Odd Gold Part badge at auction

[militarymania]

marked "Hoffstatter Bonn" on reverse,,,fantasy badge or what??

[ErichS]

Nothing like this badge ever existed during the TR period.

[Br. James]

Yes, I would agree with Erich -- apparently a fantasy piece, though it's maker has tried to give it a semblance of respectability by using the well-known badge-maker's name of Ferdinand Hoffstätter.

Br. James

[DanCz]

How strange - - - have been collecting Party related stuff these past 50 years and never seen one before - - - must be on of them "prototypes" - - ultra rare and expensive (haha) - - - I hope nobody gets stung !!!

[Tom B]

Just more fake trash !

[militarymania]

sold for $425.00 + 18% commission !

[ErichS]

sold for $425.00 + 18% commission !

Someone got hosed.

[JoeW]

Interesting. The badge is surrounded by a wreath of laurel leaves. No party association like NSDAP. It's almost as if this was a private purchase party pin-not pretending to be a GPB. Hoffstätter himself was an old party member, though I don't think he was Alte Garde. But if just a regular party badge, it was made without RZM approval. Or was it before that date?

[Jo Rivett]

Nothing "fake" about it at all. Original sympathizer front added to a period casing. What the casing comes from i wouldn`t know, as you find then for everything before during and after the TR period.

Also not strage at all to find a marriage of original parts bundled together to represent something else. Confusing too, to the novice eye, as they are going to see what they think is an original piece of enamel, and a correctly executed casing with makers marks.

Sometimes, as we recently saw with Ratisbons laughable Christian Lauer NSDAP-related piece of fantasty junk, original parts will also be mixed with fake parts. Fortunately it is not so easy to "get away with murder" like this today, especially when the most prominent part is fake, like in the case of Ratisbons fantasy, or Emil Maurice`s GPB, with both enamel faces being easy to spot modern junk.

But to just call two original parts that have been married FAKE, without a proper explanation, well that`s prtetty damaging for the hobby now isn`t it? What happens when the genuine sympathy badges that that this face comes from, or the genuine other badges that the casing comes from - are seen ?
They may well be considered fake or even fantasy from now thanks to this thread

[Stan]

A fantasy piece for sure.

Stan

[Br. James]

I did notice that this piece included a laurel-leaf wreath, not the traditional oakleaf wreath of the GPB. Classically, the laurel wreath was a symbol of victory...such as we see on certain Luftwaffe war badges. Interesting design, and not unappealing.

Br. James

[praubal]

Nothing "fake" about it at all. Original sympathizer front added to a period casing. What the casing comes from i wouldn`t know, as you find then for everything before during and after the TR period.

Also not strage at all to find a marriage of original parts bundled together to represent something else. Confusing too, to the novice eye, as they are going to see what they think is an original piece of enamel, and a correctly executed casing with makers marks.

Sometimes, as we recently saw with Ratisbons laughable Christian Lauer NSDAP-related piece of fantasty junk, original parts will also be mixed with fake parts. Fortunately it is not so easy to "get away with murder" like this today, especially when the most prominent part is fake, like in the case of Ratisbons fantasy, or Emil Maurice`s GPB, with both enamel faces being easy to spot modern junk.

But to just call two original parts that have been married FAKE, without a proper explanation, well that`s prtetty damaging for the hobby now isn`t it? What happens when the genuine sympathy badges that that this face comes from, or the genuine other badges that the casing comes from - are seen ?
They may well be considered fake or even fantasy from now thanks to this thread

Agree 100%

[JoeW]

marked "Hoffstatter Bonn" on reverse,,,fantasy badge or what??

Can you provide the diameter of the enamel center and of the "gold" laurel leaf mounting base?

The only problem I feel is the raised lettering of the Hoffstätter logo. We have seen the raised logo on SS-ZA pins and have dismissed it. Are there any legitimate pins bearing a raised Hoffstätter logo?

[Gary Symonds]

Can you provide the diameter of the enamel center and of the "gold" laurel leaf mounting base?

The only problem I feel is the raised lettering of the Hoffstätter logo. We have seen the raised logo on SS-ZA pins and have dismissed it. Are there any legitimate pins bearing a raised Hoffstätter logo?

Joe, maybe, just maybe, the raised Hoff letters issue is a collector myth, as I have maintanied for years.

It is too bad that there is nobody left breathing air and pissing water, who can tell us what Hoffstatter was doing in the 30s.

What we are left with is conjecture, speculation and myth.

[JoeW]

Gary, it's an obvious question that needed to be addressed. Although one must admit the lack of logic of the company switching back and forth between two different production dies for a single pin with a very large continuous contract. I can see a company using two styles of maker markings over time like Deschler on their GPBs.