The Honor Badge of the NSD-Studentenbund (Ehrenzeichen des NSDStB)9 march 1934
Another example of where the Military Advisor has gotten it wrong. Vol 18 NO 3 2007, there is an Article about the Honor stickpin of the NSD-Studentenbund by Clyde Davis. it’s a good article in general about the rarest Honor award of the Third Reich. The Author admits to only knowing of 2 examples to date, both of which are featured in the Article along with 7 in wear pictures.
To keep this brief and in context, the item is question is very rare, and the vast majority of collectors have no idea that it exists or/and have never seen one. To my knowledge, and that of those who I know have been collecting the same items as I have, there are less than 10 known examples either in collections or passing through the net. (not counting the three zinc known examples)
For those interested in the History behind these, you can order the Magazine in question for $5.- through the Bender website. My intention here is to clear up a few mistakes and untruths that were printed. With an award as scarce as this is, it does not help to have an Article published on them, containing assumptions and opinions that will be used later on as definitive proof (which is usually what happens)
It was produced in two different styles. (quote from page 31 of the MA article) This claim has been made because the Author had two different example for his article, and had indeed only ever seen these two. There is nothing to support the claim that they were available in a stickpin form, and with a normal pin catch. The normal pin catch in question belongs to a Zinc badge which we will address in the following post.
The amount awarded has been set at over 3000, according to Dr Klietmann and supported by the number found on the back of the Zinc badge used for the MA article, № 3965. (this has happened before with the rare HJ oak leaf border badge when Nimmergut used the engraved number found on the back of a fake BM/122 badge to substantiate his claim that at least 400 must have therefore been awarded)
It is true that a possible 7050 people were eligible for this award (quote: verorndnungsblatt des Reichsstudentenführer) But as we know from other awards, the Golden Party Badge for example, 100,000 were “eligible” for that, but only around 22,000 actually received it. The fact that there are less than 10 of these known to exist points towards a much lower number actually being awarded.
One such example of a Deschler marked Honor pin is for sale at the moment on André Hüskens website for €1500.- (in bad condition with a cut-off stickpin) This bears the № 2624. There are another two examples of Deschler marked Honor pins that I am aware of, one was sold in 2002 by Nordheide versand, № 2018, the other is owned by me, and has the № 2530
The Zinc badges. What you are going to read now, is a guess, and is just my opinion. I don’t like them one bit, and I will show you why in the following post. Of the three known at present, the numbers are all suspiciously similar, 3999, 3965, 3699. I have only been able to get good-ish pictures of one of them, that sold on an Austrian Website (price unknown) and when this is compared with the Deschler, and unmarked (possibly Hoffstätter) examples, they are very different. I notice sloppy work, either casting errors or die errors in many places, as well as the strange pin plate, which I would normally associate with a post war production, and which I have indeed observed on post war Deschler marked badges as well.
Make of the Zinc badge what you will, I cant prove they are fake, and that’s not my intention either. Very little is known about them in General, but to write an Article on them using only two badges, those being the only 2 that you have ever seen, it is not correct to make claims based on the numbers observed without at least taking a much closer look at a few examples side by side, and using what little period facts we have, as mentioned above, Jörg Nimmergut did this before, and fell flat on his face after.
Known serial numbers: (from Forum threads/Private collections)
№1153 - serial number only
№826 - serial number only
№1717 - serial number only
№1859 - serial number only
№1904 - serial number only
№2530 - Deschler & Sohn, Müchen 9
№2624 - Deschler & Sohn, Müchen 9 (André Hüsken)
№2018 - Deschler & Sohn, Müchen 9
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Another example of where the Military Advisor has gotten it wrong. Vol 18 NO 3 2007, there is an Article about the Honor stickpin of the NSD-Studentenbund by Clyde Davis. it’s a good article in general about the rarest Honor award of the Third Reich. The Author admits to only knowing of 2 examples to date, both of which are featured in the Article along with 7 in wear pictures.
To keep this brief and in context, the item is question is very rare, and the vast majority of collectors have no idea that it exists or/and have never seen one. To my knowledge, and that of those who I know have been collecting the same items as I have, there are less than 10 known examples either in collections or passing through the net. (not counting the three zinc known examples)
For those interested in the History behind these, you can order the Magazine in question for $5.- through the Bender website. My intention here is to clear up a few mistakes and untruths that were printed. With an award as scarce as this is, it does not help to have an Article published on them, containing assumptions and opinions that will be used later on as definitive proof (which is usually what happens)
It was produced in two different styles. (quote from page 31 of the MA article) This claim has been made because the Author had two different example for his article, and had indeed only ever seen these two. There is nothing to support the claim that they were available in a stickpin form, and with a normal pin catch. The normal pin catch in question belongs to a Zinc badge which we will address in the following post.
The amount awarded has been set at over 3000, according to Dr Klietmann and supported by the number found on the back of the Zinc badge used for the MA article, № 3965. (this has happened before with the rare HJ oak leaf border badge when Nimmergut used the engraved number found on the back of a fake BM/122 badge to substantiate his claim that at least 400 must have therefore been awarded)
It is true that a possible 7050 people were eligible for this award (quote: verorndnungsblatt des Reichsstudentenführer) But as we know from other awards, the Golden Party Badge for example, 100,000 were “eligible” for that, but only around 22,000 actually received it. The fact that there are less than 10 of these known to exist points towards a much lower number actually being awarded.
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Each badge bore an incused serial number on the reverse, but was otherwise unmarked. (quote from page 31 of the MA article) This is indeed a profound claim from someone who has only ever seen and inspected two of these, it is also incorrect. There are examples known that show only an engraved serial number (which in my opinion are Authentic and most likely made by Ferdinand Hoffstätter) there are also examples known to me, and other German Dealers that show not only the serial number, but also the name of Deshler & Son in Müchen. A name that we should hope to find on these, when we consider other High class Honor Stickpins. The SS and SSFM honor stickpins for example, where Deschler held the sole contract for them.One such example of a Deschler marked Honor pin is for sale at the moment on André Hüskens website for €1500.- (in bad condition with a cut-off stickpin) This bears the № 2624. There are another two examples of Deschler marked Honor pins that I am aware of, one was sold in 2002 by Nordheide versand, № 2018, the other is owned by me, and has the № 2530
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It is not even pictured in many modern collector references. (quote from page 31 of the MA article) This is also just not true. The first Reference work that we find this badge in dates back to 1977 (page 27 of Brüggemann-Rowedder-Deutschland im Spiegel seiner Abzeichen) and then in each and every Hüsken catalog right up until 2010. I suppose that Collectors references could be interpreted differently, but for me, small Reference books on Organizational Badges are, collectors references.The Zinc badges. What you are going to read now, is a guess, and is just my opinion. I don’t like them one bit, and I will show you why in the following post. Of the three known at present, the numbers are all suspiciously similar, 3999, 3965, 3699. I have only been able to get good-ish pictures of one of them, that sold on an Austrian Website (price unknown) and when this is compared with the Deschler, and unmarked (possibly Hoffstätter) examples, they are very different. I notice sloppy work, either casting errors or die errors in many places, as well as the strange pin plate, which I would normally associate with a post war production, and which I have indeed observed on post war Deschler marked badges as well.
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The numbers that we have so far of (Hofftätter) and Deschler badges are listed below, these also concur with period documents that have been for sale on the Weitze website in 2005 and 2011, noting that certain Pgs were authorized to wear the NSD-Honor needle. (namely numbers in the 1000 and 2000s)Make of the Zinc badge what you will, I cant prove they are fake, and that’s not my intention either. Very little is known about them in General, but to write an Article on them using only two badges, those being the only 2 that you have ever seen, it is not correct to make claims based on the numbers observed without at least taking a much closer look at a few examples side by side, and using what little period facts we have, as mentioned above, Jörg Nimmergut did this before, and fell flat on his face after.
Known serial numbers: (from Forum threads/Private collections)
№1153 - serial number only
№826 - serial number only
№1717 - serial number only
№1859 - serial number only
№1904 - serial number only
№2530 - Deschler & Sohn, Müchen 9
№2624 - Deschler & Sohn, Müchen 9 (André Hüsken)
№2018 - Deschler & Sohn, Müchen 9
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