Luftwaffe Flugzeugfuhrerabzeichen.

[sweguy]

Hello again, what does Souval mean? Funny thing when I told the seller it was a fake; no matter I traded it for a beer in 1969

[Saladin]

Hello Sweguy,
Souval = Rudolf Souval. This is a firm based in (Wien) Vienna, Austria.
The firm manufactured badges during the third Reich period and continued production post May 1945.
The badge you have is one of the firm post war productions.
The cutout catch that Danmark mentions refers to the catch plate that the pin goes in to.
In post war produced badges this was always made from one piece of metal with the cut out bent to make the catch.
Have a close look at the badge and you will see what I mean
All the best
Doug

[sweguy]

Hi Doug, I see what you mean there. Interesting that it's made in the same factory. How long did they make these? How old could this one be? cause he baught it in 69. Does these badges have any value although it wasn't made before 45? What then?

Thanks again// Sweguy

[Saladin]

Hi Sweguy,
I remember Souval badges being available back in the early 60s and I would not be too suprised if they actually started producing badges immediately post conflict.
Some of the early badges I do believe that were manufactured post war actually have all the attributes of wartime examples and are considered by collectors as genuine pre 1945 pieces.
I imagine that as the hardware stock ran out and the dies got worn or reworked the example produced by the firm were more easily identifiable as post war.
Anyway that is just my personal opinion.
As to value...how long is a piece of string?
Reproduction badges have their own following.
I have a shedfull of reproduction badges that I assumed original until the W.W.W. proved that they were in fact made post war. BUT they all have there own story so I am happy to keep them even though I know them to be reproductions.
If your seller only paid a beer for it back in 69 offer him 7! sounds like a good profit margin to me.
All the best
Doug

[sweguy]

Hehe I will try to do that. One question more that I have is: why did they continue to produce stuff from the Nazi era and who bought these?

Rgrds Sweguy

[Saladin]

They were produced to feed the occupying forces market of wanting to take something back from Nazi Germany.
As you know it still goes on to feed the collectors and re enactors markets.
The reproducers or forgers if you will are getting better at making high quality duds.
It is only a forum like this and others that assist collectors in identifying the truth.