Zerstörer-Kriegsabzeichen

[humble collector]

Just another piece I had on file.

[gel65]

You have quite a top notch insignia and medal collection

[humble collector]

Thank you Sir.

[Norm F]

Oh no...I'm sorry to say this is another well-known reproduction. It's a so-called "Cave Creek Special", nick-named after a town in Arizona in the U.S. where a lot them were sold by a particular dealer in the 1990s.

Best regards,
---Norm

[FALLSCHIRMJAGER]

Oh no, not another duffer! Just look at that swastika, looks as though it was cast in a mould that melted itself! The detailing to this award all over is nowhere near what a Schwerin original would be. Leon.

[martinw]

A fake indeed but it is designed on the early 1st type Schwerin Destroyer badges that featured this "deformed" swastika.

Schwerin later changed the dies that corrected the swastika,and included a slight change in the maker mark also.

Here is an old thread from GCA that discusses the two types of Schwerin Destroyer badges.




GCA Forum | Access denied.


Regards,Martin.

[Norm F]

Hi Martin,

Regarding the "early" and "late" Schwerin dies. After studying the variants of the Schwerin Destroyer, Fleet badge and Blockade Breaker, it now seems to me that in all three cases there was an overlap in the time of use of two different die sets. (As you know, both the flat-backed and dish-backed Blockade Breaker badges are found in both Tombak and zinc, showing that both dies were used over the period of transition in base metals.)

With regards to the Destroyer, the clue is that both the "early" and the "late" variants can be found with either the C-shaped catch (which we think of as earlier) or the flat-based catch (which we think of as later). I think it's still useful to refer to them "early" and "late" since it's quite likely the "early" was at least introduced first and the "late" die certainly continued in use after the "early" was discontinued, but very likely their use overlapped in time during which the transition in catch types also occurred. Of course, one might wonder if they just always stocked both catch types and used them randomly, but arguing against that is the very latest variation with the waffle-head hinge pin which is associated exclusively with the flat-based catch and the Type 2 die, so both the Type 1 die and the C-shaped catch were phased out by that time.

Best regards,
---Norm

[Jody]

Hello,
Norm is correct it is a bad piece and is a Cave Creek Special. I should know I live in AZ and saw these all of the time for sale in the 90's.

Jody

Here is my early (Type 1) Schwerin for Comparison:

[martinw]

Hi Norm,

have you ever seen a zinc badge struck from the type 1 die with the deformed swastika ??

To date i do not recall seeing one myself.

Cheers,Martin.

[Norm F]

Hi Norm,

have you ever seen a zinc badge struck from the type 1 die with the deformed swastika ??

To date i do not recall seeing one myself.

Cheers,Martin.

Hi Martin,

No, the first die was phased out before the transition to zinc but after the transition to the flat-based catch.

Best regards,
---Norm