For dozens of years they have been bountiful and plentiful and yet, oddly
enough, they were, for the most part completely overlooked. Yet they are
authentic productions of the infamous Third Reich and reflect most strongly its
beliefs, dogma and Party ideology.
It was not until the early 1980s that collectors began to appreciate the
significance of these unique badges that were so widely produced between the
period 1929-45. Prior to the publication of the first books on these insignia
by the Fox Hole under the auspices of Ron Manion, most tinnies sold for around
$2 each. They were hardly touched at military shows and they languished as
unwelcome visitors having no significant retail value.
Now with the advent of at least four volumes from the Fox Hole and a
significant book from Germany, the true value of these badges is being
appreciated. They have begun to sell for prices ranging from $10 to $200 and
are avidly sought after by collectors. It is time to examine, for TRENDLINE
readers just what a ‘tinnie’ is and its role in the understanding of the
National Socialist State. It should be noted that Manion’s Auction House always
has a very fine selection of tinnies in category I-5 and these photos that
accompany this article show some of the excellent badges that can be purchased
from the auction house.
Tinnies can often be called ‘rally’ or ‘event’ badges. Prior to the rise of the
Nazis to power in Germany, these small insignia were produced for Catholic and
Lutheran gatherings, assemblies of various hunting societies, marksman
competitions and even the centennials of various towns and grounding functions
such as the unveiling of monuments. They were often die struck of the cheapest
materials and had an applique finish of silver, gold or bronze applied to them.
By and large most were straight pin in configuration and were designed to be
worn on the lapels of period suits and peasant costume.
The tinnie, as a rally badge, existed back into the latter part of the 19th
century; yet, ironically, it would not be until Hitler’s struggle for power in
Germany that it would enter into its greatest triumph.
Hitler and his associates knew the value of an event badge: it would fix
forever in the participant’s mind the fact that he or she had been there; the
badge would mark the individual as a supporter of the National Socialist
movement and it would yield valuable monies to Hitler’s coffers.
The tri-fold purpose of the tinnie found acceptance in the Party and soon every
event that the Nazis sponsored found its tinnie propaganda advocate. For the
National Socialists there was a firm time division line. Activities before the
accession to power in 1933 were known as the ‘KAMPFZEIT’ or Battle Time. They
were far more significant due to the risk of death by reactionaries or
communists or even rival socialist groups. Many of these ‘rallies’ turned into
bloody battles in the streets as evidenced by the 1931 Brunswick Rally; others
were solidarity gatherings, often in hostile neighborhoods. Those who assembled
at the rallies bought a badge as a mark of honor. In effect they were stating,
“I was THERE!”. Wearing a pro-Nazi tinnie before 1933 was dangerous as it
marked one as a follower of Hitler.
Before he won the support of the German bankers, Hitler had to rely on the
sales of these badges as a mainstay for his fledgling movement. The National
Socialists were not a wealthy bunch: many of their so-called leaders had
plebian jobs as bank clerks, farmers, lower middle class workmen and even as
blue collar workers. Few could boast of any fortune. Indeed, after the Great
Depression of 1929 there was a saying in Germany, “If you can’t afford a shirt
on your back, join the Nazis and get a brown shirt!” A lot of the early Party
activity was centered on maintaining the symbols of allegiance. Early tinnies
were like early Party uniforms—shabby and cheap but they were desirable to the
recipient.
Tinnies are almost all dated and those before 1933 bring very commendable
prices as compared to those after Hitler’s assumption of power. There is no one
medium of material that can be said to constitute a tinnie’s metallic
composition. Indeed tinnies are found made of paper, silk ribbons, pressed
cardboard, leather, ceramics and a wide variety of other media including
plastic! Others are made of tin or later war metal (so-called ‘Kriegsmetall’),
zinc, copper, brass, alloys and even aluminum. Obviously the rarest tinnies are
those composed of the most fragile materials—paper, cardboard, ribbon material.
They had the least chance of survival.
After 1932, every branch of the Party, including the Allgemeine SS, struck
tinnies. They were issued to commemorate any approved Party gathering from
whole provinces (Gaue) to the lowest factory trade rally under the DAF. Many of
them show combined rallies of SS, SA, HJ, DAF, RAD. These are always
interesting as the motifs reflecting on these organizations appear in an
official hierarchy of power.
In addition to the various Party organs, the WHW or Winter Help Relief
Organization and related Nazi Social Service Organizations issued badges—some
ceramic, other paper or metal. There were whole sets reflecting on Aryan Viking
era weapons, art work: the WHW liked ceramic costumed peasant folk; the
Wehrmacht issued Day of Armed Forces badges in the form of grenades, bombs,
tanks, airplanes, etc.
Even the Traffic Police (Verkehrspolizei) issued tinnies reflecting on traffic
signs as motifs!
All of these badges were generally issued in sets, particularly so for the
Social Service agencies. There would appear advertisements in local papers
indicating where collectors could find personnel who would give them a badge or
tinnie for a donation. Some kids made it a habit to travel across their cities,
trying to obtain a whole set of the badges before they went out of circulation.
It would be comparable to American kids trying to collect a full set of TOPPS
Baseball or Football cards.
The basic tenet of the Nazi mind set was very simple—indoctrinate the
population and Party faithful. Thus there were always rallies where the same
speeches would be made by Ideologues who would hammer into the minds of ‘das
Volk’ that Hitler was god, Socialism was the best thing in the world and that
Germany was destined to rule the world. This accounts for the thousands of
rally tinnies that one finds. At no time were you supposed to think: the NSDAP
answered all of your questions.
Tinnie production was a cottage industry: it employed thousands of poor people
and strengthened the economy. Many times some firms used the exact same design,
just changing the city and date where the rally was held. Other ‘favored’
companies such as Deschler & Sohne in Munich (makers of Party badges and
the Blood Order) produced tinnies also.
Tinnies were particularly popular with youth groups like the Hitler Jugend. The
kids could buy a badge at one of their large Lager assembles (a giant Jamboree
as the outlawed Boy Scouts once had!); they’d be sent into nearby towns and
cities to sell HJ donation badges. The badges reflected a ‘theme’ – an ancient
galley for a North Sea Meeting, the double horse heads of medieval Hannover,
etc.
The SA enjoyed a paramilitary motif—sports competitions where grenade tossing,
full route marches with packs were performed. Often the SA tinnies, in addition
to the stylized ‘SA’ logo would show a single SA man or two throwing stick
grenades; others might show an SA man standing with an Army soldier—hinting at
the comradely nature of their relation with the army.
The SS produced tinnies but not as many as the SA. Several of the SS tinnies
celebrate the birth of Henry the Fowler, a 10th century German king who was the
favorite of Reichsfuhrer SS Heinrich Himmler; others are for sports events,
emphasizing marksmanship. SS tinnies can bring up to $250 as they are really
that rare. Copies have been made but they are cheap and easy to recognize. The
SS didn’t penny pinch on its propaganda!
Party tinnies are extremely ornate: many employ the motif of the Party
Standarte, the so-called “Deutschland Erwacht” flag. Several of them are ten
year commemoratives, honoring the presence of the Party in a Gau or region
since the 1925-26 era. Many Party tinnies were made for the great September
Party Day Rallies held at Nurnberg from 1929-38. In addition to these solid
struck bronze badges there is a whole series of May Day tinnies. Nominally a
‘socialist’ Party, the Nazis honored all of Socialism’s holidays though they
were about as ‘socialist’ as a cockroach is communist!
Party martyrs and political events were not overlooked: from the depredations
of the French in the Saar until the unification of Saar with Germany there was
a whole series of political tinnies struck—many showing Saarish hands pledging
allegiance to Hitler: others showed the chain bound hands being freed by a Nazi
eagle!
Although Hitler preferred to wear his Iron Cross and Black wound badge for the most
part, there are some interesting early photos of him at Party Day rallies
wearing a tinnie.
Although in a grey field, there are some early 1935 silvered WHW pin back round
badges showing a nice bust of Hitler with the motto “Hitlers Dank” for donations
to winter relief. So many have survived, it would be wise to say that they must
have been extremely popular. Since they were given for monetary donations, one
could say they were tinnies also.
The age of the tinnie rapidly declined after the commencement of the war. There
still was a smattering of them being produced but by 1942 with the advent of
the last “Police Day Tinnies’ of 1942 and HJ Donation 1942 badges, the tinnie
was in decline. Now, in the war they were made of a gray ugly zinc material. The
beauty of the pre-war examples was long gone.
I was happy to see, some years ago, that they had made a comeback in post-war
Germany, appearing again in the early 50s.
Tinnies are very attractive and the wise collector can amass a very nice
selection of them for a very moderate price: they are 100% of the period and
reflect most strongly on the bizarre mindset of the political movement that has
forever marked the world.