The badge "For distinction" on the headdress of the RIA officer

Bronze, gilding, paint; stamping. Perfect collectible condition. The size is 19*84 mm. An interesting feature of it is that it has never been used for its intended purpose. At that time, coats of arms (double–headed eagles for army and St. Andrew's stars for guards units) were stamped separately in factories, and insignia of units with various inscriptions were also separately. Then, when assembling the fittings, a badge of distinction with an inscription assigned to this particular unit was selected for the coat of arms. If we consider that the inscriptions could be different even in different units (hundreds, squadrons and companies) of the same unit, this approach seems quite justified. Then, using the technological holes available on the sign, it was positioned relative to the coat of arms and soldered to the latter with brass, silver or tin (depending on the color of the metal) solder. The holes were masked with details of the coat of arms (as a rule, the upper edges of the eagle's wings and the cross on the upper crown) and filled with solder. The technology has been used for several decades without any fundamental changes. This sign has never been used for its intended purpose and was probably accidentally preserved in the manufacturer's warehouse; this is the only example of this kind known to us. The condition of the coinage is perfect, the paint is original with minor losses. A unique purchase for true connoisseurs. Guarantee of authenticity.