Polish Hat Eagles

[Gary J]

To add to the Polish exile forces theme, here are some examples of Polish exile Cap badge Eagles.

Bar the Pre war Eagle in the centre, the variants include :

1) "Palestine" stamped brass type.
2) "Middle East" workshop cast brass type.
3) Polish Air Force Officer and Ordinary rank types.
4) WW2 Polish Free Navy issue.
5) White metal "J.Gaunt" stamped type.
6) Base metal "Subdued" stamped type.
7) Brass metal stamped - Nickel plated type.

.. And to display the group, I used a modern beret as a hanger !

G.

[A.J. Zawadzki]

Gary, nice orzelki, and very cool display concept!

Question about the smaller eagle located next to the full size one at the 8 o’clock position:
What is the fastening method – threaded post or wire prongs? If threaded post does it have a marked disk? Is the badge cast or stamped?

The reason I ask is that this is a rarely seen Picchiani Barlacchi pattern issued in Italy for the Polish 2nd Corps. I have only ever seen two genuine examples of this eagle, with the rest being cast copies. Stamped out of hard steel they are very beautifully crafted, and it is a mystery to me why so few were made.

Regards,
Tony

[Adrian Stevenson]

Here are my two example. A British made one and a cast brass field made example with screwback.

Cheers, Ade.

[Gary J]

Tony,
Sorry for the late reply ..

Firstly, I purchased the Eagle because it was a variant I did not recognise, and did not have in my collection.

The eagle itself is stamped, and you are right in mentioning the quality, .. it is one of the best detailed ones I've seen.

It is a screw back post, and a plain plate type spinner (See attachments.)
.. Also a high res of the front to show detail (Noting the fine detail to the feathers)..

.. it looks to have been "used", there are the typical traces of dried metal polish and dirt on the back ..

Cheers.

G.

Ade .. nice examples of the eagles

Gary, nice orzelki, and very cool display concept!

Question about the smaller eagle located next to the full size one at the 8 o’clock position:
What is the fastening method – threaded post or wire prongs? If threaded post does it have a marked disk? Is the badge cast or stamped?

The reason I ask is that this is a rarely seen Picchiani Barlacchi pattern issued in Italy for the Polish 2nd Corps. I have only ever seen two genuine examples of this eagle, with the rest being cast copies. Stamped out of hard steel they are very beautifully crafted, and it is a mystery to me why so few were made.

Regards,
Tony

[A.J. Zawadzki]

Hello again,

Nice eagles Ade. Thanks for posting.

Gary, that’s the baby. Congrats on owning one of the rarer of the exile PSZnZ eagles. Attached below are pics of mine. Not trying to upstage you, just wanted to show some of the exceptional details in this badge. As far as I know, this is the original spinner for the eagle, although that remains unconfirmed. The spinner on yours appears to be the same as found on the 2 Korpus badge made by Rome based firm Societa Italiana per l’Arte della Medaglia. Perhaps that is the maker rather than Picchiani Barlacchi - ??? Reliable info is non-existent, although I am inclined to believe that it is a P&B product by virtue of the quality (characteristic of this maker), and info from collectors more knowledgeable in this field than I.

I’ve also posted another scarce Italian made bird for the Polish 2nd Corps (F.M. Lorioli Fratelli – Milano/Roma). On initial glance it may appear the same as the British issue eagles, but there are subtle design differences such as wider wing spread, etc.

Regards,
T.

[A.J. Zawadzki]

Thought I’d add this. Of the 100 or so Polish pre war and wartime hat eagles scattered about my stuff these ones have made it into frames. One displays PSZnZ exile versions in the two ‘standard’ sizes, and the other the venerable wz.19 interwar eagle (the shield in the middle there for cosmetic effect, and is not a pre-war item) Al of these eagles differ in one respect or another (maker, rear fastening method, etc).

Cheers,
Tony

[Gary J]

Tony,
.. All I can say is ... Excellent !!!
What a magnificent display of eagles !!!!

.. I tend to err on the side of caution when buying eagles, .. always looking for ones that show a suttle difference to ones I already own.
.. As you well know, there has been attempts to copy variants mainly the cast variety, .. which of course does not help the serious collector !!

Also, many thanks for the confirmation on the "unknown to me" badge !.

As references go, the only book I have specifically on "Eagle reference" is a Polish publication called "Polskie Orly Wojskowe" By Henryk Gawlowski. (This only covers the 1913 - 1920 period !!)

G.

[A.J. Zawadzki]

Hi Gary,

Thank you for your comments. Agreed 100% a far as erring on the side of caution with eagle badges - or any other Polish militaria for that matter! The vast majority of mine have been picked up casually over the years as different variants popped up. They used to be relatively plentiful, but now the once common hat eagle supply is drying up and counterfeiters smelling a potential profit are filling the void.

Most of these copies are easily identifiable, but some are deceptive. Some of the early eagle badges from the WW1 era such as those contained in the Gawlowski reference you cited can be tricky to distinguish from authentic badges due to crude production techniques and the rarity of verifiable originals. At the other end of the spectrum are the ‘Bialkiewicz re-strikes’ of PSZnZ eagles from the original British dies which are easy to fall prey to. One I picked up as part of a lot purchase of items is pictured below. I had initially thought this to be genuine based on looking over photos. One of the giveaways is that the metal is softer than the original strikes, which cannot easily be bent with finger pressure alone. There are also differences in the threaded post. But otherwise as you can see they can easily be passed off as the real deal.

And as far as collector handbooks, the best one for pre-war eagles is “Polskie orły do czapek w latach 1919-1939” by Tomasz Zawistowski. I understand that a new book by the same author covering Polish exile army eagles is to be released, and it promises to be good. Although, as with any reference, they can go only so far as insurance against being duped into buying a bogus item.

Regards,
Tony

[wadowicznic]

Fellows,

I have had this particular eagle in my collection for a few year now. Unfortunately, I have not managed to identify it so far.

Perhaps one could help here? – I would be grateful.
It may be veterans’ / patriotic badge. However the following observations may suggest the direct military association.

• Pattern resembles the Eagle for Hallers Army / Blue Army formed in France just by the end of WW1
• Fastening also resembles some French badges I have seen
• On the other hand – the pattern resembles the arm identification patch of Podhalanska Brigade / Narvik campaign
• Very good quality – fine details
• Size c2.5cm x 2.5 cm
• Silver / bronze
• Signs of wearing

[wadowicznic]

12 Lancers
Nice, genuine old example from Stanley's first issue
Can anybody post the second issue / version - bright silver collor?

Any one idea as to how many of them could have been made?
As per monography of 12 lancers - 1553 badges had been issued
Any pictures of fakes?
A