17th Infanterie Regt traditions cap badge

[Adrian Stevenson]

Traditions cap badges are an interest of mine.

I was kindly given this example by a friend of mine who lives in Berlin, who obtained several examples from the basement of an old tailors shop, along with many other items of insignia.

These badges are much faked, so care needs to be taken if buying one.

Cheers, Ade

[derjager]

Was there a gold version of this traditions badge? A friend has seen one in the hands of a vet. I have not had the opportunity to view it.

--dj--Joe USMC.

[hucks216]

Here is the 17th Infantry Rgt Erel Sonderklasse visor that is in my collection. The silver wash on the totenkopf has long since gone.

[Sergeant 08]

Traditions cap badges are an interest of mine.

I was kindly given this example by a friend of mine who lives in Berlin, who obtained several examples from the basement of an old tailors shop, along with many other items of insignia.

These badges are much faked, so care needs to be taken if buying one.

Cheers, Ade

Hello Ade,

your skull is a nice original skull! :thumbup: I collect Braunschweig skulls (different makers, variances etc.) and I have the same skull pattern (Cupal) in my collection.

Was there a gold version of this traditions badge? A friend has seen one in the hands of a vet. I have not had the opportunity to view it.

--dj--Joe USMC.

I have seen golden skulls. Sometimes skulls lost the complete silvering and the brass was polished. Some ground dug skulls (with a color change of the silvering during the time in ground) can look like golden skulls too! Look at my photo #2 and 3!

[Sergeant 08]

Here is my last purchased brass skull!

And a fake of this skull pattern (appeared on ebay.uk).

[derjager]

Hucks, Sergeant, thank you both for the replys and the photos. :thumbup1:
I'll dig out my example and get it posted.

Regards, --dj--Joe USMC.

[Sergeant 08]

Another Wehrmacht ground dug that looks like a golden skull.

[Sergeant 08]

For the interested collector! The price for a tradition skull in 1939 (Heeres Kleiderkasse Berlin).

0,35 Reichsmark! :lol:

PS: A Schwedter Adler you got for the same price!

[derjager]

I would think the fakers would be all over the last skull & X bones you posted.
Here is mine. Magnetic.

--dj--Joe USMC.

[Sergeant 08]

I like your skull! Congratulations! A good one!!! :D

PS: Here is another beauty!

[Sergeant 08]

Back to the fakes! A known Braunschweig skull fake!

[Sergeant 08]

A rarer flat Wehrmacht skull.

[Sergeant 08]

I have never seen a secound photo, that shows a flat skull on Wehrmacht field caps (like in posting #7)! On Imperial issued caps it is no problem.

Other period Wehrmacht photos available? :confused1:

[Sergeant 08]

Wehrmacht Neusilber skull again!

[Sergeant 08]

Ade, I forgot to ask! Did your friend get only this kind of skull, or other Brunswick skull types too?

[Adrian Stevenson]

Hi, he just got a few of the one pattern.

Cheers, Ade.

[Sergeant 08]

Thanks for the answer! I remember we have a tailor in town (his family is in business since generations!) and he had a business anniversary some years ago. At this time he had a display with interesting military stuff (caps, insignia) from ww1 etc. in his shop. It was a very nice display that showed the history of the tailor family!

PS: Ade, I always try to find photos that show the different patterns of Brunswick skulls in wear. Look at this photo! It is possible, it is your skull pattern.

[derjager]

I did not know there were so many variants. Good thread, very informative.

--dj--Joe USMC.

[Robin Lumsden]

Many collectors say that the skull has to be above the central cap band to be originally placed on a cap.

This is not correct.

These photos show how the skulls were often placed at various heights on the cap.................

[Sergeant 08]

In the most cases you can never be sure when the the skull was placed on the cap. Last week or nearly 70 years ago? Who knows?

The one and only exception is, it is fake skull on the cap! Then you can be sure it was not placed pre 1945. :lol:

Here is another poor alu fake.

[Sergeant 08]

I did not know there were so many variants.USMC.

Yes, a lot of variants! And comparable like SS skulls, Brunswick skulls were made with all kinds of materials (brass, aluminium, cupal, zinc). Here is a real aluminium skull.

[Sergeant 08]

Back

[wilhelm saris]

I have looked in my regulations. An exact position for any of the death head forms I could not find. When the Edelweiss was introduced May 2, 1939 it was noted to be:
between eagle and the upper cap band piping.
That would be the best position for any such kind of insignia, but as some were too long, they would not always fit (above the upper cap band piping)

[Sergeant 08]

Yes, sometimes there was the same problem with the Edelweiss. ;)

[Sergeant 08]

But a lot photos show that the Edelweiss fitted very well on caps (in most cases).