Flottenkriegsabzeichen Schwerin - Zinc ? Which type?

[Panzer1945]

Hi everyone,
can You look please my Flottenkriegsabzeichen? Is it good?
I think it should be Schwerin made of zinc. Which type is it?
Thank a lot for advance!
Best regards
Panzer

[paulscoot]

Nice Genuine High seas fleet by Schwerin. Looks to be a later zinc type judging by the bubbles but still retaining a lot of original finish. Regards Paul

[martinw]

As mentioned,a good zinc Schwerin,and a very late type with the flawed window on the bridge.
Nice condition too !!



Cheers,Martin.

[Adrian]

I believe this would be the old type 3 badge which is now variant 1.1.7 on the classification table. Hard to make out the porthole (first on the right as we look at the badge on top row, just behind where the anchor would sit) for definite but I think, from the photos and bubbling the porthole is flawed.

[Panzer1945]

Thank you very much!

[Norm F]

Hi Guys,

Well, the Fleet badge classification system (like the other KM badge classifications) has been updated and expanded although not yet posted. Under the new system this is variant 1.1.14, and it's an extremely nice example too. In my opinion, this is likely the earliest of the zinc variants, struck from the flawed Die 1 which was also used for the Tombak badges before switching to a new die in the later zinc production. This is consistent with Martin's impression of a "very late variant", but rather the very latest use of that particular die set -- possible around 1943 or so if we take that as the year when Schwerin was transitioning from Tombak to zinc (although it could have been earlier).

I've attached a segment of the classification system which postulates the use of three die sets in various degrees of wear resulting in porthole flaws. The abbreviations seen there (eg. "CCCC") refer to the condition of the central four upper portholes on the hull (2 on the left and 2 on the right). "O" stands for open (unflawed) and "C" stands for closed (flawed).

Best regards,
---Norm