Fantasy Piece

[Chris]

Any body recognise this. I think its a fantasy piece.

Chris

[Nota Bene]

Chris,

It's not a fantasy piece, but a copy of one of those OGPU award badge, that were given in the early 1930s. Most of them were destroyed in 1933 and exchanged for standard Government awards. I believe there were 3-4 different types of these badges. All are extremely rare. The one pictured is of course a fake.

Alexei

[Chris]

Thanks Alexei.

I have been offered this but declined. It is going for 750 dollars.

He has two, one he is keeping for his collection, he got this off of a collector in Moscow who had been collecting for 45 years etc...close friend of Zhukov use to drop in for a chit chat with Stalin.......

Chris

[otlichnik]

Chris,

Say, I think I have deal with that same guy .... ;)

Alexei,

The Kutsenko and Rudichenko book shows about three of the badges and this is a different design. I wonder how many there were all told? Any idea who issued them?? Was it the actual OGPU or a regional office or a personal jeweller made item??

Shawn

[Nota Bene]

Shawn,

I really don't know. This area of early Soviet badges still awaits it's researcher. I understand that the general practice was that an organisation wishing to award it's employes would order a bunch of those badges designed and made from a jeweller or a factory.

Interestingly the "Blue book" shows the same badge, but without the center piece.

Alexei