Kriegsmarine Minesweeper Badge

[Marcus H]

Here's a minesweeper with a typical looking S&L hinge and catch set up, I know of three of these so far has anyone ever seen the likes of or own one of these ?

Another question i have is concerning a little dot or raised dimple to the left of the hinge, I've noticed this before on an S&L KVK I have without swords and know of a couple more too in that award regard.

Any thoughts as to what that could be ?

Kr

Marcus

[Marcus H]

rev

[Marcus H]

'Dot' and hinge.

[Gordon Williamson]

I have to admit I don't like this crude type of hinge on KM badges. I remember in the early-mid 70s there were dozens of zink First Pattern E-Boats circulating with this set up, also with the small "o" mark that many attribute to S&L. I remember at one of the Nottingham Fairs that loads of the dealers had them, but none of the dealers would buy them. Rumour at the time was that they may have been genuine left over badges, but finished off post war with these weird hinges when stocks of good ones were exhausted.

Patzwall's Militaria magazine ran an article on E-Boat Badges a few years back which featured them with this style hinge and the feedback in a subsequent edition included a statement that they were in fact fakes.

[Laurence Strong]

Hi Marcus

The hinge for the pin does not match up with any of the examples in Sascha Weber's book on the Mineswepper Badge.

[Marcus H]

Hi Gordon,

I don't suppose you have the article do you, or any ref for the magazine that it's in, you must know Arthur T, I wonder if he could get me a copy.

What I don't understand is that, while the badge in zinc has all the traits of the S&L badge in buntmetal hence no contention as to the badges originality as such, this hinge can be found on say PAB and IAB by S&L.

I wonder why it's not so accepted on KM badges ?

I was just about to buy a 1st patt E boat with this hinge, but I thnk I'll now for the time being at least, hold back though.

Kr

Marcus