Verwundetenabzeichen 1957 in Gold
Good afternoon everybody,
just picked up two 57'er today which I will post seperately.
First, my gold wound badge. Been after the TR variety for ages, but can't find one, so I went for this, which was nice and cheap. It's solid and quite heavy. I've been told it's probably from the 60's or 70's.
All comments regarding authenticity, or manufacturer are wellcome
It's good. This is a nice early (ca. 1957 - 1960) badge made by Steinhauer & Lück.
looks like I'm quite lucky to own this. These things are ridiculously cheap in England because hardly anybody collects them. Thank you for the info, much appreciated
Nice find...very difficult to find in the US, for the same reason, nobody really collects them...we're just much further from the source
These very early 57ers can be quite difficult to find...a lot of TR collectors look down on these as 'post-war junk', but I think one has to look at the significance of the 57er awards.
Imagine being a veteran of the German military...war lost, country split, the rest of the world calling you the quintessential evil...you saw death, and caused it. Lost friends with whom no other bond can compare, lived tired, hungry, and miserable for months or years on end...and then stripped of your medals.
In 'On Killing', LtCol David Grossman discusses how awards are largely used in psychological healing. A soldier is given an award for doing the most unnatural thing a species can do-kill its own species. This is a way of assuring them that what they did, while unnatural, was right. The higher the burden, the higher the award, thus why high ranks tend to get higher awards...their decisions or indecisions affect more people.
So when the 1957ers were implemented, it must have served as a major step in the national healing process...the government telling the troops that they weren't the ones to blame (at least entirely, or wholey). No troop wants to feel that his people-the people he thought he was fighting for-have turned their backs on him. Much like Vietnam vets being shunned by the American people took decades and a shift in thought process to begin to rectify, so must have been the plight of the Wehrmacht veteran.
But this is just my little theory
Couldn't agree more with Brig. Very hard to find in the US. I'm not actively looking for them (yet) so won't be looking at overseas dealers to purchase, but if I saw any at local shows here, I would snap up as many as I could.
"Please", Thank You" and proper manners appreciated
My greatest fear is that one day I will die and my wife will sell my guns for what I told her I paid for them
"Don't tell me these are investments if you never intend to sell anything" (Quote: Wife)
Careful with them at shows here...the vast majority in the US for sale are repro...eBay is full of them. Most of the ones I've gotten in the US have been from other collectors, who tend to get them out of Europe. I keep an eye on German eBay...I am a big collector of 57er minis
Which is why I don't have any. Should have said, if I saw legitimate examples I would scoop them up.by Brig
Completely understandable why they are so scarce over here. They were not war booty.
"Please", Thank You" and proper manners appreciated
My greatest fear is that one day I will die and my wife will sell my guns for what I told her I paid for them
"Don't tell me these are investments if you never intend to sell anything" (Quote: Wife)
Agree. I've got an early '57 DKiG enroute to me now from Germany. Has the veteran's EK I and Ek II combo stick pin that he left in the DKiG case so he'd have everything in one place when he got ready for reunion meetings etc.
Todd
Former U.S. Army Tanker.
"Best job I ever had."
It's off-topic, but I'd like to take the opportunity to highly recommend that book, (as well as On Combat by the same author) to all forum members.
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