WWII German Badges Price Guide

WWII GERMAN INFANTRY ASSAULT BADGE ANATOMY -
This section of the website discusses the anatomy of German badges. Getting an understanding of the elements of the badges and awards will enhance the ability the enthuisiast in determining the authenticity of a item. This information can also be helpful in establishing the age of the collectible.

The information provided here is brought to you courtesy of MilitaryItems.com , providers of military antiques and collectibles to the general public and museums. Come and visit our on-line store.

The Infantry Assault badge was issued in two classes; Silver and Bronze. Unlike other badges, the classes were not an indication of higher achievement. The badges were considered to be at the same level. the only difference is that the Silver class was issued to foot soldiers while the Bronze was issued to soldiers conducting operations in motor vehicles.

The anatomy of the Silver and Bronze badges is identical to each other except for the color. The following pictures describe the characteristics of the badge.

The creators of the badge drew upon a series of components that were important to the military and the country in general to design a piece that would evoke valor in combat. The following table outlines most of the components that were used in the design.

OAK LEAF	K98 bayonet	Eagle	Swastika	K98 Rifle

The Oak is the national tree of Germany. Its leaves are used in the design of several military awards.	This was the standard bayonet for the German armed forces during WWII.	The eagle is a symbol of strength. The Germans developed a large variety of eagles for military and civilian organizations.	The Swastika was chosen by Hitler as the symbol of the Third Reich. It was displayed in just about every military and civilian award.	The K98 rifle was the standard rifle of German armed forces during WWII.

The badge was manufactured from a variety of metals. The early war badges are of much better quality and they age much better. The details of the badge do not wear out and remain sharp.

As the war progressed good quality materials became scarce. The relentless Allied bombing campaigns and the multi-front war was taking a toll on the logistics of the Third Reich. The better materials were no longer used to build awards. That was considered to be a waste. materials were deviated to the building of weapons and military equipment.

Later war badges were built of zinc. This is a much softer metal and did not age well. The details of the eagle head and other areas that were taller than the rest of the badge wore more rapidly. As a result these badges are not as desirable to the collector. On the other hand, they make a good entry level award for individuals who do not want to make a high investment in their collection.

The back of the Infantry Assault badge had a vertical wire-type pin hinged on one side. a catch was found on the opposite side as a means to secure the pin in the closed position. The hinge and catch came in a variety of designs. Some of the most commonly found are outlined in this section.


The hinge shown here is one of the variations available for the badge.	This is a ball-type hinge. It is one of the versions that was adapted to the Infantry Assault badge.	Most of the catches were of wire type. Some of then were thicker.

The back of the Infantry Assault badge was designed in two primarui formats; solid and hollowed.


This is an example of the hollowed back design.	The photo above shows a solid back design.

If you have an interest is seeing other German military badges, you can do so by going to our German badges identification guide. Where we cover Army, Navy, Luftwaffe and other organizations from various time periods.

This service is provided free of charge to the visitor/enthusiast courtesy of MilitaryItems.com, a company dedicated to the preservation of military history and to providing quality military antiques and collectibles to museums, institutions and the general public.

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