Condition: Near Mint
Maker: R.K.
Base Material: Zinc
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Product Description: This is a very nice example of a desirable, maker marked Panzer Assault Badge in Bronze. This all-original wartime badge is made of fine zinc. Both the obverse and reverse of this badge retain nearly all of the original, factory applied, beautiful bronze finish. The obverse has a dull shine to the dark bronze, with a light, even patina. All of the original detail is intact. Extremely minimal wear exposes the silvery zinc in some tiny spots. The reverse of this Panzer Assault Badge in Bronze is what could be called semi-hollow, with a shallow recess behind the tank. It’s maker marked behind the swastika with the initials “R.K.” indicating manufacture by the firm of Rudolf Karneth. The ball hinge and round wire catch remain firmly in place with the original, undisturbed crimps. The attachment pin has some slight bending along its length and is functional. This badge is complete and attractive, and would be difficult to upgrade. It is in outstanding condition.
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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