The Wonder of Wound Badges, '39 & '57.

[ChrisKelly]

Second World War Wounded badges and their post-war re-issues...  Let's start with the silver one...

 

Images 6 & 7 are my small collection. Image 8 shows a close-up of the badge in images 6 & 7, on the top row...  A tombak badge hallmarked "15".  The cases are reproductions. All three of the 1939 versions are tombak.

 

Edited 17 hours ago by ChrisKelly

[ChrisKelly]

A close-up of the silver wound badge in the previous post, top row.  This type is generally associated with Hauptmünzamt Wien, and later versions, usually struck in zinc, are hallmarked "30".  

 

Third image: The mint in 1940.

 

Fourth image: The mint in 2021.

 

Source (Photographs):

https://www.geschichtewiki.wien.gv.at/Hauptmünzamt

 

 

 

A selection of black wounded badges in my collection.  Top row shows tombak versions, bottom row shows steel versions in various states of wear.  The 1957 version is in a reproduction case.

 

Image 3 shows the hallmark "L/58" on the wound badge, bottom row, extreme right.

 

Image 4 is a stickpin, 1939 version.

 

 

 

Black wounded badges in tombak.  The bottom row shows badges stripped of their black paint, and possibly used by their original recipients as gold versions.

 

Edited 15 hours ago by ChrisKelly

[ChrisKelly]

A rare find...  A 1957 wound badge in gold.

 

 

Modern reproductions in all grades, some good, some not so good.

 

Edited 15 hours ago by ChrisKelly

[ChrisKelly]

The hallmark of Rudolf Souval of Vienna, L22.  These badges, along with those hallmarked "R.S.", have caused collectors to question their "authenticity".  Souval's firm continued to mint Third Reich awards after the War.

 

 

Souval's shop in Vienna in 2003.

 

Source:

 

https://www.warrelics.eu/forum/orders-decorations-third-reich/souval-fans-421973/

 

Edited 2 hours ago by ChrisKelly

[ChrisKelly]

It's unusual that the post-1941 silver wound badges show such amazing resilience to wear.  Many Third Reich badges and medals made from zinc immediately fall prey to corrosive and destructive "zinc pest", something most of the "fine zinc" silver wounded badges do not exhibit.

 

Sources:

 

https://tradeinmilitary.nz/product/wwii-german-silver-wound-badge/

 

https://www.coins4all.co.uk/products/germany-ww2-silver-wound-badge

 

Edited 2 hours ago by ChrisKelly