Condition: Near Mint
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Product Description: This is a gorgeous example of a Bronze Panzer Assault Badge. The front retains over 90 percent of the original bronze finish, with only minor wear to the high points, and all of the original detail. The semi-hollow reverse is manufacturer marked “A.S,” which is attributed to the firm of Adolf Scholz. It’s made of zinc, as are all Panzer Assault Badges by this maker. The hardware is textbook, with crimped in hinge and catch showing no repairs. The design used by A.S. for their Panzer badges is particularly striking, and examples with this much of the original finish are scarce. This example surfaced only recently and was acquired from a veteran’s family.
Historical Description: The Panzer Assault Badge was instituted on December 20th, 1939. It was awarded in the silver grade to Panzer crewman who met the combat requirements. On June 1st, 1940, following the start of the blitzkrieg against France, the bronze grade was introduced to award armoured reconnaissance, motorcycle riflemen, and panzer-grenadier units. The requirements for both versions were the same, the soldier must have participated in three combat assaults on three separate days to be eligible.
The design of the Standard Panzer Assault Badge consists of an oakleaf wreath surrounding a Panzer (Tank) with the German National Eagle positioned at the top clutching a swastika. The Standard Panzer Assault Badges can still be a common occurrence at local gun and military shows even now. The German Army had tens of thousands of Panzer crewman who became eligible for the award as the war progressed. Because of the large number of soldiers who had fulfilled the requirements to wear the award, a high demand for producing of the Panzer Assault Badge was needed. In response to this, approximately 35 manufacturers were authorized to produce the award between 1939 and 1945. Many of these manufacturers created their own version of the badge by artistically designing their own version of the eagles, wreathes, and tanks on the badge. The design of one Panzer badge may not be identical to the next one encountered. This makes the collecting of the different manufacturers and their variants its own niche in the hobby.
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