Albania Albanian badges

[Eric Schena]

Here's another one of the goodies I picked up this past weekend that y'all may be interested in seeing. This is a badge for the Albanian Red Cross (Kryqi i Kuq Shqiptar or KKSH) that was made in the USSR by the Pobeda Factory in Moscow, so this dates to sometime in the 1950s. The Pobeda Factory also made the Badge commemorating the 15th Anniversary of the Peoples rmy that was awarded in 1958 (unfortunately, I do not have one of those to show).

If you thought Albanian medals were hard to research, try badges. There are no references at all for them, so this is definitely "seat of the pants" research.

Edited August 29, 2006 by Eric Schena

[Bob]

The Pobeda Factory also made the Badge commemorating the 15th Anniversary of the Peoples rmy that was awarded in 1958 (unfortunately, I do not have one of those to show).

When I get home this evening I'll post pics of 2 badges I recently acquired (as well as some other Albanian goodies). Off the top of my head I think the one you are mentioning is one of them.

[Bob]

A sports badge and a XV army badge

Note the number on reverse

[Eric Schena]

Hi Bob:

The spots stickpin was actually made in Czechoslovakia, probably in the 1960's. I have wanted to get one of those, but since sports badges aren't really my thing, I have not exactly been gung-ho about it. That said, real nice to see the back of one.

The other badge is actually not the 15th anniversary of the army but rather the 15th anniversary of Albania's liberation/overthrow of the nationalist Balli Komb?tar government on 29 November (29 N?ndor) 1944. The creation of the army is based against the creation of the General Staff of the National Liberation Army in June 1943. Below is a rather grainy shot of the Army badge.

All in all, great finds, Bob!

Cheers,

Eric

Edited September 25, 2006 by Eric Schena

[Bob]

Hi Eric - you sure know a lot about Albanian awards... even badges!

Attached some lower end ones. Not particularly striking in quality or design but still nice to add here.

Nothing special on reverse... just a pin.

From left to right:

- KS 17 N?ntori - TIRANA SPORT CLUB

- FOR THE 40th ANNIVERSARY OF THE "Bashkimi" (The Union)magazine. Official journal of the Democratic Albanian Front under the communist regime

- 50th ANIVERSARY OF THE LIBERATION FROM THE NAZI-FASCIST-OCCUPATION

Perhaps I should return to Albania once. Have travelled there before and loved it (you start to really appreciate those little pill boxes spread throughout the country:)). And the reception at the airport was very nice as well... the plane was surrounded by snipers! Turned out that the president was about to fly in on a different plane from a trip abroad:)

[Bob]

Let's by default make this thread into the "badge" thread then. Will inevitably contain mainly undocumented items.

5 badges (right to left):

- Distinguished Artist Badge

- Distinguished Military Cadet Badge

- Distinguished Soldier Badge

- unknown

- 40th Liberation Anniversary Badge

Apart from the first one, generally not "high quality" (i.e. a cheapish flimsy feel / weight) although the design isn't half bad.

Edited December 2, 2006 by Bob

[Bob]

Reverse

[Bob]

And here a nice little (thumbnail sized - makes you wonder who actually used to wear these) Chinese badge: "Long Live the Friendship between China & Albania"

[Eric Schena]

Let's by default make this thread into the "badge" thread then. Will inevitably contain mainly undocumented items.

I agree - topic has been suitably renamed

I have several earlier badges coming to me and I will post them here when they arrive. The badge for Distinguished in Cultural Labor that you show to the far right I believe was made in Czechoslovakia. Turns out ZUKOV in Prague made some of the more important distinctions/titles in the 1960s and 1970s. So far, I don't think they made medals proper per se, but if it is a well made pinback badge, odds are it's Czech made.

Cheers,

Eric

[Eric Schena]

Here's a new one that I got recently. This is a membership badge of the Union of Labor Youth of Albania (Bashkimi i Rinis? s? Pun?s t? Shqip?ris? or BRPSH). The badge is unmarked but was made in Czechoslovakia by ZUKOV and the quality shows. This badge also has the membership document to Meri Grigor Ceroni dated June 18, 1977.

Cheers,

Eric

Edited December 4, 2006 by Eric Schena

[Bob]

Here's some more badges

- 100th Anniversary of Prizren Treaty

- Distinguished Officer

- Distinguished Village Youth

- Distinguished Volunteer

[Bob]

- Always Ready badge

- 15th Anniversary of Peoples Army badge

[Bob]

Regarding the Prizren Treaty, from Wikipedia:

"During the late 19th century the city became a focal point for Albanian nationalism and saw the creation in 1878 of the League of Prizren, a movement formed to seek the national unification and liberation of Albanians within the Ottoman Empire. "

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/League_of_Prizren

[Bob]

Some new items just in... first FDSH badge + certificate dated 2-5-77 (not clear what the "Nr" in front is).

Some translation (from the seller):

"BADGE AND CERTIFICATE AWARDED BY FDSH TO A DISTINGUISHED FDSH ACTIVIST FOR HIS GOOD WORK IN PROPAGATING THE DIRECTIVES AND DECISIONS OF LABOR PARTY OF ALBANIA TO THE MASSES"

Further noting:

FDSH STANDS FOR "ALBANIAN DEMOCRATIC FRONT" - THIS WAS A COMMUNIST ORGANISATION THAT PROPAGATED THE COMMUNIST AND LABOR PARTY IDEALS TO THE MASS OF PEOPLE. THEY WERE ACTIVE IN EVERY NEIGHBOURHOOD AND THEY WERE THE EYES AND THE HANDS OF THE PARTY

[Bob]

Next up...

Left to right:

- Distinguished Medical Worker Badge

- 8th Congress of PPSH badge

- Pioneers of Enver Hoxha badge (cheapish feel to it - similar in design to much nicer produced Always Ready badgeg)

- Young Naturalist bade (whatever that is - high quality / heavy feeling badge though)

[Belaruski]

Another Red Cross badge from the same manufacturer, but I have to share this with someone!

[Ed_Haynes]

And here a nice little (thumbnail sized - makes you wonder who actually used to wear these) Chinese badge: "Long Live the Friendship between China & Albania"

Nice badge for Sino-Albanian friendship. Have to ask a good friend in Shanghai who was one of half-a-dozen Chinese trained in Albanian and employed as a government translator back in the day when only Albania and China spoke to each other.

[Bob]

Here another red cross badge + FDSH (Albanian Democratic Front) 6TH Congress Badge

[Bob]

reverse

[Bob]

Distinguished in Socialist Stimulation badge and certificate.

Notice the badge is produced in Prague (Zhukov?)

[Bob]

2 badges:

- pinback "distinguished mercantile worker"... note: numbered (rare for Albanian badges / awards)

- screwback Prawema (tiny screw by the way) BPSH (BASHKIMET PROFESIONALE TE SHQIPERISE or ALBANIAN PROFESSIONAL UNION) badge

[Bob]

Front

[Eric Schena]

I think that "Distinguished Mercantile Worker" badge is Soviet made - the serial numbering is in that distinct style. Very nice!

[Bob]

A military badge (supposedly Albanian)

No further detals

Nothing on reverse to help

[Belaruski]

Can we see the back? Just out of curiosity!

Edited January 13, 2008 by Belaruski