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Condition: Excellent
Maker: Frank & Reif
Base Material: Zinc
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Product Description: This Frank & Reif Panzer Assault Badge in Bronze is a nice, all-original example, showing normal signs of age and wear. It is struck from fine zinc. The obverse retains about half of the original bronze finish, with chocolate brown and gold tones in the protected recesses of the design that contrasts with the dull gray color of the base metal at the high points. There are a few very small spots with a lighter colored oxidation, and slight wear in the usual places, like the tracks of the Panzer and the chest of the eagle. The reverse of this badge is unmarked, but is a typical product of the firm of Frank & Reif in Stuttgart, with a distinctive flat back, and sheet metal hinge and catch with catch plate. Most of the finish is still present on the reverse, though it has become thin. The hardware retains the finish, and is functional, with no sign of repair. There is a rectangular area of what looks like glue residue from a sticker. This Frank & Reif Panzer Assault Badge displays very well, and remains in excellent condition.
Historical Description: The Panzer Assault Badge was instituted on December 20th, 1939. It was awarded in the silver grade to Panzer crewman who met the combat requirements. On June 1st, 1940, following the start of the blitzkrieg against France, the bronze grade was introduced to award armoured reconnaissance, motorcycle riflemen, and panzer-grenadier units. The requirements for both versions were the same, the soldier must have participated in three combat assaults on three separate days to be eligible.
The design of the Standard Panzer Assault Badge consists of an oakleaf wreath surrounding a Panzer (Tank) with the German National Eagle positioned at the top clutching a swastika. The Standard Panzer Assault Badges can still be a common occurrence at local gun and military shows even now. The German Army had tens of thousands of Panzer crewmen who became eligible for the award as the war progressed. Because of the large number of soldiers who had fulfilled the requirements to wear the award, a high demand for producing of the Panzer Assault Badge was needed. In response to this, approximately 35 manufacturers were authorized to produce the award between 1939 and 1945. Many of these manufacturers created their own version of the badge by artistically designing their own version of the eagles, wreath’s, and tanks on the badge. The design of one Panzer badge may not be identical to the next one encountered. This makes the collecting of the different manufacturers and their variants its own niche in the hobby.
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