Ferg1

Hi Lars, it's really good to see another one of these, it is the first one I have seen since I bought mine around ten years ago.It is quite a strange thing and I am not 100% sure what it is either. someone once said it was a motor organisation/association from the war/post war period.?? It is clearly an observer badge with a finely detailed motor car in place of the centre plaque. Mine is a two piece (car riveted onto badge seperately) is yours two piece? Can I see a picture of reverse please. Anyone else shed some light on this badge ? Ferg1.

Hi Micha, is there any chance of a picture or two of the edge of the cross,thank-you,Ferg1.

I just found out some details about this tank ,on Google earth of all places ! It is indeed a Mk 2 Churchill which was given to the Canadian troops barracked in Sussex prior to the Normandy landings. It was an ' invalid ' tank that was ,as with most Mk 2's dogged with engine and gearbox problems. The Mk 3 came along and this was hurridly given away to the Canadians for target practice (hence the piat and 50 calibre wounds) It was eventually dumped in a shell hole in 45 and buried. The machine reappeared in around 1993 when it was dug up by the REME. The turret was pinched by a collector in the west country and various pieces were taken for a restoration project at the Tank Musuem in Bovington. It was dumped rather unkindly at the edge of the field 100 yards or so from where it was exhumed and there it has stayed . Ferg1.

I don't have the box unfortunately but it certainly has all the trademarks of a Maybauer. Ferg1.

Regretably I do not have the boxes/packets they came in. In fact I do not recall ever having seen a genuine boxed Luftschiffer badge, lots of bad ones though.My earlier posts (last year ,I think ) show the reverses.Let me know if you can't find them and I will post some more. Ferg1.

Here is a late one to this thread. Maybauer made war cross with screw- back. Medal is marked twice 925 cross plate is 500 and screw plate is 800. Private made piece. Feg1.

Hi Georg, here are some real ones to look at. Ferg1.

Stumbled upon this the other day while out on the hills of Sussex. Anyone care to guess what this skeleton was !

Hi Georg, have a look at all my threads under Ferg1. you will find pictures of various original examples in there somewhere. Ferg1.

Hi,sorry to say but this badge is a well known modern fake. Bears no resemblence to an original piece. Ferg1.

With all due respect I think you have it the wrong way round. The badge in this thread is fine . The genuine Schaper examples SHOULD have the pin catch further up the reverse than the one you are selling.Not all Schaper badges have a loop on the top of thereverse (especially solid silver ones). IMO the one you are auctioning is not a correct period badge. These are seen alot and the general opinion is that they are modern copies. Ferg1.

It's interesting that this type of badge is seen quite often in period photos ( wide pierced crown) .It is clearly not a Pollath/Poellath made piece yet one virtually never encounters this variant in the collecting world ,the good Pollath/Poellath versions (spokes in both wheels) are seen reasonably often and these not yet it would seem that they were the prefered badge to wear, several sanke cards show this type being worn but the more commonly seen Karl/Carl badges are few to spot. Anyone got one of these wider crowned badges to show? Or for me to buy ................! Ferg1.

Is that picture of an original piece? I only ask because I cannot believe that there were more than one maker of these,I handled an example of this award in the Imperial War museums archive department in London and the detail and quality was fantastic, the one shown seems poor quality .Ferg1.

Yep, you have to watch it with these,there are good fakes around. Ferg1.

Happy Christmas Gentlemen !

Here is my new piece. Marine observer by Hugo Schaper of Berlin. Gilded bronze. Scratched engraved on reverse BORS . The S has the top and tail seriffed as in the rank description ' zur See'. Anyone recognize ? Fetg1.

Hi Alex, the only full sized solid examples of these I have seen were not marked but I have seen a picture of a hollow stamped example very simular with a Godet mark. Hard to find in this style. Did you go to Kassel? Any aviation badges? Ferg1.

Who went to the Kassel show? Can I have some feedback, what was it like this year? I could not make it this time. Was it thin on goodies or lots of stuff? Would like to see anything bought there especially aviation badges.Ferg1.

Here is the newest addition to my aviation badge collection. Halbgrosse/prinzen size marine Luftschiffer badge , badge is about 44mm wide and struck in solid silver. Nice detail overall especially the gondala's and ribbing to the zep even the acorn cups have a pimpled finish to them ! I have seen one or two full sized examples of this type in silvered buntmetal but this is the first half size in this style I have ever seen. Ferg1.

funny how these things cruise around the world ! Ferg1.

Nice medal , it was out of my collection from a while back! I traded it with some other stuff for an army Luftschiffer badge. It was difficult to let it go as it is rare and mint. It occured to me also (when I owned it) that it was probably an 1870 overstock piece that was used in 14-18 given the heavy lug on the 1870 ones and the thinner one on the WW1 pieces,but the detail is stunning anyway. I was given to believe that the maroon box indicated a posthumous award. Did it come from Emedals? Ferg1.

Just browsing through a few of my pieces and thought some may like to see this. 900 silver and about 50mm long. The detail is lovely three different colours of enamel, sorry the close up pic is a little unclear but the quality is there to see. Anyone seen one of these before? Ferg1.

On the subject of dodgy Maybauers there are some dubious ones doing the rounds at the moment,I have not seen these type of fake before. They look either cast or formed . So far I have seen marine badges only but they are all of the same ' texture ' and carry a duff Maybauer mark. I have seen one on a dealer site and several on Eb*y supposedly coming out of a big collection but with cheap 'buy it now' prices..... Stay away !!!! Ferg1.

Here is my latest bird to fly in , nice half size/Prinzen Flieger-Erinnerungsabzeichen by Paul Maybauer, silvered bronze. Not marked but clearly by this maker. Most of the silvering is worn/polished away leaving a dark bronze patina . The detail is stunning, almost better than a full size example. Ferg1.