International brigades medal/badges

[brianch]

I hope this is in order on this forum but does anyone have any idea where I can find a site or other source that shows these medals/badges that are genuine period pieces? I appreciate that some were fashioned in the later years but nevertheless made for the purpose. I am only interested in those that were genuinely produced for the brigades and not those that are figments of someones imagination. I see many on the bay but most of those I suspect are restrikes or worse and those being offered as being worn by specific groups or bodies i.e nations, nurses etc etc I have yet to see actually worn by these people in photos. I am sorry if this offends any possible sellers of such pieces but I would really like to know of the genuine pieces that are attributable with a view to purchase. I have no interest in the facist/falange items at this moment. Thanks in advance

Brian

[brianch]

must be more difficult to answer than I imagined!

[zzmagoo]

I have been looking for exactly the kind of authentic militaria from the Spanish Civil War that you describe above for years without success. My guess is that very little survived Franco and the German occupation of France. I am told one can find anything in the Paris flea markets, and I hope to visit some day. In the meantime, if you find a source, please reply to this topic.

[Ulsterman]

I do not think there is anything-even in print-on this subject. I have been interested in the IBs for years-but can't recall a single insignia article anywhere-ever.

[Wood]

Where there even such things?

[brianch]

Hi Wood...I think there are plenty of photo's etc that show that there were insignia and badges etc. I own a lapel badge with the usual clenched fist etc that came from a brigader but I have never seen another one. Also a few medals circulate but my main question really is are these medals for real or something created by many years after to satisfy a market. I see a few on the bay sometimes that purport to be but I am not sure what to look for because there seems not to be much in the way of publication. It would be boring if it were easy I guess

Brian

[Greg Collins]

The only badges/medals I know of were made for veterans of the Spanish Civil War; I don't know of any badges that were produced for the anti-fascist side during the war. The DDR made one medal and several reunion badges (I have three) and Bulgaria made one medal. That's all I know of.

[brianch]

Hi Greg

Yes, I know of these too and Poland, Cuba, USSR. I think there may be some badges produced in the US at the time in support of the Lincolns too and most were made years ago and I consider these to be collectable. I wonder about some of those "issued" in Spain that seem to have only surfaced recently and are mainly sold by dealers in Spain. Most never mention when these were produced and almost all seem to have nice clean shiny ribbons. I will consider these to be repro or made to cover the market until someone can convince me otherwise. I'm sure that someone will prove me wrong

Brian

[Greg Collins]

Yeah, I've seen those as well on our favorite auction site. The dealer also sells falange items. Seems to me that, as long as I've been collecting, I would have come across a couple of these badges before now. As it turns out, they are all new to me. Nice looking- cool- but suspect as genuine historical items. I'd have to see more in corroborative research.

[Ulsterman]

A quick review of google images and the Life archives shows that there were IB badges and insignia made during the war. But like the IBs themselves, they were not "uniform" but a hodge-podge. The most interesting one I have seen is owned by a British (of course) vet in London on the BBC website. It is aluminum (I think), circular and has the tripod on it. There are photos of IB members wearing this "tinnie" on their berets and jackets.