WWIJunky
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Posts posted by WWIJunky
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Greetings all...background: I have been studying WWI for about 30 years, and have acquired many WWI items during that time(purchased and found on WWI battlefields), including just such a badge (see attached photo).
I found it at a Mons, BE outdoor market in 1983 just before I was scheduled to leave my assignment at SHAPE HQ. I purchased it for 30 BF (around 8$, US). At the time I believed it to be an original, and rare...only 100 tanks were used by the Germans in WWI, 80 of which were captured British tanks, and the remainder German-built A7Vs...the latter is pictured on the badge. I figure about 1000 of these badges were awarded...18 crewmen/A7V and 8/captured British tank.
The badge I have has a maker's mark on the back..."Zeitner Berlin", plus what appears to be a small additional mark between the maker's mark and the hasp...looks like two stacked triangles or a barbed spearhead. As an aside, Herbert Zeitner was Herman Goring's favorite silversmith.
I have other photos, but haven't quite figured out how to put on more than one attachment at a time. Cheers!
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WW1 Tank badge sold on e-bay the other day
in Germany: Imperial: The Orders, Decorations and Medals of The Imperial German States
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Hi Ferg...first, thanx for the reply. The badge is solid and appears to be made of pewter. I tried some TarnX silver only polish on the back but that didn't do much. I then tried an all-metal polish and it shines up like some other pewter things I have...nice and bright. WWIJunky