A pair of shoulder straps of non-commissioned officer of the 2nd brigade of the 31st infantry division of RIA

Since the introduction of the cipher in the 1800s, and until 1909 at the army infantry on the shoulder straps indicated the number of divisions (the regimental numbering was introduced only in 1909). The old, until 1909 – 1911, encrypt, include a wide variety of fonts (up to 1911 single official drawing letters and numbers did not exist) and large, compared to later size. Light blue cloth shoulder straps was rated second brigades regiments of army infantry divisions; in this case the 2nd brigade of the 31st infantry division were infantry regiments 123rd Kozlowski and 124th Voronezh. Judging by the red lining of the black uniformed cloth (in documents traditionally called dark green, shoulder straps intended to be worn on the uniform. Most, however, interesting in this pair of epaulet – a non-commissioned officer's stripes, made of silver metallic lace. Under the Charter all guards parts was assumed to be a non-commissioned officer's stripes from the yellow and army – white bason; here the colors formally met, but used white ribbon and lace with silver metallic thread (sorry, time-darkened). Such freedom is hardly out of the hands of the servicemen, but sverhsrochnoy or non-combatant in any preference category (clerk or storekeeper) could decorate these epaulets uniform intended for wear in the location part. Such liberties at that time were the most widely spread in the Caucasus, but occasionally met in the military districts of the European part of Russia. It is interesting to note that in 1911, when a greater difference of sverhsrochnoy they introduced shoulder straps with special honors, the Sergeant's stripes on these officially were supposed to be made from metallic galloon the same color as the ribbon for non-commissioned officers of military service. Shoulder straps this suggests that the order of 1911 just legalized the existing practice, as so often happened in the early twentieth century. equipped with the original shoulder Straps of soldiers ' buttons. The size of each of the shoulder straps about 62*130 mm. Very interesting, almost unique item. Recommended!