Soviet "Otlichnik" (Excellence) badges

[kimj]

Anybody here that collect the different types of Excellent Baker etc. badges? These badges are one of my personal favourite areas of collecting. Only problem is that they are so faked nowadays

This is how I display them or at least all the different variants. Yes, I do have some variants other than the ones shown.

/Kim

[kimj]

Here is a close up of my latest treasure, Excellent Torpedo man.

/Kim

Edited August 5, 2005 by kimj

[kimj]

Oops! Wrong forum! Sorry about that. Perhaps someone can move it....

[Guest Rick Research]

No problem for my semi amazing almost super powers to fix!

I wish I could say the same thing about my COMPLETE lack of experience with these badges. I got a couple 10 years ago when everything was flooding west "cheap" and there were no rrference books and

you guessed it

they were FAKE. Even then!

So I have personally avoided these ever since, and know nichevo about them.

Please post away any you have, and side by side "Good versus Bad" would be a great help!!!

[kimj]

Thanks Rick!

The badges are very well faked nowadays. So I don't think you can tell the good from the bad without "hands-on" knowledge, sometimes not even then. But I can show one of the older type of fakes. The only one in my collection, at least I hope so...

This is a very bad Exc. Pontoneer. As the pic show it actually fell apart. Making it a three part badge.

This is one of my first badges of this kind. Bought in St Petersburg with two other, also fake. This was in -94, so it's a 1:st generation fake.

/Kim

[kimj]

This is a good one. Notice that it is a bit less flat than the other. It also has a thick screwpost. This used to be a good way of telling fakes from original stuff. All the early fakes had a thin screwpost.

The elongated shape is WW2 issue, the other one I posted imitates a later issue. This shape is now very popular with fakers as it's WW2 issue, made last year.

I might add that I had some negative comments about the originality of this badge on antoher forum. But I belive it's good as does a dealer I had contact with. No, I didn't buy it from him

/Kim

[Chris S]

These badges were knocked up all over the place...a Sniper....

Chris

[Chris S]

The Sniper back...the backs are what I look at closely for dubious origins..

[Chris S]

This is a sniper with a silver finish...great pieces...show real wear and tear of use...

Chris

[Chris S]

Sniper silver variation....back...

[Gerd Becker]

Can someone explain this newbie, what were the requirements for the award of these badges?

TIA

best,

Gerd

[Chris S]

Gerd I don't know, although I remember seeing somewhere that the sniper badge was for an amount of confirmed kills (I maybe wrong)..these badge's follow a long tradition of best awards....below is a 1911 Best Shotist..

Chris

[Chris S]

1928 version...one of my favourite badges

[Chris S]

The 1939 version which was then replaced by the best series for all trades..

[Alfred]

A short guideline through the history of the excellent badges:

1. Excellent serviceman of the RKKA

This badge was founded at 14. November 1939 from the council of people commissars.

There are two versions of the badge.

1. with s/n smooth surface backside

2. without s/n mirror backside

highest observed s/n 21.558

The badge was given to soldiers, political workers, commanders and other leadership persons. It was given for best results in political work, combat training and good discipline.

2. Excellent badges WW II

There are 24 different excellent badges. They were founded by the Supreme Soviet of the UdSSR. (1942-1947)

These badges were given to soldiers and NCO?s of the different branches of the army, navy and air force. They has been worn on the right side of the uniform. These excellent badges has been awarded after the sucess of an education/training year and respectively after a sucessfull ending of an seminar/training course. For some excellent badges the recipant have to solve shooting taks with specified results. (like sniper, machine-gunner, artilleryman..). For other badges like excellent cook the recipant had to perform best services in excellent cooking, to comply work hygiene, to deal savly with the material)

and so on.....

Dates of issue:

21.05.1942:

excellent sniper

excellent artillery man

excellent tanker

excellent mortar man

excellent maschine gunner

excellent torpedo artificer

excellent submariner

19.08.1942:

excellent sapper

excellent mine-layer

04.11.1942:

excellent medical service

21.12.1942:

excellent serviceman railroad troops

10.03.1943:

excellent scout

03.04.1943:

excellent signaller

05.04.1943:

excellent pontonier

30.04.1943:

excellent serviceman anti aircraft

08.07.1943:

excellent cook

excellent baker

excellent driver

excellent road worker

10.09.1943:

excellent tractor driver

10.06.1947:

excellent sniper

3. Excellent badges 1957

In April 1957 the minister of defence established 3 new excellent badges. One for the army, one for the air force and one for the navy. They replaced the 24 different excellent badges.

3 dates from excellent badges are missing. Help needed!

excellent fireman

excellent aviation experts (2 varations)

remark: the excellent fireman badge was the only badge which was further awarded after 1957 when the excellent badges were replaced by the three badges.

Edited August 14, 2005 by Alfred

[ehrentitle]

Here are couple of badges I picked up in the mid-80s while stationed in Berlin:

WWII Mortar Excellence Badge:

[ehrentitle]

Reverse:

[ehrentitle]

Post WWII Excellence Badge, better made and heavier than the later versions.

[Gerd Becker]

Chris and Andreas, Thanks, guys

[kimj]

Very nice and informative reply Alfred!

I have looked in the Borisov book of army badges. I think he gives the date of the MVD ukaz for fire figther 20 june 1947. The Air force soldier badges has year only, 1947.

I also checked this rather intresting site,in russian, about the badges. There he gives an other date for fire fighter badge. But I think he's mixing it up with another, the MVD fire figther. Anyway: http://www.znakisssr.h15.ru/

Nice pics of the award documents.

Also the badge you listed in 1947 as sniper should probably be rifle man in English.

/Kim

[Danny]

Very informative thread. Thanks for the info.

[Dudeman]

3. Excellent badges 1957

In April 1957 the minister of defence established 3 new excellent badges. One for the army, one for the air force and one for the navy. They replaced the 24 different excellent badges.

3 dates from excellent badges are missing. Help needed!

excellent fireman

excellent aviation experts (2 varations)

remark: the excellent fireman badge was the only badge which was further awarded after 1957 when the excellent badges were replaced by the three badges.

[Guest Sniper_RKKA]

Hello!

I,m Russian. And a can not very well speak english.

http://www.znakisssr.h15.ru/ This is my sait. I learned history of thisis badges.

If you hsve questions for this bages - i can answer.

[Danny]

Hello!

I,m Russian. And a can not very well speak english.

http://www.znakisssr.h15.ru/ This is my sait. I learned history of thisis badges.

If you hsve questions for this bages - i can answer.

Hello

Welcome to the forum. I visit your website on a regular basis.

[Wild Card]

Gentlemen,

Having spent most of my life in bakeries, when this came along, I just had to...

Regards,

Wild Card