Schickle Panzer Assault Badge in Bronze – Tombak

Product Description: This is an exceptional example of an Otto Schickle Panzer Assault Badge in Bronze, acquired along with several other wartime items from an estate broker in Nashville, Tennessee. The broker had purchased the collection directly from the family of a Latvian military gentleman who settled in the United States in the late 1940s and passed away some years ago. These pieces were discovered while clearing out his residence, offering a rare glimpse into a carefully preserved grouping of WWII memorabilia that he brought with him.

Produced early in the war, this badge was struck from brass “tombak” and finished with a bronze electroplating of superb quality. Remarkably, approximately 95% of the original bronze finish remains intact, with only light wear to the high points revealing subtle highlights of the tombak base metal beneath. This attractive, honest patina speaks to its age and adds tremendous character.

Early Schickle-produced Panzer Assault Badges in tombak are highly sought-after and seldom encountered in today’s market. Tombak examples, in particular, are increasingly absent from even advanced collections due to their rarity and the desirability of their superior early-war craftsmanship. The reverse hardware is textbook for this maker, featuring the correct pin, hinge, and catch configuration.

This Schickle Panzer Assault Badge in Bronze is an outstanding opportunity to acquire a premium-quality early-war Panzer Assault Badge by a highly respected maker, with provenance that underscores its authenticity and appeal.

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, 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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