Badge "Excellent Border Guard".

[deValcourt]

Originally Posted by Komandir RKKA

Your document is original.
Here are original docs I was awarded on my military service.

Very cool! It explains the colors. Have you ever seen the hard cover ones?

[Komandir RKKA]

No, I've not.
I also haven't seen docs without stamps.

[deValcourt]

You can see (with the eyes) where they were stamped, but the ink is so faded it spawned my KGB using "invisible ink" joke above. I do not believe the hard cover ones were ever really issued to anyone.

When I solve the problem of suddenly not being able to crop photos in the program I'm using, I can get in closer and show you from angles that some kind of stamp with the words "Committee for State Security" in Russian was used, but then I have such a stamp and it certainly isn't authentic (10 ribbons in the seal), so I'm going with Paul on them very likely being created - especially since I remembered today who I got them from.:mad:

Regardless, thank you for showing us the two classes and how they are different in color from each other. Useful knowledge, and good reference material.:thumbsup

Phillip

[Greg Collins]

While there was a short period when the Border Guard was assigned to the MVD (1953-1957), I believe this section is probably the best area to post these badges as a whole. Also of note is the thread "Excellent Border Guard badges" which shows documents for the Type 3 badges... thanks Phil.

The first type of Outstanding Border Guard badge made its debut in 1949 when the Border Guard came under the umbrella of the MGB (Ministerstvo Gosudarstvennoi Bezopasnosti- Ministry of State Security). The badge, at its inception (Type 1, Variation 1), had “MGB” on the red banner of the “egg” design at the base. These badges are quite rare and I have only seen a photo of that variation.


The second incarnation of the Outstanding Border Guard badge occurred when the MGB passed from existence in 1953 and its duties were consolidated under the MVD (Ministerstvo Vnutrennikh Del- Ministry of Internal Affairs). These Type 1, Variation 2 badges have “MVD” on the red banner of the “egg” design, and I have noted three (3) sub-variations to date which are indicative of structural differences. The earliest sub-variant of the Type 1, Variation 2 badge is pictured in Avers 8, page 410. It is a multi-piece (possibly two-piece) badge, held together with prongs. The next version of the badge (Type 1, Variation 2, Sub-variant 2), pictured below, is a two-piece badge held together by a jeweler’s adhesive. All silver washed aspects of the badge are on one piece; the rest on a second piece. This badge is noticeably heavier than the badges that follow. I believe both multi-piece sub-variant badges were made in either 1953 or early in 1954. As you can see, this badge has "been there" and shows several examples of "character".

[Greg Collins]

The final sub-variation of this badge (Type 1, Variation 2, Sub-variant 3) is the mirror reverse, one-piece badge shown below. I believe this one-piece badge was produced from early 1954 through 1957. The badge shown here is in uncharacteristically good condition for this badge.

[Greg Collins]

A document for a badge awarded in 1954. An interesting example in that it’s hard covered, has an impressed badge design on the cover containing “MGB” but, inside, the glued-in document clearly reads “MVD”. I guess the earlier covers continued to be used until supplies were depleted. This is a good example of the document being more valuable than the badge.

[Greg Collins]

In 1957, the Border Guard was transferred to the umbrella of the newly created (1954) KGB (Komitet Gosudarstvennoi Bezopasnosti- Committee of State Security) where it would remain until the dissolution of the USSR. The badges produced in early 1957 (Type 1, Variation 3) were one-piece badges with “KGB” on the ribbon of the “egg”. This badge and the “MGB” badge are the rarest variations of the Outstanding Border Guard badge.

The final version of this badge, a Type 1, Variation 4, is depicted below. It is a one-piece badge with no designation in the “egg”. This is the most common version of this badge and was produced from 1957 through 1964. The badge shown is in superb condition; I believe it was worn as the screw has definitely been shortened to nearly half it’s original length, but must have been put away in short order- perhaps due to receipt of a new Type 2 badge in ’64.

[Greg Collins]

In 1964 a new and, unfortunately, cheaper badge was introduced to take the place of the Type 1 badge. The Type 2 badge is similar in design although smaller, has only one version, is still made by the Pobeda factory but is made from aluminum. While the Type 1 badges had no mint mark on the badges themselves (just on the tightening wheels), the Type 2 has a mint mark near the center of the back. This badge was produced through 1969. Note the replacement of the "egg" with the newer KGB Honoured Colleague shield at the base of the badge.

[Greg Collins]

In 1969, the Outstanding Border Guard badge was redesigned from the floor up by a new supplier- Moscow Mint Yard, and was reintroduced in two grades. The higher grade, First Class, is shown below. Note the MMD mark on the reverse of the shield at the base and the lack of mark on the tightening wheel on this grade and the Second Class example to follow.

[Greg Collins]

The Second Class version. While the First Class appears to be made of brass and is somewhat heavy, the Second Class appears to be made of aluminum- much lighter. These Type 3 badges were awarded until the dissolution of the Soviet Union.