Gold Party Pin Guy

Thanks Matt - My secret is to look for mislabelled "Polizei" insignia. Often it's really NSDAP long service stuff. I got the white 25 year mini for about $20. It was mislabelled. Here are closeups and the backs of the minis with the RZM mark M11/1, reserved for NSDAP insignia. The detail is amazing. There was one size smaller you'll see in the stickpin in the next photo.

And a 25 year bar with a 25-year buttonholer (ribbon not original to the buttonhole device).

Nothing to compare to Warlord's. First here's a uniface mini for stickin use, marked M11/1 on the reverse - all three grades with full sized 10 year cross for comparison.

Here's a couple of mine - sorry for the group shot, but I don't have one of the black bordered DAF alone. It has the same M1/13 reverse as Don's.

I'd bet the first ribbon is the 1938 Austrian Annexation Medal, which was popular with the political types. He does look old for a recently former HJ member. The NSDAP awards came out in 1940 and the HJ honor badge he wears was 1934. He was probably an HJ or NSDAP leader rather than a straight HJ member before taking up gliding in Russia. If you do the math - if he was an 18 year old HJ member in 1934, that makes him at least 24 in the picture, and he looks a bit older to me (mid 30s?).

Hi Robert, Don is quite right - post away. I'm always happy to see what other people have up their sleeves, and I've been helped by many on this and other sites. A thought occurred to me about your badge. I suspect (and it's only a suspicion) that the manufacturer may have cut corners and used an existing RZM reverse die and tried to get it to fit on the back of a smaller pin. That would account for the odd orientation and fit. I personally like these badges with a little character more than some of the "textbook" ones. Thanks for sharing.

I have no problem with this badge at all - in fact I like it a lot. It's from Jan-March 1935, and the odd orientation of the RZM stamp is very interesting. Not something you'd see in later stanardized badges, but looks period. I wouldn't worry about pin attachment too much in the early badges.

Thanks, Don, I do have more information about the group if I can get my hands on the right reference book. By the way, it turns out J.R. Cone's description of the Deutschen Christen in his enamels book is not quite accurate, so I'll see if I can find it. There is a also second version of this badge where it is missing the inner wreath inside the swastika.

Here's an uncommon if not rare badge for the German Christian Church, a small movement of north German Protestant Nazi supporters who got together to influence the election of local Bishops. The badge is beautifully gilded, almost a fire gilt.

Sorry - I think I had it backwards. Juncker was the maker.

Here's the back. Maker mark is "WTW Fec. O. Placzek, Berlin, Ausf. C.E. Junker, Berlin", which I think means "Made by O. Placzek, Berlin, for C.E. Junker, Berlin". The first line is obscured by the pin. This is the smaller badge - 23mm wide.

It' a badge for the civilian support employees of the Wehrmacht. Here is my stickpin - sorry for the B&W photo. I think I have a reverse shot somewhere:

Just happened to come across a reprint of a NSDStB poster, showing some insignia in wear...

"63" or M1/63 is Steinhauer & Luck - the same as your badge - one of the major producers of these badges. Yours is a fine pre-RZM example, since these badges started before RZM marking began. I'd say the pre-RZM maker marked ones are rarer.

Hi Robert, Finally got a moment to myself to look. Sadly I have the 1992/3 edition of Husken, so the numbers don't match up, but I've posted all the Type II member badges I have. The one you showed looks perfectly fine to me, and they clearly made a range of sizes. What was it you were looking for about this particular badge?

Here's the last one I have - the NS Studenten Kampfhilfe, instituted in 1939 for members of the NSDStB who made a "notable contribution" according to Cone. It seems like a junior honor badge, perhaps for early membership, although the NSDStB was only founded in 1933 - too late for the "Kampfzeit". The back is marked RZM M1/33.

Here is a better look at the stickpin. I have another in this series, but will have to get the camera out.

This is the Alterherrnbund - the alumni association of NSDStB members. This is the regular sized badge, plus the hard to find half-sized stickpin.

This is the half-sized stickpin marked M1/52 for Deschler. Something to look for - generally the large one has ten dots per red field, and the small ones have 4 or 5.

Here's the full-sized member badge. It is being copied (of course). Most copies do not have the RZM mark and are usually blank on the reverse.

I've always loved these little badges of the NS-Studentenbund. This was the organization of university-level students. Here are the basic member badges in standard, half-sized stickpin and late war painted versions:

Here's my Reich level Type 2 Staff badge.

Tell me where to mail the donut

"Stephen, Yes she does but the symbol of her badge doesn't reach the outside edge of the badge like the Turnfest does." Hi Robert, I noticed that, but there were a lot of variations of this badge for the DT, so one without an outer edge or rim is highly likely. The DT wasn't an NS-controlled organization, so there wasn't the same standardization of insignia. I think I can see the faintest hint of a smaller swastika's arms inside the larger sunwheel cross. Membership in the DT as well as the NSF is a fair bet, but I may lose a donut. You're right - I like broader discussions because so much "expert" knowledge tends to be compartmentalized. (The dagger guys don't know their badges, and the badges guys don't know their helmets, and the helmet guys... etc.).

I would bet dollars to donuts that it is this badge - the Deutscher Turnverband (German Gymnastics Association) membership badge. She looks like a healthy girl.