Fake Badge "Honoured Railworker".

[Bill Garvy]

Thank you, gentlemen, for your erudite perspectives and confirming my suspicions regarding this piece. It is part of a larger Military/Labor group, the balance of which appears genuine. In that group is the hard-covered identification booklet for the Honored Rail Worker Badge, which I believe to be genuine, and for which, I suspect, this poorly manufactured reproduction was "value added".

[CtahhR]

Unless he was awarded with a temporary document, or this is an almost unheard of "catch-up" there is a major issue here. The Ministry Of Lines Of Communication did not exist until 16 months after the date of award (and even then it took some time to move from NKPS to MPS paperwork/stamps).

[Bill Garvy]

So you are saying almost certainly there is a very high probability this document too is a forgery.

[CtahhR]

The dates just don't add up on it so I'd say a greater than 95% chance of being a fake too.

Also, who would make a fake (not particularly rare) Badge just to line up with a document when you can just fill in a blank later document to make it fit the number on a fake Badge?

If you look at all the 1944 awarded NKPS Badges on the forum none of the legitimate ones have MPS documents.

The stamp is also rather general. Most documents have more localised stamps "such and such railway" (or even branch) rather than "People's Commissariat" (or Ministry in this case).

[Pobeda45]

Sorry gents, I disagree with your assessment of Bill's badge. Looks fine to me, it's the chromed variety... In fact, I like everything about the badge itself..the enamel, the die, the counterrelief in the back, and the font for the serial number. I'm no expert on the doc, but that number isn't totally out of line for the year either..

[Bill Garvy]

Thank you very much for sharing your thoughts regarding this badge. The "chrome" finish to this silver variant certainly is bright, and concerned me. I thought a silver badge over seventy years old would display more patination, and the chrome finish, or perhaps refinish (wash?), would explain it absence, the reverse notwithstanding. What initially provoked my curiosity was those bubbles, as an indication of the casting process. Regardless gentlemen, I respect and appreciate your time and perspectives. More information will be posted once I have the entire group in hand, so please stay tuned. . .

[Pobeda45]

Hi Bill, the badge is brass vs silver, with a chrome finish. Not sure if it's been re-chromed, but yeah all looks fine to me including the reverse, numbers font, how the screw is attached etc.