Polish Badges

[popskipa]

I know copies were made by Panasiuk but how do you tell a copy from an original?

Thank you for looking, Keith

[leigh kitchen]

Apparently the "spinners" on the back can be a giveaway, some of the fakes actually have post war phone numbers on them.
That's about the extent of my expertise on these badges.

[popskipa]

Hello Leigh,

Thank you for responding to my post.

I have been searching online for information about the copy Polish badges and found several articles, none of which particularly informative about detecting the fakes, but all with a similar warning - "Since the 1920s disks have been lost, placed on wrong badges etc so be careful. Never judge the origin of the badge by its disk".

I have also found there are several makers of the copies, not just Panasiuk. In addition that Panasiuk was an official badge maker both before and after 1939.

I was hoping there would be a simple answer, but should have known better...

Keith

[billy]

Nice looking badges though! I don't know anything about these but wish you luck! Billy

[leigh kitchen]

I delved into Polish awards, amassing info on fakes & copies years ago, but its all forgotten now.......

[BWEF]

So, WW2 Polish badges are being reproduced.

Over 20 years ago I saw a whole lot of these for sale in a shop in the foyer of a building in London. I thought it was too good to be true.

I can't remember the details, but I got the impression that the whole building was some sort of a Polish club. I was there to speak to a former Polish naval officer about a free Polish sailor who was on the Burza.

[fougasse1940]

If that building was the The Polish Institute and Sikorski Museum at 20 Prince’s Gate they were most likely all original.

Rgds, Thomas.

[leigh kitchen]

I don't know why I didn't think of suggesting a look at War Relics Forum before, there are some very knowledgeable people there, when it comes to Polish insignia, awards & decorations.
One of their threads on Polish badges:

http://www.warrelics.eu/forum/polish...lewicz-287350/

And of course, there's always WAF.

[BWEF]

Originally Posted by fougasse1940

If that building was the The Polish Institute and Sikorski Museum at 20 Prince’s Gate they were most likely all original.

Rgds, Thomas.

Thomas

I don't think it was at Princes Gate. IIRC it was in Earls Court, or Fulham. I will have to see if I can find the papers from the Free Polish Navy Old Comrades Assn.

I was researching a Polish sailor whose photo and pre war identity disc I have. He escaped to the UK on the destroyer Burza in 1939:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ORP_Burza

The sailor in question had even less reason than many others to go back to Poland in 1945 as his home town, Slonim, became part of Russia.

The assn informed me that he emigrated to the USA and had fairly recently died in the Chicago area. I assume that his effects were sold on?

[rsunday]

Keith,
Polish pre-1939 regimental badges are real minefield!

You can only compare possible copy to well known/recognised genuin badge but you should know genuin badges and access to them to compare (experience ...).

There were a few hundreds of 2nd Republic Polish Army regular units/institutions having commemorative badges - mostly separate for soldiers and officers, sometimes other for NCOs ... Many units had 2-4 variants of different badges - regarding patterns plus different manufacturers.

A lot of badges!

Another problem with fakes - during WW2 many genuine dies survived. Newly operating engravers used them to produce badges of no longer existing units.

Now - after 70 years they really look old ...
So you can see that it's also difficult now to collect those badges - especially by new collectors.

I hope it will help you to understand the problem.
With best regards
Rafal

Originally Posted by popskipa

Hello Leigh,

Thank you for responding to my post.

I have been searching online for information about the copy Polish badges and found several articles, none of which particularly informative about detecting the fakes, but all with a similar warning - "Since the 1920s disks have been lost, placed on wrong badges etc so be careful. Never judge the origin of the badge by its disk".

I have also found there are several makers of the copies, not just Panasiuk. In addition that Panasiuk was an official badge maker both before and after 1939.

I was hoping there would be a simple answer, but should have known better...

Keith

[leigh kitchen]

Hey, Rafeal, I haven't heard of you in a while, how's it going? My Polish collection had come to a standstill really in recent years.,

[rsunday]

Hello,
I am present on several forums where I also can see your posts

I am still focused mainly on Polish WW2 airborne insignia and related items. Collection is slowly growing but you know that the items are not easy to find!
A few months ago I finished my PhD devoted to Polish Army parachute qualification badges 1941-1989.

Greetings
Rafal

Originally Posted by leigh kitchen

Hey, Rafeal, I haven't heard of you in a while, how's it going? My Polish collection had come to a standstill really in recent years.,

[leigh kitchen]

A subject very worthy of interest, Gary J. must be very interested.
Are you publishing your research?
I suppose Id better allow the thread to get back on track........

[popskipa]

Thank you Rafal,

Having posted on the War Relics Forum I conclude all the badges, in my original post, are fakes.

Indeed there are plenty of similar fakes to be found on eBay, some being sold as original others as copies.

The differences between original and fake can be quite subtle, but in many cases the screw-nut carrying the "modern" makers details are a give away. However, the screw-nut is detachable and can be lost or swapped adding to the confusion.

Common sense prevails - don't buy badges that use acrylic enamel, or in base metal with silver hallmarks! If in doubt don't buy it or seek the help of forums where a pool of knowledge is readily available.

Keith

[rsunday]

Originally Posted by leigh kitchen

A subject very worthy of interest, Gary J. must be very interested.
Are you publishing your research?
I suppose Id better allow the thread to get back on track........

:-)
I want to publish next year. First part devoted to parachute and glider badges of Polish Army in Exile.