Minty Air-gunner

[Ferg1]

This is the latest bird to grace my collection. Minty clean air-gunner. Bought from a German dealer who had it on his site for a while and I can see why, it just looks too new and the die pattern is the same as the Juncker crown marked air-gunners isn't it ? Well actually no, it isn't. Very simular and the 'crowner ' was probably copied from this style. Check out the trailing wing feathers on the back edge of the wing ,10 in number (Juncker crown marked pieces have 9) also the crown ribbon and leaf arrangement are subtly different. I have seen 3 of this type in my years of collecting ,this one ,one for sale a while back and one in the newest Niemann reference book with plated over reverse. The badge is obviously unissued and has all (or almost all) of its frosting and sparkly bits.

Untouched and minty! Check out the pin catch arrangement,these are seen on army and marine wound badges from time to time. I think someone said maybe GWL ??? Any ideas? Ferg1.

[VtwinVince]

Nice badge and agreed, it looks way too fresh. Could you recommend a dealer for Imperial flight badges, specifically Bavarian?

[Ferg1]

Hi Vince, good Bavarian badges are thin on the ground at any time ,Weitze has an observer which is ' right ' . No. 94650 on his site.Missing the cross on top of crown but plenty are like that,broken off or removed after the abdication but it is genuine IMO.Otherwise very little around. Don't go for the pilot badges that have a spokeless undercarriage wheel (plenty around) they are dubious. Ferg1.

[Steve K.]

SWEET! Very nice badge! I wonder why I didn't see it......good score!

Cheers,

Steve

[Ferg1]

Thanks Steve, as I said,I think alot of people must have been put off by the ' newness ' look of it. A few years ago I did some archiving work on German aviation badges for the Imperial War museum in London and they had Imperial German pilot badges still in their paper issue bags they looked like they were made yesterday! (they weren't ,of course) but it is suprising and deceptive sometimes when coming face to face with a ' minter ' . Ferg1.

[VtwinVince]

Thanks Ferg, useful information.

[VtwinVince]

BTW Hermann Historica lot 818 looks very nice indeed.

[Ferg1]

Certainly the badge looks like a good one, all the right features. Interesting that the badge is marked Karl Pollath and the case Carl Poellath. Ferg1.

[arrestanddevelopment]

Certainly the badge looks like a good one, all the right features. Interesting that the badge is marked Karl Pollath and the case Carl Poellath. Ferg1.

I was umming and arhhing over this one,but as i have got one airgunner i passed on it sadly ..lovely badge, more so now with your great pictures !!

All the best

steve

[VtwinVince]

Ferg, I had a Bavarian pilot badge in this case, which was also engraved, many years ago. It was marked with the two variants on the spelling as well. Makes for confusion.