What could it be?

[jefflgarrison]

Someone sent me this photo and asked what it was and when it was produced.

[matteti]

Hello Jeff,
This badge is from "Gotov PVKho" organisation. ("anti-aircraft and chemical defense readyness" or something like this).

As for the year produced, other members can probably help better, but I would guess it is somewhere between 1930s-1940s. I cannot say anything about authenticity as I don't know that badge.

[matteti]

Jeff, according to "Znaki oboronnikh obshchectv SSSR", it was produced between 1935-1939 and it is a 1st class of the badge "Gotov k PVO" (ready for air defense) issued by the OSOAVIAKHIM.

The second class of the badge had a number "2" covering part of the bottom of the star and part of the top of the gaz mask.

There were many variations and judging from your picture, this one should have a bigger screwplate (bigger than the plane) with a serial number on it.

You can get reference pic on page 72, table #3 of the book I mentionned. Sorry, I don't have access to scanner now.

[Jeffrey Meffert]

But I think the "second class" in this case is actually the higher grade and will be the one with the serial number. I have these in both hanger and non hanger versions and it is only the "second class" with the serial number. The ones without are relatively common. There is a booklet which goes with it to document your contributions.
It was actually one of my first soviet items...first step on the road to addictive collecting

[Dat Nguyen]

I have never seen the "2" series before. Thanks for posting them.

v/r
Dat Nguyen

[matteti]

But I think the "second class" in this case is actually the higher grade and will be the one with the serial number. I have these in both hanger and non hanger versions and it is only the "second class" with the serial number. The ones without are relatively common. There is a booklet which goes with it to document your contributions.
It was actually one of my first soviet items...first step on the road to addictive collecting

Hello Jeff,
In the book I have, there are some variations of the "1st class" (the one without a number) which have serial number and some without. I am not sure if it's because their screwplate was not original for the ones without numbers, but I didn't notice any pattern.

I must admit that I don't know much about this and don't have my book with my right now.

[Jeffrey Meffert]

Both of my "two's" have serial numbers on the screw plates and over the years I've had over a dozen of the other and not seen a number. Of course some of those had obvious replacements.

[matteti]

Here is a photo of the picture #3 on page 72 of the book "Znaki oboronnikh obshchectv SSSR". Sorry for image quality and distortion, Not having my scanner, I took a photo of the page and tried to make it fit forum restrictions. It looks like the same variation as the badge in first post by Jeff.

Note that is has serial number on the screwplate.