Imperial German Gilt Winged Wheel Auto/Aero Club Badge

Single-piece gilt-toned metal badge formed as a winged wheel, with crisply modeled feathering to both wings and an open-spoke wheel at center. The badge retains its original two long, flat pin/prong fasteners soldered to the reverse for mounting through a cap band, soft visor cap, or uniform-style headgear. The obverse shows strong relief and a warm, aged finish with honest high-point wear consistent with period gilt over a base metal.

Winged-wheel motifs are closely associated with the early 20th-century culture of motoring and the prestige “auto club” movement that spread through the German states in the years immediately before the First World War. These clubs were not merely social organizations; they represented modern engineering, elite travel, and the new status attached to automobilism and affiliated aero enthusiasm. Badges of this type were worn as visible membership identifiers and are emblematic of the era’s transition from Imperial tradition to technological modernity.

Collector appeal is driven by the clean, unmistakable symbolism, the compact display size, and the strong cross-collecting potential—Imperial-era German insignia, early motoring history, and pre-war club regalia. The openwork wheel and sculpted wings present exceptionally well in a case or mounted display, especially alongside period caps, club ephemera, or automobilia.

Condition: very good overall, with surface wear to the gilt finish, scattered age toning, and minor handling marks. Both rear prongs remain present and appear secure; no maker mark is visible in the provided views.