Imperial German Kaiserabzeichen Infantry Marksmanship Sleeve Badge 1902 Khaki

An Imperial German Kaiserabzeichen (Kaiser's Badge) for infantry, the sleeve badge worn by the men of the best-shooting company in each army corps, dated "1902" and mounted on khaki twill cloth with a dark blue wool backing. The badge measures approximately 3½ inches (9 cm) from the tip of the crown to the base of the wreath.

The badge is die-stamped in gilt brass in the form of an upright oval. A broad wreath of oak leaves and acorns forms the border, tied at the base with a bow, and two crossed infantry rifles lie across the centre with their butts at the bottom and their muzzles reaching into the upper wreath. The date "1902" stands in raised numerals above the bow. The wreath is closed at the top by the German imperial crown, with its jewelled bands, arched frame and cross-topped orb. The open field inside the wreath is filled by the khaki twill cloth on which the badge is mounted. On the reverse, a shaped panel of dark blue wool felt covers the oval and the base of the crown, and a long silver-coloured brooch pin with a coiled spring and a folded catch is attached to the felt. This single pin is not the issued fitting, and the felt backing and pin appear to be a later remounting for wear or display. The badge's original split pins and counter-plate, if still present, are hidden by the felt. No maker's mark is visible in the provided images.

Kaiser Wilhelm II instituted the Kaiserabzeichen on 27 January 1895 to raise the standard of marksmanship in the army. Each year the infantry company with the best shooting results in each army corps won the badge, and every non-commissioned officer and man of the company wore it on the right upper arm of the uniform for the following year. The company commander received an inscribed silver shield, and the company itself received a bronze bust of the Kaiser. The armies of Saxony, Württemberg and Bavaria held their own competitions and awarded a Königsabzeichen (King's Badge) under a royal crown; the imperial crown on this example marks it as the Kaiser's award. Separate badges were awarded to the field and foot artillery, with crossed cannon, to the Jäger and Schützen battalions, and from 1903 to the machine-gun detachments. The infantry badge was die-stamped in gilt brass, with six soldered split pins on the reverse that passed through the sleeve cloth and a metal counter-plate, and the year of the award stood above the bow. From 1902, companies that won again had the additional award years added to the badge, either stamped into the wreath or on small scrolls or plates. The competition was held for the last time in 1913.

The khaki cloth gives this example its distinctive appearance. Badges were normally worn on the dark blue or field-grey cloth of the uniform, and the khaki twill mount here departs from that pattern. Khaki and drab cottons were worn by German troops in tropical service, and the colour has led to this badge being associated with colonial service, but the award was competed for within the army corps, no record has been found of it being contested by the colonial Schutztruppen (protection forces), and the badge carries no unit marking or accompanying document, so the origin of the khaki mount cannot be confirmed. The company and the soldier who wore it are not known.

Condition is good. The gilt finish is bright overall, with wear to the high points of the crown, the rifles and the oak leaves, and small areas of dark toning in the recesses of the wreath, with a spot of verdigris on the left edge of the wreath visible on the reverse. A small dark mark sits on the butt of the left-hand rifle. The khaki twill is clean and intact within the field. The dark blue felt backing shows light wear and loose fibres at its edges, and the pin is present with light surface wear.

The Kaiserabzeichen was a distinction won by a company as a whole, and each dated badge records a single year's competition between the companies of an army corps. Dated badges are sought by collectors of Imperial German insignia and of the marksmanship awards of the German states. The khaki mounting on this example is non-standard, and its origin is unknown.