Condition: Excellent
Maker: Gustav Brehmer
Pattern: 50
Base Material: Zinc
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Product Description: This 50 Engagement Panzer Badge in Silver is a very nice and untouched original, obtained directly from the estate of John J Lawson who served in the US 80th Infantry Division during World War 2. It is made of fine zinc. On the wreath and eagle, most of the original silvering has faded, and the surface has reverted to the dull gray color of the zinc. The large Panzer tank still retains most of the original factory applied darkening. The seldom-seen “50” numeral box has all of the original black paint in the recesses. The reverse of this extremely desirable 50 Engagement Panzer Badge is marked behind the tank with the initials “G.B.” in raised lettering, indicating manufacture by the firm of Gustav Brehmer. This badge is 100% textbook for this variant, with typical Brehmer style hardware and hollow rivets. There are no repairs, no sign of cleaning, and the badge remains just as it was made, with some light patina from the passing of decades. The round wire attachment pin is functional. This rare award is straight from a vet’s estate and has never been in any collection. The condition rates as excellent.
Historical Description: The Numbered Panzer Assault Badge was instituted on June 22, 1943. The instituting of the new grades of the Panzer Assault Badge was in a direct response to the increasing number of soldiers which had continued to tally “combat days” after they had met the initial requirements of the standard version. The different grades created by the German High Command were “25”, “50”, “75”, & “100”. The requirements for the Numbered Panzer Assault Badge was very similar to the standard version except the number of combat days required corresponded to the number of the award. For example, the Panzer Assault Badge with a “25” box would have required the soldier to have 25 combat assaults on 25 different days. Many soldiers in the German Army did not live to see the required “combat days” for the higher grades, most specifically the “75” & “100” grades.
The numbered grades used the same design pattern as the standard version. However, these grades of the Panzer Assault Badge have more enhanced features such as enlarged tank, wreath, and eagle, plus the addition of a number box at the bottom of the wreath to denote grade.
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