Which icon of the USSR is the rarest and most valuable? What does the cost of icons of the times of the USSR depend on?

Collecting badges and awards - faleristics - an exciting activity that has many fans in different parts of the world. In recent years, many collectors of rarities are trying to get a rare and expensive icon of the USSR - a country that is no longer on the world map. The decoration of the collection can be a sign issued in the first decades of Soviet power in a limited edition, a set dedicated to people of rare professions, important events in the life of the Land of Soviets. Let's try to understand some of the issues of concern to beginners and experienced collectors, for example, how is the price for different types of badges of the USSR.

Popular topics of Soviet icons

During the years of Soviet power, issued breastplates that marked the belonging to the arms of the army, the committee of state security. For more than 20 years, no one has worn such emblems, but one can see a photo of the USSR badges relating to these popular series on the sites and forums of Falerists, numismatists, collectors of Soviet rarities. Almost eight decades in the Soviet Union massively produced badges in honor of the anniversaries of outstanding figures, military, revolutionary, sporting events. There were series devoted to military subjects, which are very popular among modern collectors. Award marks honored outstanding services to the Motherland. Now on these miniature monuments of the Soviet era you can study the history of the USSR.

As the Falerists note, the success of the exploration of outer space and the political "thaw" were the spread of collectibles in the years of the Soviet Union, when the Iron Curtain a little fenced off the country from the capitalist world. In 1957, the 6th International Festival of Youth and Students was held in Moscow, the participants of which exchanged badges. Separately, it is possible to single out the directions devoted to cities, sports societies, universities, objects of cultural heritage.

Political icon of the USSR

Almost all Soviet people were in organizations and societies. First-graders took in October, and the first 3-4 years of school uniform was decorated with a five-pointed star with a portrait of a small Volodya Ulyanov (Lenin). At the age of ten, almost all the children joined the pioneers and changed the badge. The first breast emblems belonging to the Komsomol with the inscription "KIM" (Communist Youth International) appeared in 1922. After changing the name of the organization, an image of Lenin and an inscription of the Komsomol appeared on the badge in the form of a flag.

In the Soviet Union, the Octobrist breastplates, pioneer and Komsomol badges were not of interest to collectors, because they were necessary for almost all schoolchildren and young people under 30 years of age. After the collapse of the country, a separate direction of faleristics was gradually formed: the "Political Icon of the USSR", which includes breastplates that marked membership in organizations, participation in party congresses, social competition, and national druzhina.

What are the badges of the USSR

Many distinctive badges were issued in the Soviet Union in large editions, others were issued in small batches. Komsomol members were almost all teenagers who reached the age of 14, and the deputies of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR - only the most respected and well deserved people. Breast deputies' emblems were issued in limited editions, which means that the price of the USSR badges belonging to the members of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, the Russian Federation or another union republic is higher than that of the Komsomol members.

Materials for the production of most emblems, insignia, badges of the USSR were:

• Alloys and metals (bronze, brass, stainless steel, duralumin, aluminum);
• wood;
• glass;
• Different types of plastics;
• Semi-precious stones;
• Enamels, varnishes.

Stamps were punched the size of a small button, they produced emblems the size of a fist. Very often Soviet fashionable women and fashionable men replaced jewelery. Especially popular as decorations for children were badges with cartoon characters, and for women - miniatures with elements of Palekh painting, in the form of flowers, animal figures.

Badges of the USSR: value, safety, value for collectors

At auctions and special markets, the price of badges is formed depending on their rarity, security and other distinctive qualities. An important indicator for collectors is stories related to circulation, with people wearing an emblem. A significant role is played by the value of the materials from which the rarity is made. A badge of the USSR with the Ural gems is valued more.

Increases the cost of lack of prices on the back, which happens in the case of premium, commemorative corporate badges. The release date also matters: the earlier the circulation was, the more expensive it is. Some insignia have numbers on the back, so they are nominal, the price is the highest. Beautiful and original icons during the Soviet Union were rare, mostly produced consumer goods. Now on such rarities began a kind of "hunting", collectors are eager to get them and do not spare money to buy.

Key Groups for Icon Assessment

The price for Soviet aluminum badges, in the design of which there is nothing unusual, remains at a level of 5-20 rubles for one copy. Interest for faleristov are rare editions, emblems with engraving. The badge of the USSR, made of heavy metal, issued before 1960 is appreciated. The cost can be divided into the following groups:

• Simple icons for execution, issued by significant circulation (more than 10 thousand copies), - from 300 to 3000 rubles;
• Complexly executed mass icons of space themes, issued in small batches with interesting themes, - over 3,500 rubles;
• Rare signs, but without an interesting history - 6000 rubles and above;
• Exclusive icons, informative, supplied with documents, - from 9000 rubles;
• Rare signs, having a complex design, - from 500 to 1000 dollars.
• Rare options in good condition - over $ 1000.

In each group there are features, for example, "Navy Guards of the USSR" - an icon released in 1942, offered at auction for 9,000 rubles. Other breastplates on the same topic - from 100 to 1700 rubles.

The most rare icons of the USSR

Rarities were the breastplates issued in the USSR before the Great Patriotic War. For example, the metal emblem of the "Friends of Radio" society is auctioned for $ 10,000. The badge "Dobrolet" costs 450 thousand rubles, and even more expensive.

When the development of aviation began in the USSR, small series were created to promote the Society for Assistance to Defense, Aviation and Chemical Production (Osoaviakhim). In 1926 a sign was issued in honor of the international flight from Paris to Angora, which became a real rarity. The badges in the 1930s were produced in limited editions, on equipment that had been preserved from tsarist times. They have a lot of manual labor, that's why such products are expensive.