{"product_id":"imperial-german-wwi-black-wound-badge-verwundetenabzeichen-screw-back-1918","title":"Imperial German WWI Black Wound Badge Verwundetenabzeichen Screw-Back 1918","description":"\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\"\u003eOriginal Imperial German \u003cem\u003eVerwundetenabzeichen in Schwarz\u003c\/em\u003e (Wound Badge in Black), the third-class grade of the \u003cem\u003eVerwundetenabzeichen\u003c\/em\u003e instituted by Kaiser Wilhelm II on 3 March 1918 to recognize soldiers of the Imperial German Army wounded in combat during the First World War. The black grade was conferred for one or two wounds; the silver grade for three or four wounds; and the gold grade for five or more wounds, total disability, or posthumous award. The present piece is the less commonly encountered screw-back (\u003cem\u003eSchraubscheibe\u003c\/em\u003e) variant, produced for private-purchase wear and favored by officers and naval personnel for its more secure mounting on the tunic.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\"\u003eThe badge is die-struck in stamped iron with its original black-painted finish and takes the standard oval form of the 1918 issue, measuring approximately 1 3\/4 inches by 1 1\/2 inches (44 mm by 38 mm). The obverse depicts in high relief an M1916 \u003cem\u003eStahlhelm\u003c\/em\u003e (steel helmet) of the Imperial pattern set above two crossed broad-bladed swords, the whole composition resting on a finely pebbled field and surrounded by an oval wreath of laurel leaves and berries tied at the base with a small bow. The helmet is rendered in distinctly Imperial profile, deep at the rear with the characteristic flared neck guard, and bears no insignia — confirming the 1918 issue rather than any later derivative pattern. The reverse takes the form of a smooth circular plate fitted with a central threaded brass post, secured by a separate domed steel washer and knurled brass retention nut, all components original to the piece. The brass nut shows the expected knurled rim for finger-tightening to the tunic.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\"\u003eThe Wound Badge was instituted late in the war, with the first awards made in the summer of 1918, and remained in active issue through the abolition of the Imperial Army that November. Recipients wore it on the lower left breast of the tunic, below the Iron Cross and other combat decorations. It was the first dedicated wound decoration in Prussian and Imperial German military tradition — earlier conflicts had relied on commemorative campaign medals and unit-specific recognition rather than a formal wound award — and its institution reflected the unprecedented scale of casualties sustained on the Western and Eastern Fronts. By the close of hostilities, several hundred thousand black-grade badges had been issued, alongside far smaller numbers of the silver and gold grades. Collectors should note that the design provided the direct template for the later 1936 Spanish Civil War (Condor Legion) wound badge and, in modified form with the M1935 helmet, the 1939 wound badge — but the 1918 Imperial pattern is distinguished by the M1916 helmet profile and the complete absence of any National Socialist insignia.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\"\u003eThe German \u003cem\u003eVerwundetenabzeichen in Schwarz\u003c\/em\u003e translates literally as \"Wound Badge in Black.\" The screw-back construction is referred to in collector literature as the \u003cem\u003eSchraubscheibe-Ausführung\u003c\/em\u003e (screw-disc execution) and represents one of three principal mounting variants encountered in 1918 production, alongside the more common needle pin-back and the rarer stick-pin form intended for civilian dress wear by demobilized recipients.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\"\u003eCondition is honest and consistent with a piece carried during the period and the years following. The black-painted finish remains substantially intact across the obverse, with the helmet, swords, pebbled field, and wreath all sharply defined and the laurel detail crisp throughout. The high points of the helmet crown and the sword edges show light gilt-style wear where the paint has thinned naturally with handling. Minor verdigris is visible in the recessed areas of the upper field where the iron substrate has reacted slightly under the paint. The reverse plate shows expected age oxidation and surface darkening, with the brass post and retention nut intact, original, and fully functional — the screw assembly tightens correctly. No maker mark or \u003cem\u003eD.R.G.M.\u003c\/em\u003e registration number is visible on the reverse plate from the photographs, though one may be present under loupe inspection. The badge sits flat and presents cleanly when mounted.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\"\u003eFor the Imperial German collector, the screw-back wound badge is a meaningful step beyond the standard pin-back example. It represents a private-purchase upgrade favored by officers and naval personnel who wanted a more secure mounting than the factory pin assembly, and surviving examples in original screw-back configuration with all components present are notably scarcer than the pin-back form. As a piece of late-war Imperial decoration history, it pairs naturally with an Iron Cross 2nd Class 1914, a Hindenburg Cross for combatants, and any state-level service or merit medals from the recipient's home territory.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Derrittmeister Militaria Group","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49379003269359,"sku":"01-22","price":135.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0662\/9169\/5855\/files\/01-22_1.jpg?v=1777404764","url":"https:\/\/derrittmeister.com\/products\/imperial-german-wwi-black-wound-badge-verwundetenabzeichen-screw-back-1918","provider":"Derrittmeister Militaria Group","version":"1.0","type":"link"}