Third Reich Award Appraisal

German Third Reich Annaberg Silesia Commemorative Veteran's Stick Pin

This is a small, shield-shaped lapel stick pin originating from Germany, likely dating between 1933 and 1945. The pin features a multi-colored enamel face on a metal base, constructed with a 'shield' motif. The upper portion of the shield displays a white enamel background featuring a black silhouette of the Annaberg monument located in Upper Silesia. The lower third of the shield is finished in red enamel, containing a central white circular field with a prominent black swastika. The pin is mounted on a long, slender metal shank intended for wear in a lapel. Physically, the piece shows signs of age and wear consistent with an original mid-20th-century artifact. There is noticeable pitting and spotting throughout the white enamel sections, and some oxidation is visible on the metal borders and the mounting pin. The craftsmanship reflects the production standards of period pins, utilizing hard enamel (cloisonné style) separated by thin metal wires or ridges. No maker's mark is visible from the front view, though such pins were often stamped on the reverse with 'Ges. Gesch.' or a manufacturer's code. These pins were typically issued as commemorative tokens or veteran's membership identifiers associated with the battles at Annaberg or the local Upper Silesian Freikorps organizations that were later absorbed into the Third Reich political structure.