Opinion requested:Imperial German Naval Airship badge

[Deborahmce]

Hello all,

I’m new to the forum and would appreciate some experienced opinions.

I recently acquired this Imperial German Naval Airship badge and am trying to learn more about it. The badge is marked “CEJ” to the reverse and appears to be of WW1 period, but I would welcome any thoughts on originality, maker, and period.

Many thanks in advance for your time and expertise.

Photos attached

[VtwinVince]

Airship badges are not my area of expertise, and these are a horrible minefield of fakery. I think your badge is a fairly good copy, based on the current literature and the original examples I have seen, which are exceedingly rare.

[Deborahmce]

Thank you for taking the time to comment — much appreciated.

[Jim]

I agree that it appears to be a better than average reproduction, likely with not much age since the fakers have been getting better over the last few decades due to the availability of detailed information on real ones and wider availability of good equipment needed to create fakes. I hope it was not sold to you as a real one.

[Deborahmce]

Thanks very much Jim for taking the time to have a look and sharing your thoughts

[DU-DOCH-NICHT]

The Imperial German Naval Airship badge (in German: Erinnerungsabzeichen für Marine-Luftschiffer)
is an extraordinary rare collectors item.
This commemorative badge existed in several variants and has only been awarded about 600 times.
The abbreviation CEJ stands for manufacturer CE Junker in Berlin.

I cannot judge whether your copy is genuine or counterfeit, but if you paid less than (the equivalent of)
2.500 euros for it, it's probably a fake. Unless the seller didn't know what he was selling.

[VtwinVince]

I've never seen a genuine example with that hallmark.

[Aerowallah]

Hmmmmm...This is the Juncker type and, for now, it is not believed they made Luftschifferabz. However there are a handful of very well made / finished examples out there (this is ONE!), and some of us are waiting for this type to be discovered among a family's awards or, at least, in a clear photo of a Nazi-zeit officer wearing one. So far, no joy!

What also conforms with the speculation about the existence of real Juncker Zepps is the hand filed edges, and the incused CEJ in a box, which is a Third Reich Juncker mark. I don't do Luftwaffe, but I think the catch and pin are also used on some Juncker badges mid- to late 30s.

If this were one of the textbook types you'd be looking at a 5,000-10,000 badge. Even though you'd be lucky to get a collector to part with $500 for this, I would definitely hang onto it. Bob Pandis in his Volume 1 (updated ed'n) has a page on these strange creatures.

Congrats! (with caveats!!)

[DU-DOCH-NICHT]

According to the reference book 'Deutsche Orden und Ehrenzeichen bis 1945'
written by J. Nimmergut, volume IV, published in Germany, 2001, Juncker
was one of the (few) manufacturers of the Erinnerungsabzeichen für Marine-Luftschiffer.

For additional information, see also:
https://www.ehrenzeichen-orden.de/er...tschiffer.html

Regards,
DDN

[Aerowallah]

Every German collector I know with Zep badges (including Carsten Baldes in his book) considers Nimmergut to be in error and that Juncker did not make Zepps, but I still hope he was right. We just need proof...