Schnellboot-Kriegsabzeichen

[wizardman]

Ok this one looks very dubious lol ..No makers mark, quality not good..and if im right its the wrong pin? ..Although i have found some sites claiming these to be type 1, but those sites look even more dubious opinions welcome as always

[Norm F]

Hi wizardman,

That's a cast reproduction of the S&L 1st pattern zinc S-Boat badge with the "o" mark above and slightly right of the catch. The faker attempted to duplicate the round sheet metal hinge that does appear on S&L badges.

But aside from that fake, even the S&L badges themselves are controversial. As Gordon Williamson has often noted, a large quantity of the "o" marked zincers with the round hinges appeared on the market in the U.K. in the 1970s and it's unclear if these were post-war assembly or simply a hoard of wartime leftovers (see attached example). They are the most common 1st pattern S-boats around. Less common are the ones of the same design without the "o" mark and different setup (second example attached). It's nice to think that this may be S&L's wartime production but we simply cannot know for sure. But at least we do know from original wartime correspondence that S&L ordered the dies for their 1st pattern S-Boat from Paul Wissmann in Pforzheim.

So for now, whether they have the "o" mark or not (and most do), we tend to call them S&L zincers of "wartime compatible" construction but unknown period of production, and they're sort of the "poor man's S-Boat".

Best regards,
---Norm

[wizardman]

Very informative mate..thanks I should mention i got this one in the mid 70s...so the timeline fits in

[FALLSCHIRMJAGER]

I certainly cannot add a word to what Norm has said, spot on and detailed as ever! All I will add is that it is a one look cast fake from me too. Leon.

[harryamb2]

awful is all I can say.

[Jody]

Hello,
I agree with what Norm has said. I actually bought one of those zinc S-boots by S&L from a veteran around 1975 for $10 (so I tend to believe in them).

Jody

Below is a photo of my collection in 1980 of a few of my things (I was 15). You can see the S-boot in the picture. It is crazy I owned an RK des KvK with out Swords before I owned a 1st class version.

[FALLSCHIRMJAGER]

Oh, the sands of time! Leon.