Cap Badges.

[Greg Collins]

I started this thread for cap badges, collar insignia, lapel pins... important worn items that were not awards, but still indicative of service.

The first item is a Rakosi period (1949-1956) armed forces service cap badge. The army wore this just above the "sweat band" through 1953, then, in 1954 it was worn on the "sweat band". The Air Force always wore it on the sweat band with the wings and star emblem above. The Navy wore it above the "tally" on the "Donald Duck" hat. Brass and hot enamel. Hard to come by.

[Greg Collins]

This next badge is an armed forces cap badge for the pilotka, or overseas cap and the winter cap. You can see the four holes for stitching it to the cap. Also difficult to find.

[Greg Collins]

A couple of stick pins... on the left is the Rakosi coat of arms and on the right is the flag of the MDP- Magyar Dolgozók Pártja (Hungarian Workers Party- 1948-1956). This political party was the result of combining the Communist Party and the Social Democratic Party. This is similar to the political alliance that created the SED in East Germany.

[Greg Collins]

Here's a Rakosi period cap badge for the Karhatalom (armed, uniformed State Security) and Border Guards. Brass with hot enamel, two piece construction. Just for the record, I have never seen one of these where the star is actually "straight" with the base.

[Greg Collins]

A Kadar period (post '57- '89) Police cap badge. The primary difference between the State Security/Border Guard badge and this one is the inclusion of crossed weapons below the star. Also on this Kadar period badge, the star is molded with the rest of the badge, yielding a one-piece brass badge with cold enamel.

[Greg Collins]

I got this Kadar seal stick pin to go with the Rakosi seal stick pin shown earlier in this thread. I guess I now have the Communist seal stick pins covered.