Soviet military badges: award, unit sign and souvenir
The military theme is the most deceptive part of faleristics. One box holds three fundamentally different things: an award badge issued against a certificate, the sign of a specific unit, and an ordinary souvenir for an anniversary. They differ not in design but in origin: the first was awarded, the second ordered by a unit, the third sold at a kiosk. Hence different value and different dating rules.
Three groups that must not be mixed
- Award badge. A state or departmental badge issued together with a certificate: the Guards badge, the Excellent Soldier badges of various departments, qualification badges for specialists. Such a badge always has regulations behind it and a maker.
- Unit sign. A regiment, a division, an academy, an anniversary of formation. Small runs distributed inside the unit, which makes these the scarcest.
- Souvenir badge. Victory anniversaries, branches of service, monuments and obelisks. Mass runs, open sale, no connection to anyone's service.
The practical conclusion is simple: souvenirs always dominate a box, while the first two groups are what matters.
The Guards badge as a reference point
The Guards badge was established in 1942 and became one of the most recognisable symbols of the era. It also works as a dividing line: anything older belongs to the early departmental badges, anything younger to mass post-war faleristics. The archive covers the Guards theme broadly – 46 items, including historic photographs of the Guards badge being presented in 1942 and a Guards banner in 1943, plus the Guards badge for the Navy.
Dating a military badge
- Fastening. Screw and nut means early and award badges; pin and clutch spread later and are typical of souvenirs.
- Material and enamel. Heavy brass with hot enamel points to the pre-war and war years; light aluminium with printing and lacquer to the 1970s and 1980s.
- The name. The name of a unit, branch or department limits the period directly: departments were renamed, and an old name is a ready-made date.
- The maker's mark. Issued badges normally carry one on the back; souvenirs usually do not.
Navy and specialist qualifications
The narrowest line is qualification badges for specialists. The archive holds the submarine commander badge, submarine division badges and a long-cruise badge. These were never for sale: they follow a post and a voyage, so they hardly ever appear in household boxes and stand apart in a collection.
What the archive holds
The open archive holds 3,332 Soviet badges, of which 99 items belong to the military theme: Guards badges and banners, Excellent Soldier badges of various departments (25 entries), naval and submarine badges, and souvenir issues for anniversaries. They read best alongside the general layout of badges by theme.
Open the sections: Soviet badges, posters, coins and banknotes.
Careful with copies
The military theme is the most copied: award and scarce badges are reproduced more than any other. The signs are the same as for other metal objects – soft relief instead of sharp facets, paint under lacquer instead of enamel, a glued fastening and no maker's mark. The full reading is in the guide to telling an original from a copy.
Quick answers
How does an award badge differ from a souvenir?
An award was issued against a certificate; a souvenir was sold. Different runs, quality and value.
How do you date a military badge?
By fastening, material, the name of the unit or department and the maker's mark.
Which military badges are scarce?
Unit signs and specialist qualification badges – both made in small numbers.
How many are in the archive?
99 items out of 3,332 Soviet badges, including 46 on the Guards theme.