Kriegsabzeichen für Minensuch/Mine sweeper badge

[meech]

Just a small make real or fake

[Adrian]

I would really like to see better, closer pictures in better light but I believe this is the rarest of all marked Minesweeper badges, made by Beco (Boerger & Co).

[harryamb2]

i like it.

[Norm F]

Hi Guys,

I agree with Adrian that the photos are sub-optimal. It certainly does look like a good Beco but there's an odd softness to the edges of the hardware, as though they were heavily worn down or even intentionally filed smooth for some reason?

I've tried to correct the colour and enlarge the photos here. Look at the especially rounded edges of the hinge. Not quite sure what to make of that. Perhaps just a heavily worn hand-vaulted badge that was then aggressively mechanically cleaned?

Best regards,
---Norm

[Norm F]

Here's my variation 2.4.1 for comparison.

[Norm F]

Although Adrian's quite correct that the Beco Minesweepers are pretty uncommon (I've only seen about a dozen so far), it's not the rarest of all Minesweepers.
FLL Type 1.4.4, I've only seen three of this variant so far...badges only a Minesweeper geek cares about. ;-)

Best regards,
---Norm

[Wagriff]

It's either been worn Alot, or it's been cleaned heavily, as has been said, but it looks like a legitimate badge to me.

[Adrian]

Thank you for your valued opinion Norm, it's good to see a Beco badge as they very uncommon.

With regard to the FLL badge, am I correct in thinking they were always unmarked?

[big ned]

It certainly looks hand vaulted to me. Aren't those plier marks at the bottom reverse of the badge?

[Adrian]

Yes, it's been vaulted and there are marks on it from either pliers or a vice. You can see the extent of the vaulting in Meech's photos.