Finally: A Gau Berlin Badge

[Bob Hritz]

While I was attending the Pomona Show, I got a call from a friend who found a Gau Berlin badge at the Brimfield Market, on the East Coast. By rhe time I got home, it was waiting for me.

Now, I just need the Gau Hanover in gold with solid back, the Gau Danig, and Gau Sudetenland.

Bob Hritz

[Stan]

Well done Bob!

I bet you didn't pay a fortune for it either.

Stan

[Wim Vangossum]

Fantastic and very rare. I only saw once in my life an original with my own eyes. It was cased in a relative flat brown case If i remember it right.


Regards, Wim

[tranchant]

berlin

hello bob
you are an happy man with this very scarce badge!
congratulations and thank for showing the goods details!
best regards
patrick

[squidney86]

Bob,

Great piece! Always nice to add a long sought after item. Just out of curiosity, are the Gau badges you mentioned like this or a different design?

Sydney

[der-hase-fee]

Wow ! Who held #525 ?

[Stan]

I have taken another look at the photos Bob has posted and am starting to get a few doubts. Certainly the details of the eagle's legs and talons appear to be smooth and not detailed as they should be.

The dates also do not appear as sharp as they should.

Bob, have you shown this badge to Matthew? It might be that the photos are not very clear but I do know that fakes of this badge were circulating in N Germany 15 years ago.

My own badge is posted below for comparison.

Stan

[Wim Vangossum]

I think the photograph is a bit blurred, no?

[RonR]

My friend Mike's badge for comparison....

......

[Bob Hritz]

Here are more photos and from different angles.

[Bob Hritz]

.

[Bob Hritz]

It was filthy when I received it. I took a baby toothbrush to get most of the dirt and nicotine residue off the badge ( it looked a bronze color from nicotine). I can see the polishing done to the chest and legs, which are weak in detail and the silver finish is worn away.. I attributed that to polishing, perhaps during the period.

The catch has an old repair.

Let me know if more photos are necessary.

Bob Hritz

[Richard]

The metal on both sides of the Bob's badge have an odd orange peel texture which makes me think it may be cast. It is especially apparent on the picture of the reverse in the first post and on the eagle's feathers closest to the body in post 10.
Richard V

[JoeW]

Should the three examples be comparable in weight? Stan what weight is yours in grams? Ron, can Mike weigh his? Compare to Bob's .

There also seems to be differences in detail to the eagle's head, but between all three.

[Bob Hritz]

Mine:.

Weight: 24.62 grams

Height: 41.43 mm

Width: 41.53mm