Assmann Luftwaffe Pilots Badge

Product Description: This Assmann Luftwaffe Pilots Badge is an outstanding and particularly attractive example of a very desirable early badge, that is textbook in every regard. It is made of nickel silver, a material associated with top quality early pieces such as this. The obverse has a beautiful, uncleaned patina. Some light wear to the original darkening on the highly detailed eagle reveals the brighter color of the base metal, adding lovely highlights and really making the eagle “pop.” The silver finish on the wreath has toned dark with age. The reverse of this handsome badge also has intact patina, with some minor marks. The hardware and rivets are never messed with, and remain originally attached, with a typical barrel hinge and round wire pin and catch.There is no maker mark, but this variant is attributed to the Assmann firm in Lüdenscheid. This Assman Luftwaffe pilots badge is a scarce and very choice piece, in excellent condition.

Historical Description: The Luftwaffe Pilot Badge was instituted by Reichsmarschall Hermann Göring on August 12, 1935. It was among the earliest badges introduced in the German Wehrmacht and was worn by all qualified pilots in the German Air Force, similar to the “wings” worn by some other armies. The design of the badge featured a large, swooping eagle clutching the German national swastika emblem, surrounded by a wreath of oak and laurel leaves. The badge was normally presented in a blue hinged case. It was worn on the upper left uniform pocket, and a cloth version was also authorized for field use. In the nearly ten years from the introduction of this badge, to the end of WWII, the manufacturers of these awards made many changes in the features of the designs. Some companies, like Juncker, Assmann, and Deumer, had early first pattern badges which looked completely different from later pieces by the same manufacturers. Pilot badges were made of aluminum, nickel silver, plated Tombak, and zinc. The eagle was always a separate piece, riveted to the wreath, with different manufacturers using different rivet designs. As the war progressed, and dies wore out, many makers produced badges with subtle changes. All of these changes, over time, opened up a large spectrum of variation collecting for Luftwaffe badge collectors.

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