Otto Gahr

[andrewb]

In this pic you can see the difference compared to the Hoffstatter pin in the middle. Notice the silver band/ring around the Gahr pins are wider and overall they are much better made.

[andrewb]

Back.

[andrewb]

The family at the moment.

Sorry Erich, I didn't mean to pinch your thread. Just want to show the difference between the two makers.


Regards,
AB.

[Gary B]

Hi,

Wonderful pins being displayed here.

The optional "lock" can also occasionally be seen on other stickpins, to include the mini combat awards. No way to tell if they were added later though. I often see this "lock" with stickpins which come in a case. I assume the case was also an extra option.

Gary B

[JoeW]

....
Correction to Erichs comment on numbers:
In a memo dated in 1944,Dr Brandt of RFSS confirms to Himmler that
175000 pins were DISTRIBUTED by Hoffstatter.Obviously several thousand more were produced,as numbers in the upper 180000,s have been
seen/owned.I have a MINT unused consecutively numbered pair
185***,185***+1
The SSZA was NOT an award but a privately purchased item.
The Docs state categorically quote:No,the SS will not pay for them ,unquote.
Seiler

I believe the 1944 report to Himmler originated with a letter from Berger to Brandt in which he stated that 176 500 Hofstatter pins had been produced as well as a lesser number of Gahr badges.

It is unknown who produced the spring devices for the pins. I have a Hofstatter pin with a safety device. They were available for purchase separately for either a Hofstatter or Gahr pin at RM ,20.

We can only assume production of Hofstatter badges exceeded the 176 500 number reported by Berger. I have an example in the 180 000 range myself. I would like to think it original, but until some documentation of manufacture past that magic number is found, I have my own doubts of authenticity. It is hard to contradict source material. Especially since Himmler ordered the general production of them to cease in October 1939.

[juoneen]

Thanks for the reply on the keeper. I see these as i said on all kinds of stickpins, even the 3 shown here are two different , as one type had a champfer. Might be difficult to be sure wich style was typical for the time in germany.
On the hoffstatter Bonn stickpins numbers , i also have a numbered version past the 180,000, its specificly 185649.

[juoneen]

As i call this hoffstatter type the scratched face pin. As i have seen similar ones from close to the number all scratched on the face as this one is. What that means is beyond me, but the guy i got this one from guaranteed it ,and has owned it for quite a while, and it has the same pin crimping to the bend typical,numbers seem close to the same, and who knows what the numbers past 179,000 mean as to their significance? Heres the front scratches for reference, just to not hide them. What thats all about Maybe someday we will find out. Seems to have too much quality of manufacture to believe its not original. Could the ammount made be larger than the issued ammounts, and possibly stores of these found somewhere. You know the reich was to last a 1000 years.(-988)

[juoneen]

And one of the helix on the pin. (a little closer) (diameter 1.3589 cm of ss top of pin)

[JoeW]

The concern of the SS was the amount of silver it had to produce these pins, plus SS-Degens and the TK rings. So based on the report made in 1944, it does not appear that a surplus production would have been kept for future use. All we have is the facts that survived in the archived documentation. Everything else is of course speculation.

[ErichS]

The family at the moment.

Sorry Erich, I didn't mean to pinch your thread. Just want to show the difference between the two makers.


Regards,
AB.

Thanks AB for posting your fine family of SSZA pins and it's nice to see other Gahrs. Some Gahr pins that I have noticed don't have the word Silber on the reverse. Any reason?
Thanks to Joe W and others for their contributions to this thread.
The quality of the Gahr pins are second to none IMO.

[andrewb]

Erich,

My understanding is that those without 'Silber 900' are the very early types. Even so, they were still made with 900 silver.

Regards,
AB.

[SiPo]

Managed to secure a box for my Gahr thanks to forum member Steve T.

I believe this is one of only 5 or 6 boxed examples known.

If you think the pins are rare, try finding a box!!

[SiPo]

.

[Capt. R]

never saw that box before. really cool, Mr. H!

Steve T comes up with some incredible stuff.