Cased Deutschbein Pilot Badge

Product Description: This cased Deutschbein Pilot Badge is a rare set, in very nice condition. The badge is one of the nicest Deutschbein Pilot Badges we have seen. It’s a high quality, early piece, made of nickel silver. The obverse boasts outstanding original finish, with all of the silver electroplating and most of the original burnishing remaining on the wreath, as well as light age toning. The eagle retains all of the original factory applied darkening. There is minimal or no evident wear. The badge is maker marked on the reverse with “J. Deutschbein, Euskirchen,” a hard to find maker of these badges. The hardware setup is very similar to that of BSW, with a barrel hinge, and functional round wire pin and catch. There are no signs of repair. This badge is in a very nice case. The case shows only very slight wear on the exterior, with nearly all of the original surface intact. The designation “Luftwaffen Flugführerabz.” is embossed on the lid in gold. The hinge and push button work as they should. The interior of the case features a high quality, early lining, with a plush insert that displays the badge beautifully. This Cased Deutschbein Pilot Badge is a choice piece, in outstanding, near mint 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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