Fake Border Guard Badge

[Kaspars]

This first one is a Border Guard title, purchased in Moscow.

[Kaspars]

and this one, "Red Guard"

[Nota Bene]

Kaspars,

Both badges are currently reproduced, and could be reproductions.

Alexei

[Kaspars]

okay ;)


Any hints on which are NOT reproduced and which that are? Not like I wanna buy reproduced medals :p

[Nota Bene]

Kaspars,

They are both been reproduced, and those reproductions are quite nice.

Alexei

[dannybou]

Could I get an opinion on this one please? Thanks

[Nota Bene]

Danny,

I think it's perfectly genuine.

Alexei

[RedMaestro2]

Any thoughts on this badge?

Thanks in advance! :thumbsup

-Alex

[deValcourt]

I'm not at home so I don't have reference materials at hand, but it looks good from my first impression - even the correct screw nut (Pobeda Factory). Also, very little wear to the silver and gold plating (front and back) which is unusual - and very good:thumbsup.

It is the border guard badge when they were transitioning from MVD to KGB (thus no letters in the MVD/NKVD "egg" at the bottom).

The badge right after this one was with the KGB and was about the same size and shape as similar MOOP badges.

Can you post a picture of the reverse without the screw nut?

Phillip

[deValcourt]

Let me clarify something I said above. The Border Guard was part of the KGB when this Excellent Border Guard badge was made (sometime between 1957 and 1964). In 1964 the badge design was changed to reflect the KGB's H&S, star and shield over sword motif at the base (pictured center).

There's nothing I can see from the photos to suggest it is not real, and since these are the least expensive of the three types of early border guard badges, I don't know if it would be profitable to fake them, but I have guessed wrong about that before.:rolleyes:

To cut to it - you have a very nice badge there.:thumbsup

The badges right before this one were essentially the same design except they had the letters "МВД" in the bottom loop of the red enamel of the famous NKVD/MVD "egg" badge, and are in higher demand because fewer were made since the border guard was only with the MVD briefly from 1954-1957.

When the KGB issued the newer (and last of its kind) version in 1964 it was very similar in size and shape to the MOOP (the 1962-1968 name for the MVD) Excellent Service in Internal Army badge (pictured for comparison). They were also both made from aluminum, unlike the brass predicessors and paint took the place of gold, silver and almost all enamel.

I showed all three to give you an idea of the different sizes. (I still can't get the software to crop pictures anymore, so this is it.)

Phillip