BACKGROUND: The Panzer Assault Badge in silver was instituted by Generaloberst Walther von Brauchitsch on December 20^TH 1939 for award to all ranks of tank personnel who served as a tank commander, driver, gunner or radio operator and had been involved in three different armored assaults on three different days. The institution order indicated the criteria for award of the badge was to be effective as of January 1^ST 1940. On June 1^ST 1940 a Bronze version of the Panzer Assault Badge was introduced for award to Panzer-Grenadier, medical, and armored car personnel who participated in three different armored assaults on three different days. By June 1943 it was realized that the Panzer Assault Badge didn’t sufficiently recognize the number of assaults participated in by armored personnel, which resulted in the introduction of the numbered Special Grade of the Panzer Assault Badge in both silver and bronze versions on June 22^ND 1943. The numbered Special Grade of the Panzer Assault Badge were awarded with the numerals, 25, 50, 75 and 100. The numbered badges followed the basic design of their un-numbered predecessors but were larger and had the addition of an inset rectangular plate with a numeral to the bottom of the wreath.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Large, three piece, die struck alloy construction, scooped backed, badge with nickel/silver plating, burnished grey, gilt and black washes, is in the form of a broad, vertically oval oak-leaf wreath with a Wehrmacht style eagle with down-swept wings superimpose to the top center, encompassing the cut-out, forward profile of a tank. The tank barrel, one track and a fender overlap the wreath on the right hand side. The separate, scooped backed, tank is secured to the wreath by two small dome headed rivets which are visible to the reverse. The wreath and eagle retain about 95% of their original nickel/silver plated finish with minor age tarnish, while the tank retains about 70% of its original burnished, dark grey wash. The tank shows areas of moderate corrosion revealing the pitted, base alloy which appears to have been touched up with a dark grey wash. The wreath, eagle and tank all show nice detailing. The bottom center of the wreath has a small, horizontally, rectangular panel with a separate, inset plate with embossed numerals, "50" and a raised outer edge. The inset numerals and raised edge have a gilt wash while the background field has a black wash and both are retained about 90%. The reverse has a soldered, barrel type hinge inset into a rectangular recess with raised, crimped securing lips, a broad tapering vertical pin and a heavy soldered catch inset into a circular recess with raised securing lips all intact. The reverse of the badge is well marked with the embossed manufactures initials within a rectangular border, "JFS", indicating manufacture by Josef Feix Söhne of Gablonz.

GRADE ***                             PRICE $ SOLD