The party badge was designed by Hitler himself arguing the very strong, and powerful appearance of the round badge with a red circle, white field and a mobile black swastika. The very first party badge prototype was made by hand by the Munich goldsmith Josef Fuess. In February 1920, he pinned the first badge on, then party leader, Anton Drexler’s lapel. In return he was told by Drexler that he had to fit in the word National-Sozialistische in the badge, since the party had just changed its name. From that point on, a myriad of makers would create badges from early 1920 up until the end of the war in 1945. Varying in size, quality and appearance. Listed below are some select specimens of the pre-RZM era badges, meaning badges that were produced before the Machtübernahme in 1933.
Materials: Transparent enamel on a silvered brass planchet Period: Mid 1920 Size: Unknown Manufacturer: Josef Fuess, München Comments: No surviving examples known to collectors. It was cancelled before production and is referred to as the first draft. Even though the badge features the text Deutsche Arbeiterpartei, this badge was in fact made for the NSDAP. It was cancelled for that very reason.
Materials: Transparent enamel on a silvered brass planchet Period: Mid 1920 Size: Same as the badge below Manufacturer: Josef Fuess, München Comments: This badge, with a white swastika on a black disc is referred to as the second draft. This was the last cancelled draft and is identical to the badge below, yet with inverted colors. No surviving example of this prototype is known to collectors.
Materials: Transparent and opaque enamels on a silvered messing planchet Period: October 1920 – November 1923 Size: Not made public Manufacturer: Josef Fuess, München Comments: This badge is referred to as the third draft, the last draft that was accepted by Hitler and put into production. In other words, it was the very first NSDAP party badge ever put into production. Designed and made by Josef Fuess, early party member and master goldsmith. Marked only D.R.G.M. More about these badges can be read in this short article.
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