Description
This is a Winterhulp Nederland (WHN), First model streetcollectors badge.
These were worn by the streetcollectors who collected money in the streets with the wellknown red collectorscans.
The first model we offer here was only in use for a very short time at the end of 1940. The foundation Winterhulp Nederland (WHN) was founded on 22 October 1940. WHN was intended to ‘provide help and support to needy Dutch citizens without regard to persons’. Rost van Tonningen was one of the members of the honorary committee and the director of WHN, Carel Piek, was known as pro-German even though he was not a national socialist.
The badge has a black enameled border and on the lower end in enameled letters “N.S.B.” and the word “Winterhulp” [Winteraid]. It also shows on the front the typical winter christmas decoration of green branches and berries. As the Winterhulp started out as a sesonal collectime for people in need in winter, this seemd appropriate. However, when time passed and more streetcollections were made in e.g. march and may and also more and more collectors came t the organisation, th need for a different bdge that was not only associated with the christmas-winterperiod emerged and the wellknown green cloverleaf badges for collectors came into being for the rest of the wartime period.
This particular first model badge is extremely rare with less than a handfull known in some of the most advanced collections. I don’t expect to ever be able to offer another.
