When did they start with zink badges?

**Badto666** · 08-04-2011, 07:20 AM

Hi fellow collectors. Sorry for my low knowledge in this fact but I wonder if anyone more knowledgeable collector could help me with this question. When did they start using zink instead of tombak in the badges? I understand that their can´t be any 100% answer to this but "around" what year did they start with it? The only info you see is early (tombak) and late (zink) but what is late?
Thank you in advance. I appreciate all the help i can get

**Espenlaub Militaria** · 08-04-2011 07:20 AM

We also buy and trade your items and full collections!

**Adrian Stevenson** · 08-04-2011, 09:47 AM

Hi Mike, 1941 was the first year zink was used in the construction of war badges.

And here is a copy of the order from the trade magazine Schwert und Spaten from March 1942. You can see which awards were to be produced in zink from then onwards. Enjoy.

So from 1941 onwards zink slowly became the norm.

Cheers, Ade.

**Badto666** · 08-04-2011, 11:03 AM

Many thanks adrian for your kind help

And many thanks for the very interesting information!

**Adrian Stevenson** · 08-04-2011, 11:16 AM

My pleasure.

As you can see from the period press cutting, they started off with fairly low level awards.

Cheers, Ade.

**Badto666** · 08-04-2011, 03:33 PM

by Adrian Stevenson

My pleasure.

As you can see from the period press cutting, they started off with fairly low level awards.

Cheers, Ade.

Yes that is very interesting Adrian! A little bit strange that the tombaks are so much lesser up for sale then the zinkers. At least when it comes to some of the badges like the ISA,ASA and the PKA for example. The zinkers are very overrepresented up for sale when it comes to those badges.