Lost Skeleton
Well-known member
Next to flight qualification badges, the second most problematic badge confronting the German Imperial collector is quite possibly the U-Bootkreigsabzeichen. According to Gordon Williamson, author of U-Boat Crews 1914–45 (Osprey ©1995), “The U-Boat war badge was introduced in February 1918 and was intended to recognise all U-Boat crew members who had participated in at least three operational war cruises, though this condition could be waived if the crew member was wounded in action.”
The badge was fabricated from either die struck or die forged brass, and subsequently fire gilt. Ironically, despite mutiny and the Kaiser's abdication, the Imperial U-Bootkriegsabzeichen was in continuous manufacture throughout the 1920s to mid 1930s, satisfying the requirements of veteran submariners serving in the Reichsmarine. Though replaced in 1939 by a modernized badge reflecting Nazi aesthetics, Imperial badges continued to be worn and, to a lesser degree, manufactured as late as the 1950s.
Given the cast/forged nature of the badge, the U-Bootkreigsabzeichen has been easily and heavily faked. All that is really required to produce fraudulent badges are molds of plaster, sand, silicone, or wax hubbed from an original, a suitable alloy, small forge, gilt paint, and soldering equipment.
Frauds resembling the die struck badges would be more difficult to achieve and would most likely involve electroforming. To my knowledge, these have not been attempted.
On the plus side, plaster molds shrink as they dry, and fakes made from these would be measurably smaller and thinner than authentic badges. Sand molds would yield poor detail. In many cases, existing fakes are extremely crude and easy to identify. However, the financial incentive for deception is strong and the technology constantly improving. Soon, it will be exceedingly difficult to distinguish good from bad.
The purpose of this article is to profile five badges, two that I know to be authentic, one “judgment call,” and two probable fakes. The reader will benefit from greatly magnified views exposing the subtle and blatant anomalies unscrupulous dealers and eBay con artists would prefer no one know about.
Badge number one is die struck and hollow (cliché) with a screw-back fastener.
Behind the crown is a small mound of solder where a supplemental attachment hook was originally affixed. The reverse detail is every bit as sharp as the obverse, indicating the badge is indeed die struck.
Looking over the top of the badge at the U-Boot superstructure: Note the vaulted hull.
The “clamshell” fastener, a thing of beauty in its own right.
Conclusion: This is a textbook die struck badge. The vaulted profile and screw-back indicate private purchase.
Badge number two is a die forged solid pin-back.
The reverse of the crown is crisply hallmarked with the Wappen of Paul Meybauer. Note how flat and smooth the surface is.
Full reverse. The tapered pin is sometimes referred to as a “Coke bottle” pin
Close-up detail of the hinge: Many collectors believe the construction and finishing of the hinge and pin are more important in establishing a badge’s authenticity than any other factor.
Conclusion: This is a textbook die forged badge. The Meybauer hallmark is die punched; finish and detail are excellent.
Badge number three is a massive die forged solid pin-back.
Note the lower profile of the conning tower and the torpedo-like hull.
Close-up detail of the crown reveals the base metal to be Tombak or copper. The first cause for concern is the casting anomaly beneath the crown to the right of the knotted “ribbon” binding the wreath of laurels.
Despite the flaw, which may have been caused by residual detritus in the die prior to forging, the details are clean and precise (as can be seen in an overview of the superstructure).
The reverse is nicely finished, but the needle shaped pin represents a second possible red flag. As stated previously, this is a heavy badge and the pin does not seem suitable to the task. However, pins like this were occasionally utilized on Nazi sub badges. The base of the hinge is forged and part of the monolithic casting.
Conclusion: A beautiful badge not conforming to pattern. It appears too nicely detailed and finished to be an outright forgery. The badge may be an example of Third Reich, or later, manufacture. Given my investment, I can live with the uncertain provenance, and challenge anyone to find another like it.
Badge number four is another die-forged solid pin-back.
The characteristics of this badge are frequently attributed to the firm of Walter Schot f.e.c. (though the badge is not marked as such). The badge appears to be bronze with no traces of gilt. The presence of verdigris prompted the loquacious Internet dealer to describe it as “salty.” There is a casting flaw resembling an inverted air bubble in the right arch of the crown.
Complimenting the crude appearance of the obverse, the reverse features a less than convincing flat pin and a surface that has been burnished on a wire wheel.
Conclusion: This is one ugly badge, poor in finish and detail. The burnishing most likely represents a clumsy attempt at hiding casting imperfections (though the hinge base is monolithic). I regard the badge as a literal forgery. However, Herr Weitze offers a twin in item #75116, which he describes as “eines der wenigen verliehenen (sic) Originale.” (one of the few conferred(?) originals). His price is €600.00. I am willing to entertain offers.
Badge number five is a die forged solid pin-back.
This badge exemplifies the necessity for extreme caution when faced with personalized engraving. Once again, we have a badge attributed to Firma Schot:
At first glance, the badge has a definite edge on its predecessor. However, the reverse is the real attention grabber.
For the record, the UC 70 was sunk by a depth charge off the coast of Whitby, England on 28 August 1918 with a loss of all hands. Oberleutnant zur See der Reserve Kurt Heinrich served as the boat’s executive officer. The engraved lettering appears of the period, the facts check, and there are no glaring errors with respect to form. This was sufficient cause for me to gamble on eBay. With hindsight, it was a calamitous move.
Now, to see whether anyone actually reads these "tutorials," I invite your participation in analyzing the badge. The pictures provide the important clues. Please, have a go (it’s supposed to be fun).
Chas.
The badge was fabricated from either die struck or die forged brass, and subsequently fire gilt. Ironically, despite mutiny and the Kaiser's abdication, the Imperial U-Bootkriegsabzeichen was in continuous manufacture throughout the 1920s to mid 1930s, satisfying the requirements of veteran submariners serving in the Reichsmarine. Though replaced in 1939 by a modernized badge reflecting Nazi aesthetics, Imperial badges continued to be worn and, to a lesser degree, manufactured as late as the 1950s.
Given the cast/forged nature of the badge, the U-Bootkreigsabzeichen has been easily and heavily faked. All that is really required to produce fraudulent badges are molds of plaster, sand, silicone, or wax hubbed from an original, a suitable alloy, small forge, gilt paint, and soldering equipment.
Frauds resembling the die struck badges would be more difficult to achieve and would most likely involve electroforming. To my knowledge, these have not been attempted.
On the plus side, plaster molds shrink as they dry, and fakes made from these would be measurably smaller and thinner than authentic badges. Sand molds would yield poor detail. In many cases, existing fakes are extremely crude and easy to identify. However, the financial incentive for deception is strong and the technology constantly improving. Soon, it will be exceedingly difficult to distinguish good from bad.
The purpose of this article is to profile five badges, two that I know to be authentic, one “judgment call,” and two probable fakes. The reader will benefit from greatly magnified views exposing the subtle and blatant anomalies unscrupulous dealers and eBay con artists would prefer no one know about.
Badge number one is die struck and hollow (cliché) with a screw-back fastener.
Behind the crown is a small mound of solder where a supplemental attachment hook was originally affixed. The reverse detail is every bit as sharp as the obverse, indicating the badge is indeed die struck.
Looking over the top of the badge at the U-Boot superstructure: Note the vaulted hull.
The “clamshell” fastener, a thing of beauty in its own right.
Conclusion: This is a textbook die struck badge. The vaulted profile and screw-back indicate private purchase.
Badge number two is a die forged solid pin-back.
The reverse of the crown is crisply hallmarked with the Wappen of Paul Meybauer. Note how flat and smooth the surface is.
Full reverse. The tapered pin is sometimes referred to as a “Coke bottle” pin
Close-up detail of the hinge: Many collectors believe the construction and finishing of the hinge and pin are more important in establishing a badge’s authenticity than any other factor.
Conclusion: This is a textbook die forged badge. The Meybauer hallmark is die punched; finish and detail are excellent.
Badge number three is a massive die forged solid pin-back.
Note the lower profile of the conning tower and the torpedo-like hull.
Close-up detail of the crown reveals the base metal to be Tombak or copper. The first cause for concern is the casting anomaly beneath the crown to the right of the knotted “ribbon” binding the wreath of laurels.
Despite the flaw, which may have been caused by residual detritus in the die prior to forging, the details are clean and precise (as can be seen in an overview of the superstructure).
The reverse is nicely finished, but the needle shaped pin represents a second possible red flag. As stated previously, this is a heavy badge and the pin does not seem suitable to the task. However, pins like this were occasionally utilized on Nazi sub badges. The base of the hinge is forged and part of the monolithic casting.
Conclusion: A beautiful badge not conforming to pattern. It appears too nicely detailed and finished to be an outright forgery. The badge may be an example of Third Reich, or later, manufacture. Given my investment, I can live with the uncertain provenance, and challenge anyone to find another like it.
Badge number four is another die-forged solid pin-back.
The characteristics of this badge are frequently attributed to the firm of Walter Schot f.e.c. (though the badge is not marked as such). The badge appears to be bronze with no traces of gilt. The presence of verdigris prompted the loquacious Internet dealer to describe it as “salty.” There is a casting flaw resembling an inverted air bubble in the right arch of the crown.
Complimenting the crude appearance of the obverse, the reverse features a less than convincing flat pin and a surface that has been burnished on a wire wheel.
Conclusion: This is one ugly badge, poor in finish and detail. The burnishing most likely represents a clumsy attempt at hiding casting imperfections (though the hinge base is monolithic). I regard the badge as a literal forgery. However, Herr Weitze offers a twin in item #75116, which he describes as “eines der wenigen verliehenen (sic) Originale.” (one of the few conferred(?) originals). His price is €600.00. I am willing to entertain offers.
Badge number five is a die forged solid pin-back.
This badge exemplifies the necessity for extreme caution when faced with personalized engraving. Once again, we have a badge attributed to Firma Schot:
At first glance, the badge has a definite edge on its predecessor. However, the reverse is the real attention grabber.
For the record, the UC 70 was sunk by a depth charge off the coast of Whitby, England on 28 August 1918 with a loss of all hands. Oberleutnant zur See der Reserve Kurt Heinrich served as the boat’s executive officer. The engraved lettering appears of the period, the facts check, and there are no glaring errors with respect to form. This was sufficient cause for me to gamble on eBay. With hindsight, it was a calamitous move.
Now, to see whether anyone actually reads these "tutorials," I invite your participation in analyzing the badge. The pictures provide the important clues. Please, have a go (it’s supposed to be fun).
Chas.
