Variants

ON THIS PAGE I WILL ILLUSTRATE SOME OF THE VARIANTS AND CURIOSITY PIECES THAT I HAVE COME ACROSS IN DEALING WITH THE PANZER ASSAULT BADGE.

WHILE MOST MAKERS PUT THEIR LOGO ON AT LEAST A PERCENTAGE OF THEIR BADGES, I AM SURE THERE ARE SOME THAT MADE THE BADGE THAT NEVER PUT THEIR HALLMARKS ON THEM, AND WHICH THE COLLECTOR IS IGNORANT AS TO WHO MADE THE BADGE. A PERFECT EXAMPLE IS THE "JUNCKERS/ZIMMERMANN" MADE PAB. THERE IS NOT AN EXAMPLE THAT I AM AWARE OF THAT IS MARKED! WE ONLY HAVE THEIR VERY DISTINCTIVE HINGE/CATCH SET UP THAT GIVES THE COLLECTOR A CLUE!

THE "DAISY" VARIANT IS PROBABLY ONE OF THE BEST KNOWN CURIOSITIES IN REGARDS THE PAB. NOTICE THE LITTLE FLOWER BELOW THE TANK ON THE FRONT.

THE PIC ON THE BOTTOM WILL GIVE YOU A CLOSEUP. EXAMPLE PICTURED IS DIE FORGED. AT THE CURRENT TIME THE AUTHOR IS UNAWARE OF WHICH FIRM IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS BADGE. I HAVE SEEN A HOLLOW DIE STRUCK VERSION OF THIS BADGE AS WELL AS A VERSION WITHOUT THE FLOWER. SEE THE ZINC HOLLOW BACK BELOW.

THIS IS THE ZIMMERMAN PAB. ON THE RIGHT IS A "NORMAL" EARLY VERSION. ON THE LEFT AND BELOW IS PICTURED AN ADVANCED DETERIORATION DIE STRIKE. I HAVE SEEN ALL DEGREES OF THIS IMPERFECTION. FROM A NOMINAL SCRATCH TO THE ADVANCED STATE FOUND IN THE EXAMPLE TO THE LEFT AND BELOW. FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THE ZIMMERMAN SEE THE LINK ON THE INDEX/FRONT PAGE FOR A GREAT ARTICLE.

ANOTHER DIE STRIKE IMPERFECTION IS NOTICEABLE IN THE DATE ON THIS F.L.L. BADGE.

SEE HOW THE NUMBER 3 IS PRACTICALLY OBLITERATED ON THE BRONZE EXAMPLE ON THE LEFT AND BELOW. COMPARE WITH THE SILVER EXAMPLE ON THE RIGHT.

FINALLY I WANT TO ILLUSTRATE HOW ONE CAN DETERMINE THE MAKER OF A PARTICULAR BADGE. ON THE LEFT AND ON THE RIGHT ARE BRONZE EXAMPLES OFTHE FRANK & REIF PAB.

THE ONE ON THE RIGHT IS MARKED THE ONE ON THE LEFT IS NOT. THE ONE ON THE RIGHT COST ME 60.00 MORE FOR THAT MARK!

HERE IS A RATHER RARE VARIANT....

PLEASE EXCUSE THE PICTURES THEY ARE ALL THAT ARE CURRENTLY AVAILABLE.

THESE PICS ILLUSTRATE A "FIELD MODIFICATION" BY THE RECIPIENTS.

NOTICE HOW THE GRASS AREAS UNDER THE TANKS HAS BEEN CUT AWAY.

THE BADGES ILLUSTRATED HERE ARE SOMEWHAT OF AN ENIGMA TO THE AUTHOR. THEY ARE UNCOMMON BUT BELIEVED TO BE GENUINE. THE SILVER ON THE LEFT CONFORMS IN ALL MEASUREMENTS TO ORIGINALS. IN FACT IT LOOKS TO BE IDENTICAL IN ALL RESPECTS EXCEPT THE FLOWER TO THE DAISY BADGE ABOVE! APPEARS TO BE "DIE FORGED" PLATED ZINC. HINGE LOOKS CORRECT, DETAIL IS GOOD. THE BADGE ON THE RIGHT,I BELIEVE THIS IS AN INTERIM PRODUCTION TECHNIQUE: BETWEEN DIE STRUCK AND DIE FORGED PROCESS. LOOKS LIKE THE MALE/FEMALE DIES WERE USED AND THE ZINC "SLAG" WAS PRESSED BETWEEN. THIS IS SIMILIAR IN STYLE TO THE ZIMMERMANN BADGE ILLUSTRATED IN THE GALLERY.

THE BRONZE EXAMPLE ON THE RIGHT APPEARS TO BE "DIE CAST" ZINC. HINGE IS MORE OF AN UNCOMMON NATURE. ANY INFORMATION ON THESE WOULD BE APPRECIATED BY THE AUTHOR

THIS BADGE IS MARKED WITH A SMALL W ON THE REVERSE TO THE LEFT OF THE HINGE. RECENTLY THIS HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED AS AN EARLY WURSTER PRODUCTION. THIS MARK HAS BEEN SEEN ON A VERY SMALL NUMBER OF GENERAL AND INFANTRY ASSAULT BADGES. TO THE AUTHORS KNOWLEDGE THIS IS THE FIRST PANZER BADGE FOUND WITH THIS MARK.

NICE MID WAR EXAMPLE...UNMARKED, BUT IS LINKED TO AN AWARD PACKET MARKED "STEINHAUER & LUCK LUDENSCHEID."

THE AUTHOR WOULD LIKE TO THANK MR. JAMIE CROSS OF ENGLAND FOR USE OF THESE PICTURES.

ADDITIONAL UNMARKED VARIANTS, NOTABLE ON THE LEFT IS THE HINGE/CATCH ATTACHEMENT (PERHAPS A BRONZE VERSION OF THE BADGE SHOWN ABOVE) AND ON THE RIGHT OF THE GREAT DETAIL AND SMALL DISH ON THE BACK.

THE BADGE ON THE LEFT IS A "FIELD MODIFIED" BADGE WHERE THE SOLDIER CUT OUT THE SWASTIKA. THE BADGE ON THE RIGHT IS THE ONLY KNOWN FACTORY PRODUCED BADGE WITH THE CUT OUT SWASTIKA. BOTH OF THESE ARE UNMARKED BADGES.

THE BADGE ON THE LEFT, A MINT BRONZE DAISEY, WAS FOUND WITH THIS L/10 (DESCHLER) MARKED PACKET. PERHAPS THE RIDDLE OF WHO MADE THIS HIGH QUALITY BADGE HAS BEEN SOLVED.