Erkennungsmarke Luftwaffe Estelle need more info

[mikel wallaart]

Just got these Luftwaffe EM. In very bad shape.. But I like them. Any ideas on the value?

[Matt L]

Hi Mikel,

Well they're not Luftwaffe Erkennungsmarken- they're what's marked on them: Werkzeugmarken- identification tags for some kind of tools or equipment belonging to the E-Stelle Berlin. Given the condition and the nature, I wouldn't think they're really worth much of anything save what someone might pay for their curiosity value...

[Matt L]

?

[mikel wallaart]

?

Thanks. Matt. Most of them we're broken in 2. Very plausible they were ripped of the machines after the war and thrown away. That's why many of them are ripped in 2.

[Matt L]

Indeed they do look purposely destroyed, although I doubt these little tags were permanently affixed to anything given their shape and having only one hole (things like data plates that are permanent are rectangular and have two holes at least to keep them secured well); they look to be simply snapped in half by hand. That could've been at any time- perhaps they were simply replaced with something else and to ensure they wouldn't be reused, someone broke them; it was done with real Erkennungsmarken in some POW camps as well. Were they ripped from machines, and that causing the break, the hole would be very damaged and none are.