WW2 GERMAN FULL SET OF 3 WOUND BADGE LAPEL PINS GOLD, SILVER & BLACK

Very good quality set of 3 wound badge stickpins including, black, silver & gold washed examples. Each die struck alloy, construction, exact detailed miniature badges. Each badge features an embossed M35 pattern helmet with a high relief, canted, swastika to the center superimposed over crossed swords on a pebbled background field, encompassed by an embossed, vertically oval laurel leaf wreath. The plain reverse has a soldered knurled pin, each pin measuring between 40 & 48mm. The pins have no visible manufacturers marks. Very nice example full set.

As with most military and civilian awards of the Third Reich, period miniature version lapel pins were permitted for wear on civilian clothing. Most commonly these miniatures were privately purchased items and could only be purchased by individuals with the proper ownership documentation, although some miniatures were bestowed with the full sized award. The miniatures were exact replicas of their full sized counterparts. General regulations, with a few minor exceptions, permitted wear of three miniature awards at one time but prohibited the mixing of military and civilian awards on one lapel pin.

The wound badge was originally established on March 3rd 1918 by King Wilhelm II to recognise the sacrifice of those wounded during WWI. The badge was instituted in three classes, of black, silver and gold with the class bestowed reflecting the number or severity of the wounds received. With the outbreak of WWII, on September 1st 1939, Hitler reinstituted a slightly modified version of the badge. The badge was awarded to both military and uniformed non-military personnel and later to civilian personnel who received wounds as a result of enemy actions. The black wound badge was the lowest of the three classes and was awarded for one or two wounds.