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WWII German Army Marksmanship Lanyard - Like many other armies, the German armed forces spent a considerable amount of time training how to improve the accuracy of firing their small arms. An award was developed to recognize individuals who excelled in shooting.



The Marksmanship lanyard was instituted on June 29th of 1936. It was an executive order that was signed by Hitler.


The shooting lanyard award was attached to the uniform by placing one of the loops on the button\ of the shoulder board and the other endon the button of the jacket.



The initial award was issued without any acorns. Every time the award was earned an acorn was added to the loop opposit to the shield.

The award was authorized to be worn by personnel beneath the rank of officer.

The award could be worn with the following uniforms:

  1. Parade uniform
  2. Reporting uniform
  3. Walking out uniform
  4. Guard uniform
The award may not be worn on a greatcoat.



Marksmanship Lanyard design
The design of the shooting award consisted of a silver lanyard with threaded thich strings. One end has a loop made of a single strand of string while the other end caps in an oval shape holding a shield. This section also has a loop on the end. The back of the lanyard is lined with a silver silk-like material. This gives it a very elegant touch.

One end (with the shield) of the lanyard is secured to one of the eppaulets. The other end attaches to one of the jacket buttons.




This page is a recognition and identification guide for WWII German badges and awards. Multiple detailed photos of a specific sample are provided. Descriptions point out clearly defined points that should be noted.

One of the most commonly asked questions is "How much is my WWII German badge worth?". A price guide is included here to address this question. The value of the badges and awards is reviewed over a period of several years. A trend can be observed. The present worth of the German badges in the collector's market is illustrated.

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.

WANT TO LEARN MORE?
  1. FAQ's
  2. Shooting lanyard Anatomy
  3. Identifying fakes and reproductions
  4. RZM manufacturing codes
  5. LDO manufacturing codes
  6. Construction materials
  7. Pins, hinges and other
  8. Perspective view
  9. Purchasing a WWII German Combat badge




The German Shooting Lanyard

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 Marksmanship lanyards that were produced. However, thanks to the record keeping maintained by the Wehrmacht, it is possible to find how many shields were actually issued.


There were over 400,000 Marksmanship lanyards issued during the war.

The Marksmanship lanyards was issued along with an award document. Not all documents were identical. variations can be found from unit to unit. A few things that all documents would have in common are the signature of the officer who awarded the shield and the state seal.



Collecting Third Reich Badges
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.


In trying to determine if you should collect Marksmanship lanyards there are certain factors that should be considered.

The adjacent table outlines some of the advantages and disadvantages of collecting the Marksmanship lanyards.



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.



If you have an interest is seeing other badges and awards of the Third Reich, you can do so by going to our WWII German Badges and Awards identification guide. Where we cover Heer (Army), Navy (Kriegsmarine) and Air Force (Luftwaffe) items.







PRICING GUIDE INFORMATION

The value for WWII German Combat badges and other military antiques and collectibles is provided as a means to educate the collector community and individuals who have a general interest on the field. The following is an estimated value. Prices may vary in every state and every country. This service is provided courtesy of MilitaryItems.com. The source for military antiques and collectibles in the web.



Year 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
Value $85.00 $90.00 $100.00 $110.00 $120.00 $130.00
Availability Common Common Medium Medium Medium Medium
Invest Grade B B A A A A


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