Bronze Close Combat Clasp – A.G.M.u.K.

Product Description: This Bronze Close Combat Clasp is a choice piece, with outstanding and particularly attractive finish. The original bronze finish on the front is about 95 percent intact, with slight wear to the high points that exposes the gray color of the zinc. The surviving finish has a gorgeous look, with light golden tones and great luster to the highlights. The bright eagle and swastika contrasts handsomely with the dark color of the steel backing plate. The reverse of this beautiful clasp shows rainbow toning to the original finish, with some scattered light marks. It’s well marked, with the name of the designer of the badge as well as the manufacturer mark “A.G.M.u.K. Gablonz” for the firm of Arbeitsgemeinschaft Metall und Kunststoff. The hardware setup on the reverse is typical for this maker, with a fluted pin, crimped sheet metal catch, and four crimps holding the back plate in place. This is a completely untouched clasp, with no repairs. This really nice and desirable example of a Bronze Close Combat Clasp is in excellent condition.

Historical Description: The Close Combat Clasp (Nahkampfspange) was instituted on November 25, 1942, to recognize the feats of German soldiers in close quarters combat. Units with soldiers who survived hand-to-hand fights with the enemy and other extremely close-range combat actions would keep track of the dates and places of each of these battles, and soldiers who managed to make it through many of these fights became eligible for this award. Because only front-line troops with direct combat experience could earn this clasp, it was a regarded by the soldiers as a very prestigious award. The Close Combat Clasp was awarded in three grades: Bronze, for 15 close combat days; Silver, for 25 close combat days, and Gold, for 50 or more days of close combat. Hitler reserved the right to personally award the Gold Close Combat Clasp, which was widely regarded as more prestigious than even the Knight’s Cross. The total amount of these clasps awarded, in all grades, was fewer than 50,000.

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