My wound badge collection

[Gary B]

Dear Dan,

Nice collection. A few comments to add to what has already been said. Sorry about the repro wound badge, but glad you did not pay alot for it.

As has been mentioned, if you want to get a nice Gold Wound badge, I would recommend a 30 from Wien (mkd or unmkd). They, in my opinion, and many will agree, are the best gold WBs available. They retained their finish quite well over 60 years and I cant recall another maker that can compete with their finishes.

Now on to more important stuff.....I have been a collector for 30 plus years and at one time collected Wound badges. I still have a small collection of them but still enjoy looking for variations at shows. Now in over 30 years I can not recall ever seeing a complete set of prinzens. I purchased a Black prinzen years ago and can recall seeing a few others in the years past. I know of one for sale on a site now. As for silver, I have seen 2 silver prinzens in my time. As for Gold prinzen, your posting was a first for me! So, although you got "burned" on the 39 GWB, you are quite fortunate to have the prinzens as a set. (I passed onthe silver prinzen since I was ina cheap mode at the time!)

I could not tell from the pictures but are they all from the same manufatuer? i was trying to look at the pin set up on them.

Congrats again.

Gary B

[Hauptmann]

Dear Dan,

Nice collection. A few comments to add to what has already been said. Sorry about the repro wound badge, but glad you did not pay alot for it.

As has been mentioned, if you want to get a nice Gold Wound badge, I would recommend a 30 from Wien (mkd or unmkd). They, in my opinion, and many will agree, are the best gold WBs available. They retained their finish quite well over 60 years and I cant recall another maker that can compete with their finishes.

Now on to more important stuff.....I have been a collector for 30 plus years and at one time collected Wound badges. I still have a small collection of them but still enjoy looking for variations at shows. Now in over 30 years I can not recall ever seeing a complete set of prinzens. I purchased a Black prinzen years ago and can recall seeing a few others in the years past. I know of one for sale on a site now. As for silver, I have seen 2 silver prinzens in my time. As for Gold prinzen, your posting was a first for me! So, although you got "burned" on the 39 GWB, you are quite fortunate to have the prinzens as a set. (I passed onthe silver prinzen since I was ina cheap mode at the time!)

I could not tell from the pictures but are they all from the same manufatuer? i was trying to look at the pin set up on them.

Congrats again.

Gary B

Hi Gary,

Wow! This definitely makes me feel good! I've actually never seen another Prinzen in the wounds but knew they had to be out there. But never realized that they were "that good"!

I got them in a set from a dealer in Tampa many many moons ago... around the infamous twenty years give or take. I just checked my old records book and found that I'd paid $75 for the set. No earthly idea what they're worth now or exactly how rare they are.

No idea about the maker as as far as I can see they are not marked... but they do look identical except for the grade color. So it's very possible they are the same maker.

Also, I found that gold wound... I paid $30 for it. But then again I only paid $17 and $20 for my two silver WWII wounds, one of which I later traded off... so don't know which I paid which for... but $3 difference and compared with values now... Paid $12 for my WWII black wound. And see another two entries for three others I purchased for $6 each! And the cutout in black... all of $5 for that one!

I think the most I ever paid for one single wound was the Silver "Condor" and I believe I paid $90 for that one. But years later I saw one that went for $400 so think I did okay on that one.

Oh how I wish the old days would come back again!!!!!!!!

I'm almost scaring myself looking through my old book as far as the little I paid then and that things were commonly running in those days and how much they've gone up. I feel like I've been in a time warp.

Anyhow if you or any of the other members happen to come up with any additional info on those Prinzen wounds or would happen to know even a rough value on them I'd be deeply grateful if you'd give me a shout. I'm totally in the dark on them.

Many thanks!

Dan

[Gary B]

Hi Dan,

Given the rarity of the prinzen wound badges, they don't seem to command as high a price as one would expect/think. I think this is due to a few factors: 1) the quality of the prinzen wound badges is not like a Prinzen EK1/EK2 or prinzen pilot badge nor is the quality comparable to some of the better quality full sized private purchase wound badges 2) there are not a lot of wound badge collectors like there are EK collectors or aviation specialists 3) I can not recall ever seeing a prinzen wound badge in wear in period photos but I have seen prinzen EKs in wear 4) the prinzen wound badges are so rare that hardly anyone knows about them, plus they could be for civilian wear 5) their bigger brothers (the real sized Imperial wound badges) don't command "high" prices, but I think this will change in the future. As Third Reich items move out of the price range of many collectors, those same collectors will turn their interest to other items such as Imperial, where the quality is just as high but the items much cheaper.

As for prices on the prinzens, a dealer at a show I was at recently was asking $150 for a silver prinzen. I have seen a few black prinzens sell for around $50. Ken Greenfield of Der Rittmeister has a set of a BWB and matching prinzen for $125. Since he is asking about $40 for full sized black wound badges that leaves about $80 for the black prinzen size one. As far as your set would go, I believe about $300-$400, not that you would ever sell them. Also a set like that is really worth what someone is willing to pay for it; the wound badge collector who needs the set to complete his collection would be perhaps willing to pay more.

But prices are not what makes this hobby great. You have a great set there, something I would be proud to have in my collection.

Gary B

[Hauptmann]

Hi Gary,

Wow! Thank you so much for all that info and for your kind words. The three little baby wounds are blushing with pride! And they thank you too!

I think then that that $75 I paid definitely was a good investment. Rest assured I will continue to treasure them and have them as a high point in my wound badge collection.

And I hope you manage to find a set for an equally good price for your collection as well. they're definitely great pieces and a joy to own, especially since you don't see them all over the place.

Again, thanks so much!

Dan

[Bryan Poon]

Hi Dan

Nice wound badge collectio you had. Here are two Naval Wound Badge in my collection. Wish you can get one later.

Cheers

BP

[Daniel Murphy]

Dan,

Great badges. I have no doubt you will complete your set of navals and cutouts. Don't worry about the setbacks, I had a complete set of cutouts, navals and regulars stolen from me at a show and I bounced back with a better and bigger collection. Here is an old thread in wound badges, it shows mine (including my set of prinzens). I think you will enjoy it.

Dan Murphy

Wound badges

[Hauptmann]

Hi Dan

Nice wound badge collectio you had. Here are two Naval Wound Badge in my collection. Wish you can get one later.

Cheers

BP

Hey BP,

Many thanks! Hey, those are perfect... just pop em' in a box and send em' on over... I'll give em' a new home!

Dan

[Bryan Poon]

Dan,

Great badges. I have no doubt you will complete your set of navals and cutouts. Don't worry about the setbacks, I had a complete set of cutouts, navals and regulars stolen from me at a show and I bounced back with a better and bigger collection. Here is an old thread in wound badges, it shows mine (including my set of prinzens). I think you will enjoy it.

Dan Murphy

Wound badges

Hi Daniel

That's great, you started a nice thread there. I will post pictures there.

Cheers

BP

[Bryan Poon]

Hey BP,

Many thanks! Hey, those are perfect... just pop em' in a box and send em' on over... I'll give em' a new home!

Dan

hahahahaha, ok.....they will go to your home but no idea when will they arrive..

[Hauptmann]

Dan,

Great badges. I have no doubt you will complete your set of navals and cutouts. Don't worry about the setbacks, I had a complete set of cutouts, navals and regulars stolen from me at a show and I bounced back with a better and bigger collection. Here is an old thread in wound badges, it shows mine (including my set of prinzens). I think you will enjoy it.

Dan Murphy

Wound badges

Hi Dan,

Wow... I'm in heaven! Thanks so much for sharing that. It's truly amazing to me that out of so many similar looking badges... same basic design, etc. that each truly has it's own distinct personality. Each one is just that little bit different and some really just pull you in and won't let you go.

There's a number of those that I'd love to have... see, it's all I can do to hold back and just buy nothing but wound badges now! But my Soviet stuff will get really jeolous!

Really enjoyed that... thank you!

Dan

[Hauptmann]

hahahahaha, ok.....they will go to your home but no idea when will they arrive..

Hi Bryan,

Not to worry... I'm a captive audience... have all the time in the world. And they're worth waiting for!

Dan

[Bryan Poon]

Hi Bryan,

Not to worry... I'm a captive audience... have all the time in the world. And they're worth waiting for!

Dan

[Hauptmann]

Hi all,

Well, all your good wishes must have paid off. I just ordered my black 57 Wound. Now all I need is the silver and I'll have finished off the set.

Hopefully it'll be here in a week or less.

Thanks!

Dan

[Hauptmann]

Hi all,

Here's my latest... I bought it as being a "silver" but upon asking the advice of several of a learned members they seem to feel it may just be a gold that has had all the finish sucked in by the zinc. It arrived today and I just finished the scans. So here it is for all to see. I'd love to see it confirmed as a gold since my gold I bought so long ago turned out to be a bad one.

As you'll see in the scans it's a maker mark of 4 on the pin which is for Steinhauer & L?ck.

So without further ago... here's the newest member of my wound badge family.

Obverse:

Edited June 16, 2008 by Hauptman

[Hauptmann]

Obverse detail:

It appears that (especially one near the helmet bolt) there's a few very tiny spots of gold left and also at least three of the leaves on the right seem to have a slight goldish tint to them, especially in the sunlight. I'm just hoping I'm not seeing what I'd like to see and that it's actually there. Some areas of the badge do seem to have a slight gold tint to them in the scans as well.

[Hauptmann]

Reverse:

[Hauptmann]

Pin detail re: makers mark:

There also seems to be that line of gold on the pin and in the makers mark.

Edited June 16, 2008 by Hauptman

[Hauptmann]

Pin detail:

Pin up/reverse:

Note in front of the hinge on the badge reverse a matching mark to the end of the pin where it sits when in the closed position.

Edited June 16, 2008 by Hauptman

[Hauptmann]

And last but not least the reverse under the pin:

Again note the matching mark on the badge itself from the end of the pin where they meet when the pin is in the closed position.

I'll be keeping my fingers crossed that our learned members can "pin" down whether this is indeed a gold... but either way I'm very happy with my newest addition.

Many thanks!

Dan :cheers:

Edited June 16, 2008 by Hauptman

[hunyadi]

Looks like gold tint to me.... :jumping:

[Hauptmann]

Hi Charles,

Many thanks my friend. Sure does to me as well. Was kind of hoping for other comments but guessing everyone is pretty busy with summer activities right now. Hopefully some more will pop up down the road.

Here's my latest addition to this collection. A 1957 Silver. Been waiting a long time but it's so nice to finally be able to finish off my 57 set. Pics are the sellers (Citidel_777).

Can't wait till it arrives later this week and I can see it in person.

Dan :cheers:

[Hauptmann]

Also I just got this one a few days ago. Not sure if it's a good one or not. Didn't pay much as all so it's okay if it's not good... but of course if it is that would be terrific. So any and all opinions are most welcome. The MM is L/58.

[Hauptmann]

Again many thanks in advance for any and all comments.

Dan :cheers:

[Paul R]

Those are some great badges!! I think that the number 4 is a Silver badge. IMHO, the area of gold is due to wear on the pin. All the WBiG I have seen, the pin and catch were both gold metal.

[Kris D]

Here it is Dan my evil one.

Front.

A really nice collection of wound badges. I have a few on my website in the Imperial German & Third Reich sections - http://www.polishmedals.co.uk