviously a Coburg badge would be the cherry on the pie, one day i hope to add one...

I had a lot of luck to ever find the Deutscher Tag paper tinnie and added it to this picture because it somewhat fit's in the timeline of large events, obviously it's from another event. These badges are out there, but one has to be ****y to find them. Similar as you say with the 1927 badge. I have seen a few rosettes the past years, but none of them looked very convincing to be honest. I added a few more RPT badges to my small RPT collection since this one was taken. I will try and take some photo's over the weekend.

best regards,
Gaston

[Wood]

According to Tieste (and those I have)
the '37 comes in black and silver,
the '38 in black, silver and bronze (copper)
the '39 also in black, silver and bronze.
Although I have never seen the last in bronze.
Also I believe that the '34 and '35 are actually bronzed steel.
Regards,
Pete

[Br. James]

Thanks very much for your comment, Gaston! Indeed, I too have been looking for one or more of those "German Day" badges for decades, but I've yet to find one for sale! Part of the difficulty, I'm sure, is that those early badges were printed on stiff paper in order to keep the cost down, and of course paper only lasts like...well...paper! And that's why we don't find even as many of those paper rosettes for the 1927 RPT Badge as we find of the badge itself.

Your collection is first class, my friend. Cheers,

Br. James

[jabnus]

Hi Pete,

I have two 1939 cupal badges (looking like bronze indeed), both from two different makers. I think that Tieste got confused as these are Ortskundige badges similar to the 1938 Ortskundige badge. The 1939 cupal badges just have a slightly darker different colour. Ill post them next weekend.


1934 is definately steel, but i have never seen another colour as silver (which is polished steel).


What Tieste calls black is probably just the natural zinc colour, i'd say definately not black. Black i consider e.g a black Woundbadge, which is something very different? Unless i miss somewhere some official regulations that list a black badge? I have never seen an actual black one.

1935 is indeed bronzed, not sure though if the basematerial is the same material as the Obvious steel 1934?

1938 and 1939 are NOT in copper but are made of Cupal, the different layers are clearly visible from the side.

best regards,
Gaston

[jabnus]

Thanks very much for your comment, Gaston! Indeed, I too have been looking for one or more of those "German Day" badges for decades, but I've yet to find one for sale! Part of the difficulty, I'm sure, is that those early badges were printed on stiff paper in order to keep the cost down, and of course paper only lasts like...well...paper! And that's why we don't find even as many of those paper rosettes for the 1927 RPT Badge as we find of the badge itself.

Your collection is first class, my friend. Cheers,

Br. James

Hi Br. James, you are right that paper is more fragile, but paper badges have also for the past decades been a bit overlooked. I think that only lately in recent years appreciation for paper badges is finally increasing. With the risc of going offtopic already, here is possibly the rarest badge in my collection, a 1925 Stahlhelmbund Frontsoldatentag badge with special stamp. I have never seen another one.

best regards,
Gaston

[ErichS]

Super RPT badge collection gents and I always wanted to have a collection like yours but never got around to it.

[Steve DT]

Thanks Br James, I just got it put together. I put my ges. gesch. pins in there, too, I thought they went well together. I'll keep looking for the earlier ones! I'm just in the process of watching "Triumph of the Will" for the first time. (It's really interesting, but I couldn't do it all in one sitting!). I think it was Hess that opens it calling it the 6th Reichsparteitag. I had to go back and reread some of your old threads to figure out the first two! I'd love to see a pic of your 40 when you get a chance.
Gaston ive got company for a few days (my wife's father, sigh), when I get a chance or need a break I'll take a look for that silver coloured 35.
S

[Jean-Claude]

Super RPT badge collection gents and I always wanted to have a collection like yours but never got around to it.

I agree: beautiful RPT badges sets Gaston & Steve. I at least wanted to get RPTs and Tag der arbeit but you know how it is...procrastination! Except now most of the ones I see are not nearly as nice as the ones shown here and not worth the trouble

Great sets guys!

JC

[ErichS]

I do have two 29s and one 33 so guess I'm on my way to a collection!