Soviet Early Soviet Police Badges

[Chuck In Oregon]

I?d like to start a thread on early Soviet police badges. Nearly all my things come from Georgia, including these first five badges, so that?s what I can contribute.

In the first image, the smaller badge on the left is similar to item 1841 in Avers-8 but with less detail, much poorer enamel and no visible design beneath the enamel. It is grey metal rather than gilt. Avers describes 1841 - the silver variant - as a hat badge for RKM officers, 1926-30. The example in the book is gilt or brass, a ranker?s variant. Replacement screwplate.

The larger badge on the right most closely resembles Avers-8 item 1849 which is described as an RKM ranker?s breast badge, 1923. The only obvious difference is there is no portion below the banner that might have born a badge number.

These examples are pretty crude, nothing like the quality of the RSFSR examples in the books. I don?t think they?re fakes, though. I think they?re just local rush-job badges from a chaotic period in a far-away republic. Neither appears problematic under a black light.

Chuck

[Chuck In Oregon]

This image includes three police badges from Georgia, two of them from Tbilisi.

The top badge most closely resembles Aver-8 item 1836, which is an illustration only rather than a photo. It is also described as an RKM ranker?s breast badge, 1923-26. There are a couple of differences from the book. This one appears to be solid brass (and is definitely heavy enough) and has crude blue, rather than red, enamel and Georgian letters instead of a Cyrillic RSFSR. That?s as close as I can get. The blue enamel might suggest a GRU version, I guess, but my references don?t show one.

The lower two badges are specifically from Tiflis (Tbilisi). I think they are Tbilisi Criminal Investigation Department badges. I was told (but cannot substantiate) that the one of the left is for a detective/officer and the one on the right is for an ordinary investigator. The badge on the right does not have a badge number attachment but is does have a small ?24? stamped on the reverse.

None of my references show any of these variations. I suppose if I had a good "Badges of the Republics? reference I could check there. Anyone know where I might get one?

I'd like to see some of your early badges, so please jump on in.

Chuck