Komsomol Membership Badge.

[EricFG]

Originally Posted by Mukerjee

Regarding Komsomol pins and other Soviet pins, how were they manufactured? They all seem of ultra-light aluminum and usually have a red, semi-transparent enamel, like around the Lenin VLKSM. There must have been many Soviet facilities to produce these pins to feed an apparent pin craze in the USSR. Most Soviet pins also have a safety pin type clasp and are not stickpins like the rest of Europe. Any expert thoughts appreciated.

Those specifically were stamped, not die-cast. Is that what you mean?

For the body of the medal originally they used precious metals, silver mostly. Once they started awarding hundreds of thousands they moved to brass and tombak, then aluminum, and at the end the cheapest "metal" available. Just like those in the decadent West.

In the old days they used hot enamel, then they moved to cold enamel (enamel paint), towards the end they used just plain old paint.

Actually, I'd opine that the awards of the Soviets were a byproduct of their industrialization directly after the Revolution and a big part of their intrastate propaganda machine. They served three purposes: one, to employ the "workers" in the cities in their version of the "military-industrial complex", two; to agitate those outside of the big cities. And three; the obvious reward for good services rendered. In lieu of an actual raise or better housing or an improved food ration.