Restoration of a cockade from German officer’s cap

Rewards and various badges are always appreciated among collectors. They are even more valuable if it is a personal find. Therefore, it was always important for me to preserve and restore every interesting thing that I found. One of them is a part of the cockade from German officer cap.
I was very happy when I found it, but cockade was in a very bad condition. It was bent in half, covered with dirt and oxide. And yet, I decided to take a chance, and the result made me very happy!

Сockade from German officer’s cap.

Washed сockade.

To begin with, the cockade was placed in a distilled water for a week. After that, cleaning with a scalpel and a copper brush took place. Cockade fracture place had to be soldered with tin.

Read: Restoration of silver coins

Restoration process.

At the end restoration of relics, the cockade was slightly acidified and polished.

Cockade after restoration.

Here’s a similar cockade on an officer’s headdress:

Photo of Erwin Rommel in a cap. The same cockade has been restored. Photos from the Internet.