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    Yugoslavia Parachute Instructor badge in gold


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    Guys,

    I have here a Yugoslavia Parachute Instructor badge in gold for your comments:

    yugoslavia-pji-gold-obv-small.jpg

    yugoslavia-pji-gold-rev-small.jpg

    There were around 20 or fewer of this badge awarded.

    According to the hallmark, this is made of 18-Karat gold, and the gold badge has a rather unusual pinback and locking system, compared to the twin screws on the silver badge.

    -alf

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    Achern,

    I have only seen that type of double pronged pin on Yugoslav badges. That does not guarantee that it is authentic unfortunately but it certainly is a great looking badge. There appears to be a date at the bottom. Can you tell us what it is please. Also, how many flames are there in the torch?

    Regards,

    Gordon

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    Hello Achern and Craig,

    First I'd like to congratulate Achern on the beautiful gold parachutist badge.

    The badge is genuine, typical pinback and locking system (second type), 6 torches/flames (this means it was made after 1963), correct 18 karat gold marking. The early pilot and para badges were made of 14 karat gold and some had engraved serial numbers.

    The date is 29.XI.1943.

    regards,

    Tomislav

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    That looks like the badge that was sold on ebay.

    Thanks for the comments, guys. I didn't know that there was a difference between the silver badge with a jumper and without.

    Tomislav, do you know how many of the gold badges were awarded, and when the badge was instituted?

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    • 4 weeks later...

    A year or two ago many yugoslav flying and parachute badges of all types appeared on the market. One source quoted they are a recent find from some magazine in Belgrade, but there is also a debate if these are modern fakes, made on original tools. The discussion is inconclusive and polarized. There very surely more gold badges produced than issued.

    The "normal" para badges with or without a jumer (some say the one "without" actually has a blue jumper) are just known production variants. The other variant of all these badges are older type (with five torches in Yugolsav crest) and newer (with six torches); the change occured around 1963, when crest was changed due to constitutional changes: five torches represdented five nations, six torches six federeal republics, what is more politically neutral due to "appearance" of Muslim nation and due to several national minorities).

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    Valter, thanks for your comments.

    Indeed, it is true, that about a year ago, there seems to have been many Yugoslav para instructor badges appearing on ebay. I'm not sure if they have been sold elsewhere though (if you know of other sites, please tell us?)

    What I find strange about those badges is that they seem to be very new, and in perfect condition. The silver metal is bright, and the gold plate looks completely unworn.

    Compare this to the silver badge I posted above. I obtained this several years ago, and it is quite tarnished. Even the gold is fading from the arms of the badge.

    I would say there are about ten of these new badges in all variations offered for sale on ebay, for about USD250.00 each.

    About the gold badges, I haven't seen any offered for sale except one very expensive piece on ebay which nobody seems to have bought at that price. Valter, where did you see these gold badges offered?

    I am aware that only about 20 of these gold badges were issued.

    Mine was issued in 1987 to an NCO instructor by General Anton Tus, the air force commander at that time. I think Tus eventually went on to become a five-star general in the new army.

    I have only seen one other gold badge in someone else's collection, and the only difference is that the hallmarks on the back of the badge are in a different place. Everything else is identical.

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    The fact these newly appeared badges are pristine new is one of the main concerns about their originality. Your silver para badge is worn and shows signs of that, I don't see any red flags with it.

    Yes, i also saw these (and other) flying badges on ebay, but they also appear on local shows in Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia... or local auction sites like http://www.kolekcionar.eu/ www.limundo.com

    The interesting fact is all those yugo aviation badges were not really rare, but neither easy to find, until this recent appearance of new unissued pieces. The "new" pieces are now much easier to find than worn, issued ones. I saw one gold para badge on e-bay too (perhaps we looked the same one), and one Slovenian collector showed one a while ago.

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    Yes, it seems that with the appearance of these "new" pieces, the market is more than satisfied. Also, the price is high enough that the average collector could not afford it.

    Do you happen to have pictures of the gold badge that the Slovenian collector showed you? I would be really interested to see the back.

    The tricky thing about gold badges is that, I think:

    1. The owner would hardly wear it, since it is both valuable and expensive.

    2. Solid gold does not tarnish or wear out, and it would be impossible to tell visually whether a badge is old, or newly-made.

    The one I have looks almost brand new, apart from a few very small flaws in the enamel and some very fine scratches on the back, where they show up because the back is so highly polished.

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    • 2 years later...
    hello collector friends
     
    what is your opinion about that paratrooper instructor badge? original one or the same like those which apeared on the market several years ago (as mentioned in the posts above)?
     
    thank you :whistle: 

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    I am not expert on these badges, especially not parachute ones, so don't take my opinion too seriously, but I think yours is one of those that turned up recently on the market. Anyway whether they are unissued, newly made with original tools or fakes I really can't say for sure. 
    When I asked for opinion about badges with gilded back side on one Slovenian forum, a member who I consider expert replied "I do not recommend purchase".
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    • 3 weeks later...

    That's a COPY mate, avoid these sellers like plague please and do not get fooled, nice made but COPY, lack of sharpness and details and as our good Paja said, this is one of the well known copies that cirulate around a couple of years now.

     

    Please always bring photos of the piece you wish to purchase here for evaluation, as market became wild.....

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    What about these two? Parachute instructor and 2nd class parachute instructor. Take a good look at the coats of arms and hallmarks.

     

    http://www.emedals.com/collectors-gallery/europe/yugoslavia-republic/badges/army/para-instructor-s-badge

    http://www.emedals.com/highlighted-offerings/europe/yugoslavia-republic/badges/air-force/a-yugoslavian-paratrooper-s-badge-eu8391

     

    What's the deal with the gilded back sides? Are there any original pieces like that?

    Edited by paja
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    Guys, the badges with the twin screws, silver front and gilded backs are the ordinary instructor badges. Some of these are worn, so the gilding on the back has gone, leaving it silver or oxidised.

     

    My original post was about the extremely rare 18K solid gold version of the special class instructor badge awarded only to the top instructor for that year. Some years, the badge was not awarded. All of these have the unusual pin locking system as opposed to the twin screws. 

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    Golden badge of the parachute instructor was instituted in 1984 and according to information I found it was awarded to parachute instructors that fulfilled the following terms:

    -15 years of effective parachute service as parachute instructor or parachute instructor 1st class

    -at least 400 jumps of which: 50 night jumps, 40 training-operational jumps during tactical exercises, 100 free-fall or 150 jumps with stabilization

    -that while performing duty no protective measures were imposed upon him

    Badge was to be awarded on May 21st (Air Force day) and October 14th (Paratroopers day) by commander of Air Force and Air Defense.

     

    About the "regular" parachute instructor badges, I never understood why would their back side be gilded. Apart from parachute badges I've seen only badges of specialists like that, and all of them were "shinny". I don't see any logic in that, for example I've seen dozens of pilot badges, held many of them in hands, not a single one of them had gilded back side. Also I don't have Official military gazette on me right now, but I saw someone posted scans of it somewhere and if I remember well that matter is not regulated...

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    By the way colleague of ours today sent me a link to ebay auction for one golden parachute badge!

    To me personally your badge has nicer details than that one, maybe because of photo or light... 
    http://www.ebay.com/itm/YUGOSLAVIA-18K-GOLD-PARACHUTE-JUMP-INSTRUCTOR-WING-BADGE-AIRBORNE-HALO-PARA-/191515107872?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2c9730a220

     

    I saw before badge with two hallmarks on the bottom and one on the upper part of the reverse, I think it was posted on one of the ex-Yu forums.

    Edited by paja
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    By the way colleague of ours today sent me a link to ebay auction for one golden parachute badge!

    To me personally your badge has nicer details than that one, maybe because of photo or light... 

    http://www.ebay.com/itm/YUGOSLAVIA-18K-GOLD-PARACHUTE-JUMP-INSTRUCTOR-WING-BADGE-AIRBORNE-HALO-PARA-/191515107872?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2c9730a220

     

    I saw before badge with two hallmarks on the bottom and one on the upper part of the reverse, I think it was posted on one of the ex-Yu forums.

     

     

    They didn't "bake" the blue and white enamel well enough, they should try better next time ;)

     

    I doubt even that this is solid 18K Gold, I am almost certain that will fail the "Golden jewelry probe" if tested.

     

    From Singapore -----> Selling one of the rarest Para trooper badges in Yu------> Give me a brake, but a BIG one ;)

    Edited by Emanuel
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    Maybe I'm too naive, but I would like to see this ebay badge in a different light (literally), before judging... The spots on the enamel concern me the most, and would make me cautious, but again, better pictures would be good.

    As for Singapore, Emanuel you should check the first post in this topic... ;)

    Cheers!

    Drugo

    Edited by Drugo
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