Imperial Prussian Pilot Badge

Product Description: This gorgeous Imperial Prussian Pilot Badge is a top quality, private purchase type. This two-piece style, which is hollow, and made of stamped metal with a thin back plate, is known as “Höhlverbodet.” The obverse of this badge has great character, with light, even wear that exposes much of the brass-colored base metal. The remaining silver finish in the recesses shows pleasant age toning. It’s a finely detailed piece, with incredible fine detail throughout the design. The reverse of this Imperial Prussian Pilot Badge retains all of the original finish. The backing plate is applied perfectly, with no solder visible at the seam. The hardware setup features a barrel hinge, round wire pin and catch, and is intact and unrepaired. There is no maker mark, which is not unusual for these. The typical hole near the catch reveals the hollow nature of the construction. These early pilot badges are tough to find. This beauty of a badge remains in excellent condition.

Historical Description: The Imperial Prussian military instituted a number of flying awards and badges prior to 1918, to recognize the skills and achievements of pilots and air crew before and during the First World War. The Prussian Army Pilot’s Badge was officially instituted by the King of Prussia and Emperor of the German Empire Wilhelm II on January 27, 1913, as a qualification badge. The criteria for the award of this badge evolved during WWI, making it more of an award; pilots were expected to have completed some actual combat flying. In addition to the Pilot’s Badge, an Observer’s Badge was also instituted; in January 1918, an Air Gunner’s Badge was instituted as well. There was also a Commemorative Flyer’s Badge, which commemorated service with the German Army air service. At some point in WWI, issue of these badges ceased, and air crew members who met the qualifications for wearing the badge were simply given paper certificates; they had to purchase their own badges. Perhaps for this reason, various private purchase styles of these badges are generally more common than the stamped metal issue types. Wear of these badges continued after WWI by those men who had earned them.

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