Badge "Shockworker Of The Stalinist Campaign".

[steven.sabinash]

I have a couple of variations of the Shock Worker badge that would appreciate any information on. The first one is a two piece construction with a SN stamped on the smooth back. The second one has a mirror image back. Please refer to images.
Thanks

[Bazanov]

Hello!

Do anyone have any opinions on this one?
Fake? Price?

[otlichnik]

There are several similar badges listed in other threads. ou should search and then compare. The red enamel looks rather fake but that may just be the photo.

Shawn

[Chuck In Oregon]

I have a modest collection of Soviet train badges, including this one in a couple of varieties, with and without documentation. This looks good to me. I don't think I have ever seen a fake of this badge here in Georgia. Looks like a good early screwplate, too.

[CtahhR]

Here is a well worn unnumbered mirror back example from the collection. There will be more later but here's one to be going on.

One of my favourite Soviet pieces.

[CtahhR]

Being that this is quite a widespread Badge and little has been written about it I thought I'd fill in some blanks.
The Badge was proposed on 23rd April 1934 and established by the People's Commissariat Of Lines Of Communication Prikaz of 29th April 1934. Although established by a "ministerial" Prikaz it was terminated by Decree Of The Supreme Soviet Of The USSR on 16th September 1957.
There were c80,000 serial numbered examples and around an additional 400,000 non-numbered examples. The majority, if not all of the serial numbered examples were awarded before the Great Patriotic War with mirror-back examples with an "NKPS" screwplate making up the majority of GPW awarded Badges. All "MPS" (Ministry Of Lines Of Communication) examples were produced and awarded after March 1946. The Badge was awarded during 8 administrations of 6 different "Ministers".

The first Type of this Badge was of a three piece (plated copper/brass) construction but was soon superseded by a single piece (plated copper) construction.

The design of the Badge features three Red Banners, a nut, a red star, a hammer, a sickle, two (later one) ears of wheat and most predominantly an IS20 (Joseph Stalin) Class Locomotive.

The first IS20 (IS 20-1) was completed in 1932 (pictured) with IS 20-2 being completed in 1933. Although there were only two functioning examples of the IS20 when the Badge was established there would be a further 636 IS20 Locomotives built between 1934 and 1941 making it the second most common of all Soviet produced steam locomotives (behind the FD - Feliks Dzerzhinskij). The IS20 was in service until 1970.

The second picture is the 1936 built IS 20-08 which has almost the same classic profile as the Badge.

[Chuck In Oregon]

I guess you have two that belonged to the same person who mounted them on a bar. Pretty interesting. I like the RR badges and there are quite a few types and variations, it seems. Do you have the original owner's documents? Those are very hard to find here. I have managed to find just a few badges with documents and a couple of badge-less documents.

[Molder]

Hi Chuck,
Yes you right there are 3 types of RR badges: Silver, Bronze and some shine (silverlike) metal.
Also there are 8 different (as far as I know): Paravoznik, Dvizhenetc, Puteetc, Administrator, Pozharnik, Pochetniy Zheleznodorozhnik, Udarnik Stalinskogo Priziva (all in Russian).
Documented badges, hard to find specially to numbered badges.

[Keith]

Hi guys,

I have a question about the serial numbers on these badges. It seems like some of the ones you see for sale do have the serial number and some do not. Do some of the different badges always have serial numbers and some do not, or are there many variations for each, some numbered and some not.
The same seems to go for the documents, some have a place for serial number and some do not. Would they issue an unnumbered document with a numbered badge, or vice versa? Obviously, a numbered badge with the corresponding numbered document sell for more.

Thanks,
Keith

[Chuck In Oregon]

Well, I haven't got a clue. Having said that, not knowing never stopped me from having an opinion.

I believe that somewhere along the line the penchant for record-keeping gave way to the realization that no one cared about numbering the lesser awards. So it was "Hey, who cares what number Georgi's railway badge is? We can save some money if we fire the engraver." End of numbering. Then, "Hey, painted plastic badges look as cool as enameled bronze ones." Goodbye phaleristic art.

There are lots of documents for unnumbered badges. Of course, earlier, numbered and documented awards probabaly deserve a premium price. It makes for a little more advanced collection.

Chuck