BACKGROUND: The Minesweeper’s war badge was instituted on August 31^ST 1940 by Oberbefehlshaber der Kriegsmarine und Großadmiral, (Commander in Chief of the Navy and Grand Admiral), Erich Raeder for award to personnel serving on minesweepers, sub-chasers, and escort vessels who met the prescribed requirements. The main prerequisite for bestowal of the award was participation in three operational sorties.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Die struck, alloy construction badge with gilt, silver and grey washed finishes. The badge is in the form of a gilt washed, vertically oval, oak-leaf wreath with a national eagle, with outstretched wings, clutching a canted, swastika in it’s talons, superimposed to the top center, encompassing grey washed, horizontal waves and a silver washed, cut-out, vertical, exploding, water funnel. The heavily age dulled gilt finish to the wreath and eagle are retained about 60%, while only hints of the grey wash to the waves is retained and about 75% of the heavily age yellowed silver wash to the water funnel is retained. The reverse of the badge has a soldered, barrel type hinge on a small rectangular base plate, a broad, tapering vertical pin and a heavy soldered catch on a circular base plate are all intact. The reverse of the badge is well marked with the embossed designer’s name and location, "Fec. Otto Placzek Berlin", and the manufacturer’s name and location that is partially obscured by the catch’s base plate but is, "Ausf. Schwerin Berlin".

GRADE ***                             PRICE $198.00