Verwundetenabzeichen 1939 in Gold?

[avenger]

Hi folks. I'm trying to learn how to distinguish gold wound badges from the others. It seems often enough, they're just as gray as any other badge that has lost its paint or wash, or sometimes are silvery or brassy like the one below (or so I'm told that one is gold).

What are the giveaways to distinguish these from common black wound badges, or even silver?

Thanks for the info!

[bigmacglenn]

Silver and Gold are generally solid-backed...The badge shown appears to be a black badge that has been polished...
cheers,Glenn

[big ned]

99 times out of 100 gold badges are solid, there are 1 or 2 exceptions though. The above example is a polished black badge made fron brass. More often than not, even if a badge has lost it's finish entirely, as in the case with many zinc types, the pin will still retain a gold finish as the plating doesn't tend to be affected by 'absorption' as some call it as it's made of a different material.

Regards, Ned.

[avenger]

Okay, I see it after looking at a number of examples again. I see where you mention looking for the pin too. It doesn't look like it's always black and white between the silver and gold, but I could see the difference on a good 80% of them now. I'll have to keep training my eye....

BTW Ned, that gold example you use for reference from time to time is stunning. I hope I can find one of those some day! That sure would make it easy to tell it apart. In fact, that may just inspire me to hold out until one turns up. Gives a man gold fever...

[Jerry B]

99 times out of 100 gold badges are solid, there are 1 or 2 exceptions though. The above example is a polished black badge made from brass. More often than not, even if a badge has lost it's finish entirely, as in the case with many zinc types, the pin will still retain a gold finish as the plating doesn't tend to be affected by 'absorption' as some call it as it's made of a different material.

Regards, Ned.

I have a de naz which had been repainted, but shows faint hints of the original gold in amongst the pebbling, but more telling it has gold coloured hardware on the reverse.

As already mentioned, obviously a solid backed version which has lost most of its gold by absorption.

[avenger]

That was quite a careful de-nazification job.

[Jerry B]

That was quite a careful de-nazification job.

I think he wanted to continue to wear it in the early post war period, perhaps prior to the introduction of the 57 version.