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WWII GERMAN SHIELD - KUBAN - This battle shield was created on September 21, 1943. The shield was issued to commemorate the campaign launched in the Crimean area after February 1943. The award came attached to a piece of cloth to allow its bearer to saw it to the sleeve of the tunic. The back of the award had a sheet of paper glued to it.



Qualifications for the Kuban shield
The Army, Navy and Luftwaffe personnel were entitled to receive this award. Qualifications for Army personnel to earn the shield included the following criteria:



  1. Continuous service for a period of two months in the Kuban region.
  2. The recipient was wounded while serving in the area.
  3. The soldier participated in one or more major battles.


Note that the criteria for the Navy and Air Force may vary from the ones listed here. That information is not known to the author at this time.





The German Kuban Shield

The "Military minute" is a series of instructional videos created by MilitaryItems.com for the purpose of providing basic information about military collectibles. The idea is to expose people to the exciting world of military collectibles.

The video presentation coupled with detailed photographs and written information, including a military collectible's price guide, and anatomical breakdown of each piece enhances the visitor's experience.

Whether you are a long time collector, a beginner or simply have an interest in the history and value of each collectible, we hope that you find the information presented here useful.



Anatomy of the Kuban shield
The award consists of a shield with a large eagle crowning it. The eagle has the wings fully spread. The head is facing to the right. As with many other awards, the eagle is clutching a swastika. The date 1943 is written. The number "19" is placed to the left of the swastika while the number 43 is to the right.

The shield is secured to a piece of wool cloth. The color of the cloth indicated the branch of service to which the award was issued. Paper could have been used to line the back of the shield (refer to photo). The name "KUBAN" is placed in large, block font right below the swastika.

A map is displayed from the middle of the shield on down. This represents the area where the campaign took place. Notice the detail on the eagle and wreath.

The shield was sewn to the arm of the uniform.

This page is a recognition and identification guide for WWII German badges and awards. Multiple detailed photos of a specific sample are provided. Descriptions point out clearly defined points that should be noted.

One of the most commonly asked questions is "How much is my WWII German badge worth?". A price guide is included here to address this question. The value of the badges and awards is reviewed over a period of several years. A trend can be observed. The present worth of the German badges in the collector's market is illustrated.

This service is provided free of charge to the visitor/enthusiast courtesy of MilitaryItems.com, a company dedicated to the preservation of military history and to providing quality military antiques and collectibles to museums, institutions and the general public.

WANT TO LEARN MORE?
  1. FAQ's
  2. Kuban Shield Anatomy
  3. Identifying fakes and reproductions
  4. RZM manufacturing codes
  5. LDO manufacturing codes
  6. Construction materials
  7. Pins, hinges and other
  8. Perspective view
  9. Purchasing a WWII German badge

By the Numbers
It is hard to determine the exact number of Kuban shields that were produced. However, thanks to the record keeping maintained by the Wehrmacht, it is possible to find how many shields were actually issued.


There were a total of 145,000 shields issued during the war. The total number is divided among the different branches of the service. The author does not know the breakdown.

The Kuban shield was issued along with an award document. Not all documents were identical. variations can be found from unit to unit. A few things that all documents would have in common are the signature of the officer who awarded the shield and the state seal.



Collecting Third Reich Shields
Collecting Third Reich memorabilia is a field that has been growing since the days the GI's rummaged around Europe bringing back military souvenirs. German soldiers wore many of their awards on their uniforms when they went to battle. Once the soldier was killed or captured, the American soldiers would take the awards as war trophies. Eventually all these pieces came back to the United States where military history enthusiasts began to collect them.


In trying to determine if you should collect Kuban shields there are certain factors that should be considered.

The adjacent table outlines some of the advantages and disadvantages of collecting the Kuban shields.



KUBAN SHIELD EXAMPLES

The Kuban shield was produced by several manufacturers and in different configurations. The following section displays some of the different types that were produced. It is a good idea to take a look to as many examples as possible in order to learn more about the subject.


This is a Kuban shield.



This award is currently being reproduced. It is becoming more difficult to be able to tell the fake ones from the real ones because the quality of the reproductions is improving. The collector must become familiarized with the construction style and materials employed in the manufacturing of this badge. Attention to the details is critical in order to be able to determine the authenticity of the badge.



If you have an interest is seeing other badges and awards of the Third Reich, you can do so by going to our WWII German Badges and Awards identification guide. Where we cover Heer (Army), Navy (Kriegsmarine) and Air Force (Luftwaffe) items.









PRICING GUIDE INFORMATION

The value for WWII German Combat badges and other military antiques and collectibles is provided as a means to educate the collector community and individuals who have a general interest on the field. The following is an estimated value. Prices may vary in every state and every country. This service is provided courtesy of MilitaryItems.com. The source for military antiques and collectibles in the web.



Year 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
Value $175.00 $200.00 $220.00 $220.00 $230.00 $230.00
Availability Medium Medium Medium Medium Medium Medium
Invest Grade A A A A A A


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