WWII EASTERN PEOPLES AWARD - FIRST CLASS WITH SWORDS

This is a German bravery award that was issued to local volunteers in the eastern front.

BADGE DESIGN
The design of the badge consists of multi-point star with a swirled flower in the center. A circle inside a cirlce surround the flower. A rope outlines the perimeter of the circles. Laurel leaves are found between the circles.

A pair of swords are placed at angles making an "X".

The back of this example is missing the pin. A rectangular hinge would be found on one end. A catch is found in the other side.

WE BUY German German badges and medal - All types of WWII German civilian awards. Whether it is for fire department, police. civil defense or any other civilian organization. The process gets started by you sending us an Email . We will respond to your inquiry normally within 24 hours and in many cases much faster. We can tell you what you have, what it is worth and how much we can pay you. One item or an entire collection - Email Us .

The "Military minute" is a series of instructional videos created by MilitaryItems.com for the purpose of providing basic information about military collectibles. The idea is to expose people to the exciting world of military collectibles. The video presentation coupled with detailed photographs and written information, including a military collectible's price guide, and anatomical breakdown of each piece enhances the visitor's experience. Whether you are a long time collector, a beginner or simply have an interest in the history and value of each collectible, we hope that you find the information presented here useful.

BY THE NUMBERS
It is hard to determine the exact number of Eastern peoples awards that were produced. However, thanks to the record keeping maintained by the Wehrmacht, it is possible to estimate how many medals were actually sent out. The number stands under 400 thousand as many soldiers qualified for this badge.

The actual number of Eastern Peoples awards produced is greater than the number that was issue. It must be accounted that the armed forces would have a stock in hand so it could replace lost ones and issue new awards. In addition the factories were likely to have warehouses with inventory at hand.

COLLECTING EASTERN PEOPLES FIRST CLASS AWARDS
Collecting Third Reich memorabilia is a field that has been growing since the days the GI's rummaged around Europe bringing back military souvenirs. German soldiers wore many of their awards on their uniforms when they went to battle. Once the soldier was killed or captured, the American soldiers would take the awards as war trophies. Eventually all these pieces came back to the United States where military history enthusiasts began to collect them.

"I am trying to figure out if I should get into collecting Eastern Peoples awards."

Determining which military badges to collect can be a challenging decision. The combination of availabiilty and cost will often set the pace of what can be collected. The adjacent table outlines some of the advantages and disadvantages of collecting the Eastern peoples award.

This award is currently being reproduced. It is becoming more difficult to be able to tell the fake ones from the real ones because the quality of the reproductions is improving. The collector must become familiarized with the construction style and materials employed in the manufacturing of this badge. Attention to the details is critical in order to be able to determine the authenticity of the badge.