Posted 12 years ago
Dr_Rambow
(88 items)
I was going to post my Imperial Iron cross, but since there are a few up on CW I figured this might be an interesting alternative.
I found this little patriotic piece at a not-so-local flea market a few months back. Though this is technically a TR era item, it commemorates a soldier's service in WWI. These pins were made throughout various periods in German history with tiny representations of a soldier's (or civilians) awards. This man was awarded a iron cross II class and likely bought this version with an integrally die struck honor cross when it was instituted in 1934.
Each of these medals are a miniscule 11/32" tall; you can judge the size in the 2nd picture when they are placed over a nickle. The iron cross has beautiful enamel work and the honor cross is surprisingly well detailed for how small it is.
When I was a teenager collecting antique weapons, I remember having a number of these. Somebody might be negotiating a deal for a C.W. musket, sword or whatever & "throw in" a couple of these "stick-pins", a nazi flag & an SS dagger, for instance. Sure wish I had all that trading booty now! Dr--, I could tell you stories that would make you cringe in disbelief! In the 50's & 60's there just wasn't any interest as it was everywhere & common.
Yep, I missed the boat on this stuff by an entire lifetime.
Dr_, you might have missed the boat on those days but I'm sure glad I don't have to worry about the days you are going to have to live thru in the future. I was born & lived in a charmed era.
Dr_, you might have missed the boat on those days but I'm sure glad I don't have to worry about the days you are going to have to live thru in the future. I was born & lived in a charmed era.
Talk about the good old days - back in the very early 1970s, there was one mail order militaria/surplus place that advertized something like "Write for our catalogue and get an actual piece of NAZI memorabilia FREE!" I wrote for the catalogue and it arrived with a stick pin like yours! The funny thing was, as a kid I felt ripped off!
BTW, when I was serving in Germany, I was awarded the Abzeichen für Leistungen im Truppendienst - A military proficiency badge - by our West German Army partnership unit. It came with a miniature of the badge on a stick pin, like the WWI/II vets might wear. So they were still being made for modern awards quite recently.