Real or fake?

[releasetech]

Hello everyone,

I am posting these pictures to get an expert opinion. I picked this up at a flea market in Germany. I don't collect these, but the price was relatively cheap.

Thanks!

rT

[Panzer trooper]

Not an expert myself but I'm not liking the look of the ss markings if I'm wrong I'm sure I will be corrected if I'm wrong!

[Gunny Hartmann]

I think that's an old blank disc that has been stamped!...

[Matt L]

The Gunny has it right- the halo around the letters and the damage to the back shows the metal already had a patina on it when it was stamped- meaning it's a fake. There was an SS-Pionier-Bataillon 17, but it was only created in 1943 so its soldiers would have all worn discs from their initial training units too, not from SS-Pi.Btl. 17. Usually only replacement discs would be issued by a field unit and there's just no way over 400 were by just a single Kompanie unless it had the most careless men in history LOL

[releasetech]

Thanks for the feedback, gents.

RT