Chuck In Oregon

* * * * * If my darlin' wife had been within, say, 5,000 miles, I probably wouldn't have bought this one. Well, couldn't have with two broken arms and bleeding from the ears, I suppose. But she wasn't and I can't be trusted with money around good collectibles, so here it is. I don't regret it, mind you, but it was costly in more ways than one. She really doesn't see the humor when I say "It's only money." Chuck

This is my only Order of St. George. It is gold and marked only on the ring. Even with a 10x glass I can't read the mark. This award comes from the Turkish War. I acquired a few other related items from this officer's family and I'll post them one of these days. Chuck

I knew I had this one around somewhere. I just couldn't find it yesterday. This is also a physician's badge, but much different than my/our other variant. As you can see from the third image, this one is much smaller. I understand that it is quite scarce, as well. The construction of this badge is interesting. Once again, the eagle appears to be a stock piece, merely silver-plated brass. However, the medical insignia itself is solid silver. The outer leaves also appear to be silver, and individually made and attached as well. The medical insignia is 84 proofed and hallmarked DK. As you likely know, DK is Dmitri Kuchkin, one of the leading silver masters of his time. The screwplate also bears his hallmark but it is not proofed.

You beat me to it with this badge. Here's mine. The badge is silver plated and the snakes are gilted. You can read the name of the doctor on the plate. I bought his very interesting group from his family a couple of years ago. Recently they called up said they had found his physician's badge and did I want it? No question about that, and now it is in my collection and this is it. I'll post the whole group later on. I suspect it will be well received. Chuck

No photos, this is an orphan piece. I do have a cross-over Imperial-Red Army aviation group with a couple of badges, a photo and some documents. I'll get around to posting it one of these days. Chuck

* * * * * Yes, that is undoubtedly correct and it also makes sense given what little I know of this badge and that unit. It is definitely from the Caucasus. Thank you. I am very interested in what book you are referring to. Which book is it and do you know where I can find it? We should probably have a separate thread on what references we use and where they are available. I think that most collectors buy lots of reference books. Mine are so inadequate. I would sure like to buy some new ones. There is always more to learn. BTW, what is your source for those nifty acrylic medal displays. I just googled for them but haven't yet come across the exact ones that you have. Chuck

This is certainly one of my better badges. It is the 250-Year badge of the 13th Grenadier Regiment. It is solid gold, proofed and hallmarked. It weighs 23.52 grams, without the screwback. The screwback is solid silver, also proofed and hallmarked. Chuck

Attributed jetons are an interesting theme to collect. I have only a few and I would like to acquire more. And not many collectors can boast of one attributed to a prince. Yours is very striking. Was he also a relative? Mine are much more plebian. Chuck

That is a very nice group, well presented, and it honors your ancestors well. Would you consider writing up what you know about the recipient of those badges? I know that I would be interested in learning about him or them. Chuck

Good Morning Pete First, thank you for the web site reference. I have several in my "Favorites" folder but I didn't have that one. I have one numbered silver St. George Cross with absolutely no provenance. It came from another collector. I have a gold unnumbered example with a good provenance as told by the family from whom I bought it. Of course, anyone can make up a story, but I tend to believe the family histories when I hear them in the first person. I also have a group that includes an un-numbered gold example from a titled Georgian family who stated that the recipient definitely did purchase that example. Yet, I have a soldier's committee example with ribbon and leaves, awarded to a young officer, that is numbered. I don't quite know what to make of all this. My limited experience is that there were more unnumbered examples than I might previously have thought. I know that owing an example does not imply knowledge of any sort, and I claim none. I have stopped asking questions of the "Why would they ... " nature, because I simply have too many of them. Thank you for your thought-provoking response. Chuck

* * * * * I didn't know that the St. George frachnik might be that old, nor do I know anything about them in general. In four years of searching in Georgia, I only found the two miniatures I have already posted. I am looking for the kind of reference books that might include research and history of that nature. Most of my books are what a friend calls "numismatic", merely identifying (at best) what I have, with no history. They are OK for what they are, but I am a curious fellow and I always want to know more about the history, requirements, numbers issued, variations, dates and so on. Chuck

This is one of my favorite badges. The badge and plate are identically proofed and hallmarked, suggesting to me that the plate is original to the badge. The screwback is merely proofed. They are all solid silver with some kind of coating or dip, something like the blueing you see on gunmetal, but a little thicker. Then the black color was rubbed off of the high points to give a very dramatic effect to the wings and swords and the telescope. The eagle is solid gold. The right leg, as you are looking at the badge, fell off. The family actually had it in a little bag. A Georgian friend said "I can re-attach that leg, no problem." I, trusting fool that I am, said "Sure, go ahead." Bad, bad idea. He used a soldering iron (forgive me) and, of course, melted the delicate little leg into a tiny blob of gold. Oh well, live and learn, but you would think I'd know better at my age. At any age, really. There. Ten threads promised and ten delivered. More to follow. Are there any Imperial collectors out there besides George and me? George, you've got some terrific things. I'm envious. I really like early Imperial and Soviet aviation and I will trade for good pieces for good pieces. Chuck

Heavy bronze (or brass), two pieces, pre-WW I, I think. There is one in Avers 3, item 284, that they date to 1909. But ... who in the heck designed that oh-so-ugly eagle feeding her chicks in the nest, the center design of the badge? I mean, come on. Yeah, I get the symbolism, but that is one bad, bad design. It kinda looks like a Hydra, or maybe a pelican, or a winged snake about to eat the little guys. I bet the cadets from the other academies ragged them mercilessly. Chuck

This seems to be the 100-Year Jubilee Graduation Badge of Konstantin's Artillery School. From Alexander I to Nicholas II. The green enamel leaves in the wreath are a nice touch. I guess that's a duke's crown in the center, over the fancy K. It is heavy bronze or brass, four pieces -- body, top crown (brazed on), wreath and the Crown K -- and two colors of enamel. There is some cracking of the white enamel and the green enamel is partly missing in four of the leaves.

* * * * * Well, that sounds reasonable. As a commanding officer, you might want to show support to the provisional government while you were waiting for things to sort themselves out in St. Petersburg and Moscow. "Nip off the crowns, boys. That'll do until they send us some new insignia. Should be any day now." George, your photos are really excellent. Are you using a digital camera on a tripod? My scans are really second-rate compared to your photos. What are your tricks for such clear shots? Chuck

There's not much to this miniature, but I think it took some effort -- and luck, and friends in the right places -- to earn one. It appears to be gilted brass. The enamel is decent, but not particularly high quality. It is not hallmarked or proofed. I think the screwback (is there another name for that device?) is silver-plated brass.

Here is another variant of the RR engineer's badge, similar to the one that George posted. Similar, but with significant style differences. This badge is neither proofed nor hallmarked. It seems to be merely once-plated (if that), stamped brass, with gilt highlights on the crest. It has three parts: the wreath, the complete eagle theme and the crossed axe and anchor. It looks like the wreath and eagle may have been stock items and the department insignia added as needed. That might suggest a late-era badge, as opposed to a silver badge, but I really don't know. I thought about adding this to George's "Civil Breast Badges" thread. However, I finally decided to post a separate thread. In my opinion, a thread dedicated to a genre offers less to researchers than a thread dedicated to a more specific topic. In the genre thread, one may see a lot of different and interesting things, of course. But if someone wanted to research, say, Red Cross badges -- and I have some dandies to share -- then it would be a lot more tedious to wade through a general badge thread looking for them than to find a thread dedicated to them. This is only my opinion, of course. Chuck

Very, very nice aviation insignia. I have never seen the provisional example, even in books. Now I know of yet another hole in my collection. It's interesting that they removed the crown but retained the initial. Chuck

Shooting and sniper awards is another area that interests me. This is the only shooting award for an officer that I have come across. I like that the dainty chain is still perfect.

* * * * * PeteA Is it your contention that all St. George Crosses had to be numbered to be legitimate? Are you sure? Consider that it was common for private masters to make St. George Crosses on special order that were not numbered. These were worn as if they had come from government stock, assuming the wearer was entitled to the award, of course. Also, I think the base metal crosses were not well received and some soldiers, especially officers, bought precious metal versions with their own funds, if they had any. Was it not also the case that very late-war Turkish Front "Soldiers Committee" St. George Crosses were not numbered? Thus, might not there be examples that were legitimate but not numbered? I think it is likely that not all authentic awarded St. George Crosses were numbered. However, I freely admit my ignorance here, and I do not claim to be an expert of any kind, merely a curious collector. Chuck

As I heard the story, the tsar was reluctant to allocate part of his already-strained pre-war military budget to aircraft. He, like so many others, thought they had no significant military application. When WW I broke out he was way behind the power curve regarding an air force, and now his budget was really strained. He turned to the nation's wealthy with an appeal for donations. If the donation was above a certain level, and I have been told that level was enough to buy an airplane, then the donor received one of these jetons as a token of appreciation. Or so goes the tale. I wish I could get the whole straight story. I've got a lot of questions. My first one is, are these two different levels of the badge, one gilted silver and the other plain silver? (I'm almost positive that the one on the right is not simply one where the gilt has worn off.) If so, what were the criteria for each? How much did you have to donate? How many people did donate? Did anyone who was asked ever say "No thanks, Nicky, we've got other plans"? Both are proofed 84. The gilt badge is hallmarked "BA" in the style of Vasili Ivanovich Andreev. My pitiful hallmark book confirms that he was, indeed, a silversmith working until at least 1917. The plain silver badge is also hallmarked with what appears to be a "BA". This mark is about half the size of the other hallmark and very difficult to read, even with a 10x glass. My eyes don't help much, either. Very early aviation, both Imperial and Soviet, is one of my interests.

The word on the badge is zakon, "law". I think this is a judge's hat badge but I'm not sure. I do know that the recipient of this badge was a judge in Batumi, Georgia. But maybe this badge was awarded to, say, government attorneys too. I bought this badge, and 1-2 pictures of the judge, directly from his descendents.

<<Do you think that's what the Lt with the nurse is wearing?>> He has a sly grin and she has major bags under her eyes. I draw no conclusions, however. The insignia in the photo looks a little bit wide compared to my example. However, mine is the only one I have ever seen, so I have nothing else to compare it to. Surely they were made by a lot of small factories and shops who didn't have much in the way of regulations or guidance. In my heart ... yeah, thats what I think it is. As for Zero Mostel ... that is a very cruel thing to say to a serious student of history. My sides still hurt and I'll never again see that picture without thinking of it. Here is what a young ensign in the Imperial Air Service might have given to his sweetheart to remember him by. I have the same with three stars, but not with two. Chuck

My scanner gives the silver buckle a yellow hue that is completely absent in regular light. I'm not usually a uniform guy, but I couldn't let this buckle pass by. The fixtures on the back appear to be brass. The buckle is very curved, as you can see in the third image. It's in pretty good condition, all things considered.