Unusual Guards Badge

[SovPha]

Hello GMIC members,

I have recently purchased this war time guards badge with an unusual thin pin. The background also looks very unusual comparable to my other war time guards badges. 

The background looks very smooth and the the letters at the bottom "СССР" and top "ГВАПРДИЯ" are not completely visible. 

Best regards,
Sov_Pha

[SovPha]

Here are the examples I have in my collection. The background looks different as the one piece above. 

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

Edited March 24, 2020 by SovPha

[CanCol]

This is a tough one to answer as there are MANY variations of the Guards Badge.  B.V. Hayrapetyan lists over 60 variations of Guards 'For Victory' badges in his book 'badges of the red army 1941-1945'. 

If you can provide the measurement in mm's (top and side), that can help narrow the variation down. 

As a reference book, this is one of the best as it covers Guards & Excellent Service badges & more.  It is only available in Russian (to my knowledge) and has excellent photos /illustrations.

Б. В. Айрапетян - "нагрудные знаки  красной армии  (1941-1945)"

[SovPha]

20 hours ago, CanCol said:

This is a tough one to answer as there are MANY variations of the Guards Badge.  B.V. Hayrapetyan lists over 60 variations of Guards 'For Victory' badges in his book 'badges of the red army 1941-1945'. 

If you can provide the measurement in mm's (top and side), that can help narrow the variation down. 

As a reference book, this is one of the best as it covers Guards & Excellent Service badges & more.  It is only available in Russian (to my knowledge) and has excellent photos /illustrations.

Б. В. Айрапетян - "нагрудные знаки  красной армии  (1941-1945)"

Hello CanCol,

Thank you for the reply and the provided information. Please find attached the pic with the measurements of the badge.  

P.S. I just ordered the book you've mentioned.

Best regards,
Sov_Pha

Edited March 26, 2020 by SovPha

[CanCol]

My best thought is variation 7-a.1, which is listed as 46 x 36mm.  With all Soviet variations, it is the little details to watch for:

a. inset pearl just below the flag on the left side;    b. the upper flag edge is rippled;  c. the defined double loop curls of the rope on the right side of the banner;    d. the position of the two tassels;  e.  there is a pearl immediately to the left of the left hand tassel;  f.  the pearl below the tassel extends into the white enamel and is not attached to the leaf;   g. the shape of the banner pole 'snake' ribbon above the star, at the right edge of the star, and bottom of the pole;  h.  pearls are defined within the curl of the scroll loops;   i. the pearl on the bottom right side is inset and a leaf projects down and to the right from it.

I am not an expert by any stretch but hopefully this gives a few items to watch for.  I cannot say where these were made and I have yet to find a source that gives information on the factories producing Guards badges.  However, yours is definitely from the Great Patriotic War, a very nice variation and likely worn with pride!

 

[SovPha]

@CanCol, Thank you very much for the detailed information. I wish you a great weekend. 

[meyerse]

The badge itself isn't so uncommon (?) but the back is indeed strange, maybe the thickness of the metal that was stamped or ?  it is (I think?) a fairly early stamping with limited notching under the flag?

Edited March 27, 2020 by meyerse

[meyerse]

6 hours ago, meyerse said:

The badge itself isn't so uncommon (?) but the back is indeed strange, maybe the thickness of the metal that was stamped or ?  it is (I think?) a fairly early stamping with limited notching under the enamel of the flag?

Sorry, double post was just trying to clarify, there is a suggestion that the earliest ones also had the lightest pattern under the red flag enamel. But my personal sample/collection is not large (~75 wartime badges). 

 

Edited March 27, 2020 by meyerse

[SovPha]

On 27/03/2020 at 17:02, meyerse said:

The badge itself isn't so uncommon (?) but the back is indeed strange, maybe the thickness of the metal that was stamped or ?  it is (I think?) a fairly early stamping with limited notching under the flag?

I meant that I have never need such reverse of a guards back. 75 is a nice amount). 

[SovPha]

@CanCol, Thank you very much for recommending me the book?. 

[meyerse]

I like this book too, and he has added to it with a few additional articles with more variants (if you end up with the book I can send you the articles). 

http://savashantiques.com/GUARDSBOOK.htm

 

 

 

Edited April 8, 2020 by meyerse