Verwudeten abzeichen silber 30

[Kaske]

Hi there,

Since I'm a bit new to German awards I'd like to share my new wound badge with you guys and learn something from comments.
I couldn't find a comparable 30 needle pin thread so here goes.

I've traded it in a package deal but trust the other party so hope you agree on the originality.
I think the silver finish is pretty good (which is normal on tombak?) on the front but wonder why the reverse is so dark. To my untrained eye both sides don't match in patina.
How's this possible?
Other than that I think its good, pin and catchwise. I've included foto's with some lightsource variations for a complete impression of the badge. Sorry that I wasn't able to rotate them. Having trouble with my editing software.

So what do we think, nice badge? Or bad deal

[Adrian Stevenson]

Nice original badge. maybe at some point the front was cleaned, but I would not lose sleep over it.

Cheers, Ade.

[Watchdog]

Yes, I agree this is a good silver grade and 30 is the maker mark of HMA (Hauptmunzamt) Wien or the Vienna Main Mint.

It is not tombak though. It is zinc and the dark patina of the reverse is quite normal for a zinc badge. The obverse may have been gently cleaned or washed but the finish might simply have survived without darkening.

If you look closely at the suface you can see tiny "bubbles" in it. This is caused by the applied finish reacting with the zinc base metal and lifting or "bubbling" away from it. This perfectly acceptable in zinc badges and is often seen as a good sign of authenticity to such a degree that fakers have even tried to replicate it. On faked, cast badges the bubbling is carried over from the pattern but is of course solid (unlike the real thing which can be penetrated with a needle as a last resort) and will naturally be exactly the same on all the fakes produced from the one master.

Tombak badges are heavier, the surface and finish appear diferently (the only way to learn this difference is to compare the two in hand) and any wear results in a yellow hue of the base metal showing through.

I hope this helps

Regards

Mark

[Watchdog]

I can't see the pics anymore. Were they incorrectly uploaded?

[rbminis]

I can't see the pics anymore. Were they incorrectly uploaded?

I have edited the photos to rotate and resize them.
I also agree, a good silver wound badge.
Ralph.

[FALLSCHIRMJAGER]

Hi, as the guys have said, a nice 30/ HMA Wien silver grade award. I too suspect the front has been cleaned at some point, but it is nothing to really worry about. Leon.

[harryamb2]

very good.

[Kaske]

Thanks for the extensive replies. I will display this badge with pride.
See you all in a different thread sometime
Kaske

[andreas1966]

ziet er goed uit , ik verzamel alleen maar de vwa ,heb er al over de 100 stuks ,werkt verslavend om ze te verzamelen !
looking good i collect only vwa , over 100 in my collection !!