Warrant Disc Identification Guide

This is an identification guide for the different Warrant Discs issued during the 3rd Reich period. The photos show all the discs that are currently believed to be issued by various organizations. As a general note, all warrant disc were die stamped. Cast discs are post 1945. Also, the various oraganizations which issued Warrant Discs were not under RZM control, so any disc with an RZM "M" number is a fantasy piece. Excellent copies have appeared on the market in the last few years. They can only be recognized by direct comparison with an accepted original, so beware! To the best of our knowledge, all the examples shown are original pre-1945 manufacture. If anyone has questions or suggestions, please contact [email protected].

© 2000, 2018 by GermanDaggers.com

Prussian Police Discs - 1934-1937

Historically, Warrant Discs were in use as early as 1830. Under Hermann Goering, Prussia issued the first Warrant Discs bearing the swastika. The discs were die-struck by the Prussian state mint in both bronze and nickle-silver. The silver disc was issued to officers of the rank of Kommissar or higher. The bronze disc was issued to officers of lower rank. Two versions of the disc were produced. The "Staatliche Preussiche Kriminal Polizei" disc was for officers of the state criminal police. On these discs, the city name was die-struck at the time of production. The "Preussiche Gemeinde Kriminal Polizei" disc was for officers of the local criminal police and the city name was stamped in locally. Discs with the city name "Berlin" are recent reproductions as no original disc with that city name has been identified.


Staatliche Preussiche Kriminal Polizei nickle silver	Staatliche Preussiche Kriminal Polizei bronze
Preussiche Gemeinde Kriminal Polizei nickle silver	Preussiche Gemeinde Kriminal Polizei bronze

Gestapo and Kripo Discs - 1937-1945

With the consolidation of all Police services under Heinrich Himmler, new discs were issued. The discs were produced in three versions. The disc marked Geheime Staatspolizei (GESTAPO) was die-struck in nickle silver. The disc marked Staatliche Kriminalpolizei (KRIPO) was die-struck in bronze for the State Criminal Police. The final disc marked Gemeindekriminalpolizei (KRIPO) was die-struck in soft iron with a copper plating for the Local Criminal Police.


Geheime Staatspolizei (Gestapo) nickle silver	Staatliche Kriminalpolizei (State Kripo) bronze	Gemeindekriminalpolizei (Local Kripo) copper plated iron

Protectorate Criminal Police Discs - 1944-1945

Protektoratskriminalpolizei discs were issued to the local criminal police in Bohemia and Moravia during the German occupation.


Protektoratskriminalpolizei bronze

Miscellaneous Discs

Warrant discs were issued by several other organizations. Shown below are examples accepted as original.


Bahnschutz Police bronze - die-stamped city name	Customs Investigation Service bronze - hand stamped city name	Customs Investigation Service nickle-silver - die-stamped city name
Fisheries Inspector bronze - hand stamped number & city (early version)	Fisheries Inspector aluminum - hand stamped number & city (later version)	Technical University Berlin Security bronze
General Government Foreign Exchange Investigation Service bronze	General Inspectorate MINSK Surveillance Officer bronze