Rare Party Badges - A Comparison Thread

**Millenial Newb** · 07-15-2023, 09:12 PM

Hello everyone. Hopefully this thread will be well-received. I plan to add to it over the next day or two.

I firstly want to state that I am not an expert on the party badge. I do not have access to Jo Rivett's forum or book, and am merely compiling these images based on examples and comments found on this forum. I welcome anyone to add to this post and will update each of my posts as more info becomes available. If anyone takes issue with me using pictures of their badges please let me know and I will be happy to remove them.

The badges I intend to address include: The Bewegung badge | The Heil Hitler badge | The Deutschland Erwache badge | The Nun Erst Recht badge | The Golden Party Badge

Certain other rare party badges like the Frauenschaft, the Ein Volk, the Zeugmeisterei, and the Zuruk Zum Reich do not have enough image examples (or fakes?) to warrant their own posts at this point. That said, if you have links to broader resources I will consider making similar image compilations of those (and/or others I may not be aware of).

With all of that out of the way, let's start with the infamous Bewegung Badge:

**Espenlaub Militaria** · 07-15-2023 09:12 PM

We also buy and trade your items and full collections!

**Millenial Newb** · 07-15-2023, 09:31 PM

The Bewegung Badge

Here we have some examples of what seem to be authentic badges:

Here are a couple examples of what seem to be accepted as fakes:

These are pretty good at a glance. The pebbling matches the real ones quite nicely. The floating swastikas are mobile when aligned with "Hitlerbewegung". The text on the "B" marked example is relatively fine. Yet both are marked with GES GESCH and bear RZM era pins.

Next we have an example that would've fooled me if it popped up for sale. I did not include it with the other fakes because it's notably different from those:

The pebbling is again pretty fine. The floating swastika is also properly aligned with "Hitlerbewegung". However, the text is a bit chunkier than on the other gothic font badges. The back would've sold me on this being real as compared to the Morigi fakes, given the lack of markings. I included the comment from slados28 because I had not heard about the white oxidation before.

Any additional info/input is appreciated!

**Millenial Newb** · 07-15-2023, 11:07 PM

The Heil Hitler Badge

Here we have some examples of what seem to be authentic badges:

Lots of variation in these badges! In fact none of them are alike. Of note in the first two examples are the pin with the extra coil(s). "GES GESCH" markings do not seem to be an issue with these. All of the swastikas could be described as mobile. All but one are floating. Pebbling varies, as do the decorative elements.

It should be noted that badges with "Ludendorff" and/or "Ludendorff v Gräfe" are not total fantasy, but are exceedingly rare. The latter are commonly faked/reproduced.

Here we have some obvious fakes:

Tells of fakes include "1933" text on the front (usually on the fantasy "Adolf Hitler" badges as opposed to "Heil Hitler" badges), as well as coffin-style pin plates and RZM markings on the back. I'm not sure I've seen a Heil Hitler badge with a screw-back fitting, but that would be a red flag too.

Now we have some debatable badges:

These ones did not seem to have consensus and I would love to hear opinions on them. The badge at the bottom is allegedly real but did not have outspoken forum support. The badge at the top was dismissed as fake due to a coffin-style pin, but it looks more like an oval to me and - if the bottom is indeed authentic - I don't know that it can be ruled out.

The middle badge is very interesting, as I have not seen a clear-cut example of a non-Ludendorff/Gräfe fake yet. It was allegedly found with a metal detector (in the Czech Republic iirc), but the pin plate is very interesting. Not sure I've seen another rectangle plate like this, on any badge.

As always, any additional info/input is appreciated!

**Millenial Newb** · 07-16-2023, 12:00 AM

The Deutschland Erwache Badge

Here we have some examples of what seem to be authentic badges:

(Post to soon be updated)

**Millenial Newb** · 07-16-2023, 12:01 AM

The Nun Erst Recht Badge

Here we have some examples of what seem to be authentic badges:

(Post to soon be updated)

**Greenhorn** · 07-16-2023, 12:48 AM

by Millenial Newb

The Heil Hitler Badge

Here we have some examples of what seem to be authentic badges:

Lots of variation in these badges! In fact none of them are alike. Of note in the first two examples are the pin with the extra coil(s). "GES GESCH" markings do not seem to be an issue with these. All of the swastikas could be described as mobile. All but one are floating. Pebbling varies, as do the decorative elements.

It should be noted that badges with "Ludendorff" and/or "Ludendorff v Gräfe" are not total fantasy, but are exceedingly rare. The latter are commonly faked/reproduced.

Here we have some obvious fakes:

Tells of fakes include "1933" text on the front (usually on the fantasy "Adolf Hitler" badges as opposed to "Heil Hitler" badges), as well as coffin-style pin plates and RZM markings on the back. I'm not sure I've seen a Heil Hitler badge with a screw-back fitting, but that would be a red flag too.

Now we have some debatable badges:

These ones did not seem to have consensus and I would love to hear opinions on them. The badge at the bottom is allegedly real but did not have outspoken forum support. The badge at the top was dismissed as fake due to a coffin-style pin, but it looks more like an oval to me and - if the bottom is indeed authentic - I don't know that it can be ruled out.

The middle badge is very interesting, as I have not seen a clear-cut example of a non-Ludendorff/Gräfe fake yet. It was allegedly found with a metal detector (in the Czech Republic iirc), but the pin plate is very interesting. Not sure I've seen another rectangle plate like this, on any badge.

As always, any additional info/input is appreciated!

Good thread! The middle one with the square pin plate is perfectly fine. The is not a pin plate that hasn't been seen before, just not common. If anything, I'd question the Ludendorff badge on the bottom, but I don't have experience with that badge. Some badges are just that....rare, and some fakes will fool the best of us from a single photo. My theory is, if I can't look at it in detail, hold it, photograph it, and have close-ups, I don't buy it. I wouldn't tell someone to spend their money on something that I wouldn't.

Green

**Greenhorn** · 07-16-2023, 01:23 AM

Just adding some more observations...

The DE badges look just fine from my seat. The NER badges that you have posted above, also have no glaring issues. The fakes you posted, are certainly all fantasy or fakes, as stated.

The Bewegung badge on the bottom, that Slados calls a fake, appears thick and the reverse side is a bit off. Some of the "thick" fakes I've seen are small in size and this Bewegung badge has no scale. It certainly doesn't look good but I'd like to have it in-hand to examine it better. Personally, I wouldn't purchase it and I'd look for a better example that has no questions. Or send it to me and I'll have a real close-up.

Green