Golden HJ Leaders Badge, Rare #82
Price: $550
BUY / RESERVE THIS ITEMDescription: Approximately 40mm diameter, die struck, two piece alloy construction badge with a fire gilded finish and enamel work. The badge is in the form of a vertical Tyr-rune with a superimposed circular field with embossed runic style script, “Für Leistungen in der HJ”, (For Proficiency in the HJ), on a slightly textured background field, encompassing an embossed canted swastika. The Tyr-rune and central circular field are mounted on a larger circular base with an embossed laurel leaf wreath to the outside edge encircling an underlying blue enamel field. The slightly convex reverse has a solid, soldered hinge, a tapered vertical pin and a heavy soldered catch all intact. The reverse is well marked with an embossed RZM logo within dual circular borders and manufactures RZM code, “M1/101”, indicating manufacture by Gustav Brehmer Markneukirchen. The reverse also has the rare stamped serial/issue numeral, “82” -putting it within the ‘First 100’ issued and certainly at the 1938 Nuremberg Party Rally where they first bestowed these badges! Scarce HJ award in very fine condition and the lowest number we’ve ever seen.
Background: January 1937 Reichsjugendführer, (National Youth Leader), Baldur von Schirach announced that personnel with the Deutsches Jungvolk (German Youth), rank of Fähnleinführer and the Hitler Jugend, (Hitler Youth), rank of Gefolgschaftsführer, both roughly equivalent to the German army rank of Leutnant, and above would be required to pass a sports decathlon test designed to maintain their proficiency in physical fitness and display a good leadership example. The decathlon test was similar to the test for other ranks for award of the HJ Proficiency Badge and included assorted athletics, field exercises, and shooting. The tests were designed in two grades with one for those over thirty-five years old and the other for younger personnel with a different level of proficiency determined by a point structure for each grade. In May 1938 von Schirach introduced the Golden Leader’s Sports Badge for successful participants. The badge followed the basic design of the HJ Proficiency badge with the addition of a circular laurel leaf wreath. When awarded the badge was accompanied with a miniature for wear on the left lapel of civilian clothes. The first bestowal of the badge was at the final NSDAP Part Day Rally in Nuremberg, September 1938 and further bestowal was discontinued in 1943 at which time it is estimated that roughly 15,000 badges had been awarded.
