BACKGROUND: The Auxiliary Cruiser War Badge was instituted on April 24^TH 1941, by Oberbefehlshaber der Kriegsmarine und Großadmiral, (Commander in Chief of the Navy and Grand Admiral), Erich Raeder , for award to armed Merchant Marine personnel, to recognise their contribution in harassing and sinking Allied merchant ships. The Auxiliary Cruisers were secretly armed German merchant ships that sailed under the pretense of neutral ships, thereby taking the Allies by surprise. Of Note: Generally the early production Auxiliary Cruiser War Badges had the separate likeness of the globe attached by a single rivet, while later war production versions were manufactured as a single piece.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Early war production, two piece, die struck, alloy construction, solid backed badge with gilted and nickel/silver plated finishes. The badge is in the form a gilt washed vertically oval oak-leaf wreath with a national eagle with out-stretched wings, clutching a canted swastika in its talons, superimposed to the top center, encompassing a cut-out "Viking" style long boat with full sail, cruising on a separate likeness of a nickel/silver plated, northern portion of the globe. The detailing includes the dragon figurehead and oval shields on the ship, longitude and latitude lines and the embossed outline of Great Britain, Western Europe and North Africa on the globe. The original gilt finish to the wreath, eagle and long boat is retained about 85% while the nickel/silver plated finish to the globe is retained about 90% and both show some light verdigris spotting. The separate globe is attached to the badge by a single, small, dome headed rivet which is visible on the reverse. The reverse has a solid, soldered hinge, a broad, tapering, vertical pin and a soldered retaining catch all intact. The badge has no visible manufacturer’s markings.

GRADE ****                             PRICE $765.00