Hungary Items offered - can you help to ID

[drewchaneyau]

Good Day Guys. Seemingly my increased knowledge when it comes to new items of POLITICAL OFFICER Training / POLITICAL ACADEMY awards etc, has made me aware of newer items on the market. I am enjoying the continued hunt for such items following much help from this forum. I am greatfull. I now know what to look for (seemingly), but I need your help on these 2 items listed.

Dealers are eager to indicate these 2 items as being of POLITICAL Training value......are they correct? They do not fit the information I have at hand. So I am seeking confirmation and a correct designation. Can you help?

Gratefully yours - DREW

[Guest Rick Research]

The symbolism is all wrong. Gun, book, and target suggest paramilitary youth training.

Magyar is utterly beyond me, but the Bulgarian badge is something along the lines of "Excellent Shooting" in the standard Communist Bloc sports/civil defense umbrella organizations at schools.

[Dave Danner]

Rick is right about the Bulgarian: otlichen strelets = excellent rifleman. I'm not sure what the VPO is, probably one of those umbrella organizations, but Pazardzhik is a city in Bulgaria.

The Hungarian badge says "for national defense".

Edited February 25, 2008 by Dave Danner

[hunyadi]

The Hungarian badge (on left) as I recal is a 'good job on the last test' badge for the lesser military academies. These are not rare at all and were from the 1970's. Basicaly if you want to get politcial in Hungarian you have to go for items beofre 1957. These are rare and very difficult to find. Thought established in 1950, this badge was awarded till the fall in 1989. "The Soldier and Political Training Excellence Badge for Officers" is in gold - later in the early 1960's there was a silver version for the NCOs.

This example is a early 1950's type. The wide prongs and the excelent enamel are clues for this. After 1957 the prongs were thin and the finish was more 'stay bright'

These badges are the most affordable and the most plentiful

Edited February 25, 2008 by hunyadi

[hunyadi]

Or if you want really rare - how about 19 ever awarded 'Excellent Political Officers Badge'

[hunyadi]

And the political offciers badge from 1949 to 1952 - discarded after 1952. This is from the Hungarian Military Museum

[hunyadi]

And finally another ultra rare badge for excelent students at the Petofi Academy (for polit officers) from the early 1950's