Der Rittmeister Militaria, LLC. Imperial German Merchandise
Page 11: Flight Badges for Imperial Germany, Other Central Powers, and Selected
Allied Flight Badges. Updated 4 March 2010. Contact us @:
rittmeister@earthlink.net![]()


New
items on
Bala's Bargain Bin, our clearance
page, effective
19 July 2009!!
AND
Kyri's Kurio Korner, featuring great
little items from a
cute little cat -- at reduced prices! Effective
19 July 2009!!
![]()
We have an office in Germany 0049 (0)4104-962028!!
![]()
Prussia
11-325 PRUSSIAN ARMY COMMEMORATIVE PILOTS BADGE. This is a one-piece Prussian Army Commemorative Pilots Badge. This badge was worn by pilots when they were no longer actively flying, due to retirement or injuries. The manufacturer of this badge was Friedrich Keller, a firm with which I have not had experience. The badge has a fine swollen pin. It does show some aging in the finish on the obverse and reverse. $595.00
A tradition developed in Germany of producing decorations and badges in a reduced size known as prinzengroße. Prinzengroße badges and decorations typically measure anywhere from half up to two-third's of a full-sized badge or decoration. Today we are offering the Prussian Army Commemorative Pilot Badge in the prinzengroße size. The purpose of the Commemorative Pilot Badge was to recognize pilots who were no longer on active flying status. It was also referred to as the "Retired Pilot Badge." Photos from the mid 1940's show Hermann Göring wearing a Commemorative Pilot Badge. This example measures 1 3/4’ x 1 1/8." It has excellent detail to its obverse. Like all badges of this type, it has a cutout center. The reverse sports a flat pin and hallmarking for .900 silver. It is a fine badge in top condition. $650.00
11-455 PRINZENGROßE COMMEMORATIVE PILOT BADGE.
11-359 PRINZENGROßE PRUSSIAN COMMEMORATIVE ARMY PILOT BADGE. This is a very interesting example of a Prussian Commemorative Army Pilot Badge in the prinzengroße size. This badge would have been used by pilots who were no longer actively involved in flying. It is sometimes called a "Retired Pilots Badge." It was used when a man was no longer flying, perhaps due to wounds or other health considerations. This badge is about half the size of a regulation-sized badge. It measures 1 3/4" x 1." It is a one-piece design, and hallmarked for .800 silver. The detail to the badge is delightful. This would make a good addition to any collection. $450.00 . . .
This badge was worn by pilots who were no half to two-thirds the size of a full-sized badge. It is of the stamped (cliche) type which was similar to how most wound badges were produced. It is well made, with a very thin pin. $450.00
11-445 PRUSSIAN ARMY COMMEMORATIVE PILOT’S BADGE - PRINZENGROßE.
11-414 PRUSSIAN ARMY GUNNER’S BADGE - MINIATURE. This is a miniature of a Prussian Army Gunner’s Badge. The badge is vaulted, which is highly unusual. A large jump ring is attached to the smaller jump ring on the badge. This miniature is in excellent condition. $450.00
This is the Prussian Army Pilot’s Badge in the form of a stickpin. It is beautifully detailed. You can even tell the difference between the oak and laurel leaves. $150.00
11-403 PRUSSIAN ARMY PILOT’S BADGE STICKPIN.
11-471 XBB PRUSSIAN ARMY OBSERVER BADGE - HALLMARKED .800 SILVER - C.E. JUNCKER. This is a consignment item. It is a Prussian Army Pilot Badge, measuring 3" x 2." It shows a superb finish. The obverse’s detail is quite absorbing. The obverse also displays an attractive patina. The reverse quickly shows it is a highly-desirable hollow two-piece example. Directly below the catch, a small weephole reveals where the gases escaped when the badge’s two halves were soldered together. The reverse displays hallmarking for the badge’s manufacturer AND its silver content. It was produced by Berlin’s well known firm, C. E. Juncker. It features the traditional half moon and crown markings, along with ".800," to indicate its silver content. It is an enchanting badge in magnificent condition. This is a rayback example. $995.00
Bavaria
11-479
XBB BAVARIAN ARMY GUNNER BADGE - HALLMARKED SILBER - CARL PÖLLATH.
This is a consignment piece. It is a high-quality stickpin with a miniature of the Bavarian Army Pilot’s Badge. This piece has a magnificent patina. It is unhallmarked for manufacturer or silver content. It sports a knurled pin. These are far more difficult to find than Prussian Army Pilot’s Badge Stickpins. $250.00
11-423 XRB BAVARIAN ARMY PILOT’S BADGE STICKPIN.
Navy
11-490 XBB NAVY SEA PLANE PILOT BADGE. This is a consignment item. It is a Navy Sea Plane Pilot Badge. The Navy had two different pilot badges. One was for Sea Plane pilots and the other was for Land Plane pilots. The primary difference is that the Sea Plane Pilot Badge shows the island of Helgoland in the distance. The Land Plane Pilot Badge shows a walled town on the water. As with all cases for naval flight badges (with the exception of the Navy Commemorative Air Ship badge), the finish is gilt rather than the silver finish that we see on Prussian and Bavarian badges. The badge’s obverse shows excellent detail. The finish is excellent, with just the right amount of patina. The badge has not been cleaned in a long time. The reverse reveals the badge is hallmarked for C. E. Juncker and for .800 silver. Below the catch you can see the weephole that confirms it is a two-piece badge. This style of construction is the highest quality and the most sought-after by collectors. $995.00
11-493 XGB NAVY OBSERVER BADGE.
This is a consignment item. It is a Navy Land Plane Pilot’s Badge in prinzengroße size. Prinzengroße flight badges are seen on a scattered basis, but were highly favored by Naval aviators. Our example measures 2" x 1/8." It has a fine gilt finish. The reverse sports a flat pin with hallmarking under it for Godet. The hallmarking style indicates it is a post WW I example. It most likely hails from the 1920's. I have seen very few Godet flight badges. The quality of this example is right up with any other Godet pieces I have ever seen. $895.00
11-440 XJB PRINZENGROßE NAVY LAND PLANE PILOT’S BADGE.
11-421 NAVY
OBSERVER’S BADGE - PRINZENGROßE SIZE. This is a fascinating badge
for a Navy Observer. It has two features that make it interesting. First it
is prinzengroße-sized. While we do see a fair number of Navy Land
Plane Pilot’s Badges, we do not see the Navy Observer as often. The other
intriguing feature is that the badge is a cliche (stamped) variety.
This is very unusual! The badge boasts a fine swollen pin. The badge
measures 1 3/4" x 1." It is an unusual variation.
$395.00
This is the prinzengroße version of the Navy Land Plane Pilot’s Badge. Prinzengroße-sized flight badges are typically one-half to two-third's the size of full-sized badges. This example measures 1 3/4" x 1 1/32." It has a fine gilt finish. It has excellent detailing on the obverse. The reverse is unhallmarked for manufacturer or silver content. Yes, Navy flight badges did come in .800 silver with a gilt finish over them! $495.00
11-391 XJB NAVY LAND PILOT’S BADGE - PRINZENGROßE.
11-462 XST NAVY SEAPLANE PILOT BADGE.
This is a consignment item. I am always pleased when I can offer you a Navy
Flight Badge. As most of you know, Imperial German Flight Badges were issued
by three entities: Prussia, Bavaria, and the Navy (Kaiserliche Marine).
The Prussian and Bavarian variations were offered for army pilots. Prussia
authorized its badges for ALL Germany’s pilots, except Bavaria. This
kingdom/state went its own way (as usual). It authorized flight badges
displaying the Wittelsbach Crown rather than the Hohenzollern. The
Kaiserliche Marine also offered their own flight badges, which differed
greatly from both the Prussian and Bavarian Badges. The biggest difference
was that all Navy Badges issued in wartime were gilt-toned, rather than the
silver-tones of the Army Pilot Badges.
Another big difference was that the Navy issued TWO different types of pilot
badges. The Navy had land-based squadrons whose aircraft were rigged as
seaplanes, with floats (rather than wheels) that enabled them to land on
water. The squadrons operated both single-seater and two-seater aircraft. [A
bit later in the war the Navy operated Land Plane Squadrons (Jastas).
The squadrons in question were single-seater fighter-aircraft operating in
Flanders. I believe five Jastas existed. They produced most of the
Navy’s top aces].
The two naval badges appear quite similar, but subtle differences exist.
Both measure approximately 3" x 1 3/4." They are similar in size to Army Badges.
Each badge features an albatros in flight, with the sun above it. The Land
Plane Badge depicts a city or castle on the badge’s lower part. The Sea
Plane’s Badge features the island of
Helgoland in the distance. These two scenes are the ONLY difference between
the two. As previously stated, both are gilt-toned, and each is topped by a
Hohenzollern Crown.
Our badge’s detail, and the condition of the obverse are quite pleasing. The
reverse reveals that the badge is of the one-piece, "massive" style. That
is, it was struck from a single metal planchet. The other two badge
types were the two-piece hollow (the most desirable), and the stamped
(cliche). Over the years I have seen fewer of the two-piece Navy Badges
than I have the one-piece massive. The reverse also displays a flat pin. The
pin is stamped .800 for silver. Thus, this is a silver-gilt badge,
wherein a gilt coating was laid over .800 silver. The badge’s overall
condition is quite pleasing. It has been some while since I have offered
such a badge. $950.00
11-395
NAVY LAND PILOT’S BADGE STICKPIN. Navy flight badges were produced
in much smaller numbers than their Prussian Army counterparts. The Navy Land
Plane Pilot’s Badge was worn by aviators who flew in Navy (Marine)
Jastas. This is the stickpin for the Navy Land Plane Pilot’s Badge. It
has a fine burnished finish with very good detail. This is a difficult
stickpin to obtain.
$495.00
13-594
NAVY LAND PLANE PILOT’S BADGE RING.
Army & Navy Zeppelin & Misc. Zeppelin
11-495 XJB ARMY COMMEMORATIVE AIRSHIP BADGE
IN THE ORIGINAL PRESENTATION CASE.
11-415 COMMEMORATIVE NAVY AIRSHIP BADGE - MINIATURE. This is a miniature of the Commemorative Navy Airship Badge. The badge has amazing detail for its size. It is in excellent condition. $450.00
This is a very high-quality miniature was mounted onto a pin. This was then used by a veteran. This is a silver badge that is hallmarked .800 silver on the badge’s reverse. Its superiority and detail are quite striking for such a small item. As is correct for a full-sized Commemorative Navy Airship Badge, it displays a Hohenzollern Crown. The stickpin is in excellent condition. $295.00
21-109 SILVER COMMEMORATIVE NAVY AIRSHIP BADGE STICKPIN.
This is a very high-quality miniature was mounted onto a pin. This was then used by a veteran. This is gilt on silver. Its superiority and attention to detail are quite striking for such a small item. As is correct for a full-sized Commemorative Navy Airship Badge, it sports a Hohenzollern Crown. This example is quite unusual due to its gilt finish. While all other naval flight badges were gilt-toned, the Navy Commemorative Airship Badge was silver like its Army counterpart. A half moon and crown, along with the silver content (.800) are marked on the reverse. It is a lovely miniature. $325.00
21-110 GILT COMMEMORATIVE NAVY AIRSHIP BADGE STICKPIN.
11-480
XBB COMMEMORATIVE NAVY AIRSHIP BADGE - STICKPIN.
11-481
XBB COMMEMORATIVE ARMY AIRSHIP BADGE - STICKPIN.
Austrian & Central Power Flight Badges
This is a fine example of a 1st Model Navy Pilot’s Badge. What is unusual about this badge is that it is prinzengroße-sized. The obverse features an eagle or albatros in flight over a crowned anchor. It also displays a two-color band of enamel. On the reverse we find that the badge is a pinback. It has no manufacturer’s hallmarking. It is a fine badge. $795.00
11-420 AUSTRIAN NAVY PILOT’S BADGE 1st MODEL.
This is a consignment piece. Upon completion of flight school, graduates were given a badge that was a prelude to the Austrian Field Pilot’s Badge. The badge measures 2 1/2" x 2 1/4." It is silver toned. It is a heavy, stamped badge and well-struck. $350.00
11-424 XRB FLIGHT BADGE - AVIATION SCHOOL COMPLETION - AUSTRIA.
This is a consignment item. Today we are offering you a very fine example of the Bavarian Army Pilot Badge. The Kingdom of Bavaria opted to offer its own series of flight badges rather than use the one that was issued by Prussia. [The Prussian Badge was used by all German states, except Bavaria]. The primary visual difference is that Bavarian Flight Badges display Bavaria’s Wittelsbach Crown, rather than Prussia’s Hohenzollern Diadem. The various flight badges’ other details all are identical. This badge measures 3" x 1 3/4." Its obverse is in spectacular condition. The detail is exquisitely-struck. The badge has a wonderful patina that clearly has not been cleaned in some time. Its reverse features a classic rayback design. The center displays hallmarking for silver and the manufacturer. Below the catch is a small weephole, where the gasses escaped during the soldering process. Yes, this is a two-piece badge. It is THE most desirable design of all of badge types. This badge is impossible to upgrade. $1,095.00
11-457 XJB BAVARIAN ARMY PILOT BADGE.
BB
This is a consignment item. It comes from the collection of an advanced of an advanced Airship collector. It is a Navy Commemorative Airship Badge in the unusual prinzengroße size. The badge is between half and three-quarters the size of a full-sized Commemorative Navy Airship Badge. It measures 2" x 2." It is a silver-toned badge with traces of brass showing through the silver wash. Both the Navy and Army Commemorative Airship Badges were silver. While the Navy Badge had a Hohenzollern Crown at the top, the Army example did not. The reverse reveals a hook on the crown’s back. It allowed the badge to be steadied when the hook was placed through a tunic’s sewn-on loops. A horizontal pin is seen on its reverse. Below the pin is the hallmark for C. E. Juncker on the zeppelin’s back. No hallmark appears for silver content, which is consistent with the traces of brass on the obverse. It is a very fine badge, in top condition. $850.00
11-497 XJB PRINZENGROßE NAVY COMMEMORATIVE AIRSHIP BADGE.
![]()
Links to Our Pages
Der Rittmeister Content Pages:
Click here
for our Home Page |
Click for the Order Information Page |
Click here for Our Biography Page |
Click here to Meet the late, great Jack Hunter |