Graduation or memorial badge?

[Tretov]

Got this one recently, it is a nice badge which seems to be multipiece. The 1TAU (TAY) text is written on blood red enamel. I make the guess that this badge is related to an artillery university, from the crossed barrels and TAU which might mean "something"-Artillery University. It seems a bit too nifty for a graduation badge, but I might be wrong.

Anyone with any more information to add? Screwplate is not original.

[Chuck In Oregon]

The Tbilisi Artillery School badge, I think. Open for more than a century now.

Chuck

[Lapa]

...Screwplate is not original.

Tretov,

These are heavily faked; the fact that the screwplate is "not original" is a rather bad omen.

Marc

[Tretov]

Having examined it even closer, I am afraid this one might be a fake. The screwpost is ... a screw that has been glued to the badge. The badge is still nice however.

Luckiely, I did not trade one of my kidneys for it.

[Lapa]

Tretov,

These became - and still are - extremely available at any club meeting, with about 30 different varieties.

Marc

[Tretov]

I have not seen badges this advanced at the "collector" meetings, just the usual diamond shaped higher education ones with customized gradua plates. Well, something learned at least!