ChrisKelly

There are few genuine, known photograps of Heinrich Müller from the 1933-1945 period. I don't know if these sources will help. https://en.nuremberg.media/istoriya/20210113/88223/Career-of-Heinrich-Mller--Alive--Dead.html https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/found-in-panama-panama-heinrich-mueller-accused-of-being-news-photo/515099886

Absolutely. Well-done reproduction. Some examples of genuine badges below: Sources: [Images 1 & 2: genuine NSDAP Golden Party Badges] https://www.thirdreichmedals.com/goldenparty.html [Images 3, 4, 5, 6 & 7: genuine NSDAP Golden Party Badge] https://militariaplaza.nl/label-pins-tinnies/nsdap-golden-party-badge-60243-detail https://www.identifymedals.com/database/medals-by-country/germany-medals/the-nsdap-golden-party-badge/

On the surface, it looks genuine. The reverse has a strange surface texture, which should be smooth. The pin hinge and clasp are obvious details, as they are typical of reproduced pieces. The pin looks brazed to the center hinge cylinder, and the pin should be one solid piece. The hinge construction should look "cleaner", "tighter" - more precisely made. I also can't remember seeing a hallmark "upside-down" on one of these pins. The "5" looks like an "S". Again, very un-German/un-RZM/un-LDO lack of precision, which was the order of the day in the "NS-Time". Godet made high- quality, post-war reproductions, and I think this specimen is one of them. Likely the case is a high- quality reproduction as well. A few original examples from: https://www.militariasales.com/page/2/?s=War+merit+cross&post_type=product&dgwt_wcas=1

Nice tombak issue. Would like to see the hallmark.

Nice Deschler production.

On the fourth image of the swastika stickpins, on closer inspection, there seems to be a number. My guess being "835S", which is likely a silver content hallmark (.835?) coupled with what may be a maker's mark for silver ("silber" ~ "S"). I think the fifth image shows the same. I'm not sure what those numbers are, but likely, they indicate a silver content, since it looks like there are three digits. Some sources on German silver hallmarks: https://rauantiques.com/blogs/canvases-carats-and-curiosities/prost-a-history-of-german-silver https://www.925-1000.com/Fgerman_marks_a1884.html http://www.nobelantik.dk/www/Fgerman_marks_a1884.html https://www.silvercollection.it/germansilverhallmark2.html https://www.silvercollection.it/DICTIONARYEUHALLMARKGERMANY.HTML Source for image: http://www.leopardantiques.com/object/stock/detail/770

"EK1 of early Spanish production. One-piece brass manufacture, the core area painted black, high vaulted, pin-back with two side hooks. 40mm x 40mm. A rare specimen. The volunteers of the so-called “Blue Division 250 – Infantry Division” were awarded these upon returning to Spain if they had earned the Iron Cross First Class. The Spanish veterans were eligible to wear this on their uniform in Spain through 1975. This is the Type A version produced between 1943 and 1950, in small quantities. The 250th Infantry Division (German: 250. Infanterie-Division), better known as the Blue Division (Spanish: División Azul, German: Blaue Division), was a unit of volunteers from Francoist Spain operating from 1941 to 1944 within the German Army (Wehrmacht) on the Eastern Front during World War II. It was officially designated the Spanish Volunteer Division (Spanish: División Española de Voluntarios) by the Spanish Army." Source: https://www.militariasales.com/product/spanish-blue-division-german-iron-cross-1st-class-breast-badge/

I like these stickpins because of their simplicity. I'd like to get a few, but I don't know anything about them. Anyone have any further information? Are they generic (the "good luck" symbol found on jewelry popular in the U.S. during the first quarter of the twentieth century) or genuine (German manufacture NSDAP - related "period" pieces)? I got these images from an anonymous source (can anyone identify the hallmarks in images 4 & 5?).

Found a unique DAF one. Source: https://www.jessensrelics.com/RLCI/RLCI-062v.html

Interesting awards, especially in the first image. One of only a few recipients of the War Order of the German Cross in both gold and silver. Sources: https://ww2gravestone.com/people/globocnik-odilo/ https://www.thefifthfield.com/biographical-sketches/odilo-globocnik/ https://www.deutsche-biographie.de/119166631.html#dbocontent https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Odilo_Globocnik https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_Cross

In reference to "dond"'s post... Yes, absolutely correct. While the medal is in the style of Ludwig II's awards, the legend on the reverse indicates some kind of civil or possibly military merit medal. Nonetheless! On the right track!

https://www.afsfc.af.mil/News/Article/862018/a-chronology-of-the-enlisted-rank-chevron/ https://www.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/134163/online-purchase-turns-into-historical-find/ https://www.reddit.com/r/SpaceForce/comments/17nc21h/myself_and_many_other_guardians_seems_to_agree/?rdt=53056

Try this reference: https://www.germandaggers.com/Gallery/MW1.php

This is an old listing from a well-known and widely respected source. Never seen this before...

USAF button size guide:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/MV_Wilhelm_Gustloff https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilhelm_Gustloff

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minié_ball

I thought those photographs were phenomemal. Friends and relatives of mine commented on many occasions how the stuff we search out and pay outrageous prices for was hauled off by the truckloads in 1944-1945. One of my relatives mentioned seeing an American officer sitting on a Willys jeep, bragging and showing off three full army footlockers loaded with "souveneirs and trophies". The NCO with him joked that the officer had a full-sized, live-action German field marshal in there, too. Another of my relatives, trying to support the family back home, let a mint-condition 1939 Iron Cross First Class in its original case go for $75USD to an American soldier who paid him in American currency. For my poor relative, that was two months' gross pay. This serves as a reminder of the colossal effort, all things considered, that war really was... Here's a few more: Here's one way the British did it in 1945... Step-by-step de-nazification in action.

Real or imagined? Never awarded... However... Let's see what researchers have found... This is what is known: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_of_the_Grand_Cross_of_the_Iron_Cross This, from Vernon Bowen's Book The Prussian And German Iron Cross, although in reference to something else... May explain it...