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Condition: Near Mint
Maker: Frank & Reif
Base Material: Zinc
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Product Description: This Panzer Assault Badge in Bronze is an outstanding, near mint example with incredible finish. This one was made by the firm of Frank & Reif. The bronze examples of this badge by this maker are much harder to find in near mint condition then the silver versions. This beautiful bronze badge is made of zinc, and retains nearly 100 percent of the original, factory applied finish. The obverse shows almost no wear, and has a very attractive look, with appealing gold tones in the bronze finish. All of the original detail remains intact. The reverse of the badge is smooth, and slightly convex, with the maker mark “Frank & Reif Stuttgart” in raised lettering. The attachment hardware on this badge is complete and functional, and features a sheet metal hinge, round wire pin, and catch with soldered catch plate. There are no signs of repair. This hard-to-find near mint Panzer Assault Badge in Bronze by Frank & Reif is unquestionably a choice example, that would be a tough one to upgrade.
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 crewmen 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, wreath’s, 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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