Close Combat Clasp in Bronze – AGMuK

Product Description: A well-preserved and appealing example of a Close Combat Clasp in Bronze manufactured by Arbeitsgemeinschaft Metall und Kunststoff (A.G.M.u.K.), Gablonz. Struck in fine zinc, the clasp retains a minimal amount of its original factory-applied bronze lacquer, the surviving finish displaying attractive bright bronze tones set against the muted surface of the exposed base metal. The obverse remains crisply detailed, with the design elements presenting strong relief and an honest, lightly worn appearance.

The reverse is flat and smooth, bearing both the raised designer attribution “Peekhaus” and the “A.G.M.u.K.” maker’s mark, fully consistent with known wartime production by this firm. The hardware is textbook and fully intact, including the original functional attachment pin. The steel back plate remains secured by its original crimps and shows minor, expected age-related corrosion. Increasingly scarce on the market, this example represents a solid and authentic specimen of its type, assessed overall as Excellent.

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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