Allgemeine Sturmabzeichen - unknown?

[avenger]

Looking at this GAB. Been trying to find a comparable design in the posted GAB's on the forum, but not had any luck. I'm not sure what this one is made of, but I don't think it's zinc, perhaps a tombak? The pin and clasp don't seem to match examples I've compared it to. Not sure what the white spot on the bayonet is... So, I'm kind of at a loss here on its originality. It looks good quality to me, and seller wants $250 for it. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

[harryamb2]

looks a very nice one.

[avenger]

Thanks Harry. Can you tell if it's made of tombak?

[big ned]

It's an original zinc badge by an unknown maker (1.30.1), but is commonly known in collector circles as 'The Deep Pan' due to it's deeply drawn up rim edge. These are often found in this great condition and are rather unusual looking with the odd looking eagle and unusually broad oak leaves overlapping the inner wreath line. This helps give them something of quirky charm that some collectors really like. The rear set up of magnetic sheet metal hinge and pin are juxtaposed against the tombak catch and it's rectangular plate. There is a variant that has a circular catch plate that's been cut back at the top so as to be flush with the inner wreath.

It's a nice and unique design of badge, although you either like it or loathe it, i'm in the latter category, and at $250 i'd go for it.

Regards, Ned

[avenger]

Thanks Ned. These hollow back zinc badges always get me, because many zinc badges were solid, and I tend to expect hollow versions to be another base metal.

I saw one you posted in bunt metal when looking through the forum to figure this one out. Is that a better quality base metal?

[big ned]

I think if you're referring to the unknown maker called the 'Half Moon' GAB I posted last week or so, then it's actually a solid zinc piece that was copper coated to allow it to retain it's finish.

Buntmetall/Tombak are basically another name for brass, so yes, it's a better quality alloy, but from around 1941 onwards this became scarcer and more valuable to the war effort so zinc and to a lesser extent steel, especially where wound badges were concerned, were phased in for use on badge production. Even the quality of the zinc gradually became worse, going from feinzink to zink and eventually kreigsmetall which was vastly inferior to the earlier zinc alloys. Take a look at many of the surviving APB's that survive, they were cracked, had blow holes, fissures and porosity problems when they left the factory.

[Stewy S]

Hello, I agree with Ned on this one. If you do a search you should find some more hollow tombak ASA's. Stewy