U-Bootskriegsabzeichen unmarked

**vitezef** · 04-28-2016, 08:19 PM

Hi gentlemen,

An other kind of badge for which I have no experience at all... I have seen this U-Bootskriegsabzeichen on sale. Of course the seller claim it's an original but I have doubts, can you confirm it's a good one?

If yes, we see on the pics it is very vaulted, is it common on this kind of award (as we can see on some Nahkampfspange for example)?

Thanx by advance,

regards,

Pierre

**Espenlaub Militaria** · 04-28-2016 08:19 PM

We also buy and trade your items and full collections!

**Norm F** · 04-29-2016, 01:45 AM

Hi Pierre,

Here's a previous thread on this type of U-boat, the so-called "5-feather" U-boat:
U-boot Kriegsabzeichen

But that's a strange example. It could be the photos but the features look soft - they usually have better detail. Also, the finish on that one is uncharacteristically brilliant. Furthermore the round-wire main pin is incorrect for this type of badge so at least that's been replaced. At the best of times it's unclear whether these were made in wartime or perhaps some in wartime and others post-war on original tooling. Certainly there was a die set floating around for the post-war production of a hollow version.

So your badge could be post-war or it could be a wartime badge which was refinished and repaired with a new main pin -- we can't tell which is the correct scenario.

(Here are a few more typical examples attached.)

Best regards,
---Norm

**Wagriff** · 04-29-2016, 02:02 AM

Personally, I would pass on it if offered. The eagle's head is particularly blobby in appearance-it's beak is almost shapeless And, as Norm said, the gilding is almost 100%, which is darned difficult to find even on unissued ones today. The incorrect pin is the main worry for me, though. It does not look like it has been worked on, so that would imply that it was Made that way. Was this a left over part badge that was finished sometime post-war? No clue, but it would be more than enough to put me off of it.