Norwegian SS badge

**FJ5 chally** · 10-31-2012, 12:11 AM

Over at the red place, they are talking about that the reason for the small pins werebecause the larger pins broke, and were replaced with smaller..
http://www.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...d.php?t=296059

**Espenlaub Militaria** · 10-31-2012 12:11 AM

We also buy and trade your items and full collections!

**tempelhof** · 10-31-2012, 12:15 AM

maybe someone with more experience with these than I can come along and comment on this.

the very thin pin i take as a sign of an original badge at least as it concerns what one sees on the more obvious fakes which is a broad pin which tapers at both ends.

what i don't like with this one is that marked, as it is, with an 830S mark, it purports to be a silver original but there should also (as far as I know) be a small "w" hallmark as well. there could be versions without this additional mark which are deemed authentic.

maybe with better photographs we could rule in or out the presence of that mark.

**tempelhof** · 10-31-2012, 12:21 AM

ok Woolgar... we were posting at the same time.

there is the "w" hallmark.

i do think it's possible there are authentic examples without it. but that is a question for someone with more in depth knowledge of these than i. i seem to recall there
were two versions of the original in silver.

**FJ5 chally** · 10-31-2012, 12:24 AM

Im sorry thats all the pics I got from the person..

**tempelhof** · 10-31-2012, 12:30 AM

if this is a badge you are thinking of purchasing, you're going to need a real solid call on it from someone who has in their collection and has handled originals because these really are a difficult subject.

as far as i know, of the original silver versions, there was one with greater surface detail and one with less, one with one font for the "M" in "FRONTKJEMPER" and one with another slightly different font and perhaps one version with the "W" hallmark and one version without.

some believe of the zinc versions (which we do not have here), on the other hand, that they are of war time manufacture and some believe they are not and were produced as post war replacement pieces for individuals who earned the badge during the war and lost it. this would have been a very low key endeavor and in very limited numbers obviously.

i think this badge stands a chance and is not one of the more obvious fakes if it is at all but, like i said, maybe an expert on this particular badge will come along.

i have only seen pictures of these but i have seen quite a few having wanted to add one to the collection for years. the example Woolgar shows i would be comfortable with because it shows everything i'd look for. i've never pulled the trigger because to find one exactly like Woolgar's image is a very rare thing and they go quickly. very quickly.
yours may be an authentic example but a different version.

tricky business.

**FJ5 chally** · 10-31-2012, 12:44 AM

by tempelhof

if this is a badge you are thinking of purchasing, you're going to need a real solid call on it from someone who has in their collection and has handled originals because these really are a difficult subject.

as far as i know, of the original silver versions, there was one with greater surface detail and one with less, one with one font for the "M" in "FRONTKJEMPER" and one with another slightly different font and perhaps one version with the "W" hallmark and one version without.

some believe of the zinc versions (which we do not have here), on the other hand, that they are of war time manufacture and some believe they are not and were produced as post war replacement pieces for individuals who earned the badge during the war and lost it. this would have been a very low key endeavor and in very limited numbers obviously.

i think this badge stands a chance and is not one of the more obvious fakes if it is at all but, like i said, maybe an expert on this particular badge will come along.

i have only seen pictures of these but i have seen quite a few having wanted to add one to the collection for years. the example Woolgar shows i would be comfortable with because it shows everything i'd look for. i've never pulled the trigger because to find one exactly like Woolgar's image is a very rare thing and they go quickly. very quickly.
yours may be an authentic example but a different version.

tricky business.

Thank you all for your valued input on this badge..

**tempelhof** · 10-31-2012, 12:53 AM

these badges are EXPENSIVE.

i think this one stands a real chance, but like i said you're going to need a real Norwegian collector of SS volunteer items to look at this.

**FJ5 chally** · 10-31-2012, 01:06 AM

by tempelhof

these badges are EXPENSIVE.

i think this one stands a real chance, but like i said you're going to need a real Norwegian collector of SS volunteer items to look at this.

Yes they are expensive..

And I hope she is a real one..

**Wagriff** · 10-31-2012, 01:21 AM

If you go by the article on them that you posted, then the silver content stamp is located in the wrong area and the lack of the makers mark does not instill much confidence either. And, it may be just the lighting, but the appearance of the metal does not exactly look like old silver should but rather has an odd patina to it. If I had to guess, I would say, if this were for some unknown reason ever tested for silver content, that this one would not be .830 content. There are other differences to be noted also-such as the lines ribbing on the shield. Given the high price of these rare badges, Personally, I would pass on this particular example. If it is fake-and I suspect that it likely is-I always have to wonder, just why do the fakers omit such telling but small details??

**tempelhof** · 10-31-2012, 02:37 AM

at the price you are likely to pay, you're better off going for an example in which exclusively positive comments come without hesitation. comments with qualifiers, such as you see here would kick me out of the deal.

Wagriff's comments and reservations are totally sound with respect to the appearance of the metal itself. it is a little odd. as to the marks, i do think i've seen originals marked this way (the two version situation mentioned before), but still his comments are an area for some doubt for me as well. what discussion we have seen here can not rule out the possibility that it is a fake. so in total, Wagriff's comments cut to the heart of the matter: at this level of collecting, uncertainty is not a feature one wants to buy.

without a known expert coming along to dispel all doubts, it's best to wait for a "better" example. and the wait is likely to be long. you're gonna need someone with good and extensive connections to beat the bushes.