Bullion breast eagle

[Stepdale]

Hello,
Picked this up in a group of items and wanted to get your opinion. It is on dark blue backing with cloth on the reverse like I have never seen before. Interesting that the bullion on the eagle has dulled so much compared to the wreath and swastika.
Thank you,
Dale

[Stepdale]

Last photo

[11C]

The wreath and the swastika are not bullion. They are cellon. Combination bullion and cellon are fairly common in Kriegsmarine eagles. Early in the war, the Kriegsmarine went to all cellon. I think a higher demand for metal eventually eliminated the use of bullion with most all insignia. The affect of salt air on the early bullion eagles was also a reason the Kriegsmarine moved to all cellon even faster than the other branches of service.

[Stepdale]

Thank you, something new learned!

[Jean-Claude]

I agree with 11C. In addition to war restrictions the salty air must have been a problem for KM bullion eagles/insignia so cellon was better suited. It is also interesting to note that they also tried cloth mounted anodized aluminum birds as an option for a while. You dont see many of these but there are at least 3 different versions (the attached one was produced by Assmann) in anodized aluminum and are only seen mounted on KM backing. You also see cloth mounted aluminum KM cap insignia probably for the same reason...

Regards

JC

[11C]

I agree with 11C. In addition to war restrictions the salty air must have been a problem for KM bullion eagles/insignia so cellon was better suited. It is also interesting to note that they also tried cloth mounted anodized aluminum birds as an option for a while. You dont see many of these but there are at least 3 different versions (the attached one was produced by Assmann) in anodized aluminum and are only seen mounted on KM backing. You also see cloth mounted aluminum KM cap insignia probably for the same reason...

Regards

JC

That's just an incredible eagle and I don't have one like it in my collection. I'm so envious!

[Jean-Claude]

That's just an incredible eagle and I don't have one like it in my collection. I'm so envious!

Thanks 11C,

They are not that common but they do pop up for sale once in a while. I'm a fan of summer uniform birds so these sort of fit in even though unlike the former these were permanently affixed like regular breast eagles and dont appear to have been very popular or in use for very long.

FYI, I have attached pictures of 2 other versions I am aware of (but missing unfortunately). The top one is derived from the die of a fairly common brass or cupal summer eagle. The bottom one is odd looking but interesting inasmuch as it simulates embroidery like the metal cloth mounted KM wreaths and cap eagles

Take care

JC

[compressore]

Hi,

I have seen two or three of this patterns as shown from Weitze. Are those pre-45 ones?
Any reference for those?

Thanks
Christian

[11C]

Hi,

I have seen two or three of this patterns as shown from Weitze. Are those pre-45 ones?
Any reference for those?

Thanks
Christian

I have not seen any reference on the last two, except for dealer banter. I know the last one supposedly is of French origin (Brest) but I never saw any of that type until about three years ago, so I really don't believe they are post '45. Funny how the "odd" eagles are always attributed to France or Italy and they arrive in "batches" at at European shows every few years.

[Jean-Claude]

Hi,

I have seen two or three of this patterns as shown from Weitze. Are those pre-45 ones?
Any reference for those?

Thanks
Christian

Most of my reference books are almost as old as me and date back to the 70's (line drawings!) however I know the type I showed in post 5 (Assmann) has been discussed at lenght in a number of WAF threads (notably in a thread named "KM Metal Breast Eagle" started by AndyC) and so has the top specimen I posted in post 7 which incidentally is a perfect match for the attached pict of a set of brass (top) and cupal (lower gold & silver set) which are common summer birds.

As for the so called "french" bird (as a canadian of french descent I also noticed how they tend to associate all the crappy looking birds as being of "french manufacture" ) I'm not so sure they are fake or of french manufacture for that matter. I'm familiar with the expression "there's a new one (sucker) born every minute" but I would have no reservation about getting one of those IF I COULD FIND ONE ! because IMO:

1) It is not a common bird as one would expect from a repro: I have only seen 2 so far. However I'll be forever thankful (and apologetic for my erratic views) to whoever can point me to a wholesale or even a retail dealer that has these

2) The design/style coincides perfectly with other KM cloth mounted metal insignia (cloth mounted KM cap eagles and wreaths) I have seen with the same "simulated embroidery" look.

3) This "simulated embroidery look" is not so alien (or foreign) when you consider it was also used for the Diplomatic corps tombac cap eagle which nobody seems to find so outlandish

4) I doubt this bird has any "french connection" in the first place because by the time Germany occupied France and allowed them to produce insignia I suspect they were way behond the "aluminum" era. IMO a not very successful german design/product

Regards

JC

[11C]

While trying to find my "reference" to French made Kriegsmarine eagles........I came across this seller and his description of a "French" made eagle. Any idea of when it was made?

http://germanmilitariacollectibles.c...ified_ID=38408

Here's another one.......

http://www.jessensrelics.com/KCMI/KCMI-037.html

[Jean-Claude]

No idea who made the 2 cloth eagles in the links you show, where they were made or when but I have seen them in the pinned "KM breast eagles" thread and elsewhere.

JC

[Norm F]

While trying to find my "reference" to French made Kriegsmarine eagles........I came across this seller and his description of a "French" made eagle. Any idea of when it was made?

http://germanmilitariacollectibles.c...ified_ID=38408

Here's another one.......

http://www.jessensrelics.com/KCMI/KCMI-037.html

Here are the two eagles from those links. Completely different from each other.

[glaser]

I don't like the yellow on blue one!