Material: Gilt and silvered alloy with red and white enamel
Size: 32 mm W × 41 mm H
Description: This item is an authentic Soviet Union military qualification breast badge titled "Отличник Советской Армии" (Excellent Soldier of the Soviet Army). Measuring 32mm wide by 41mm high, the badge is constructed in the shape of a classic heater shield superimposed over a golden oak leaf wreath. The upper portion holds a white enamel disc featuring a prominent red star charged with a gilt hammer and sickle, bordered by the Cyrillic institutional inscription. The lower section of the shield features a crimson translucent enamel field over a guilloché patterned background, anchoring a small gold star inside an independent branch frame.
Reverse: This image shows the reverse profile of the "Excellent Soldier of the Soviet Army" qualification badge. Struck from lightweight anodized aluminum with an artificially gold-plated coating, the rear structure transitions away from earlier heavy screw-back configurations. The reverse features a prominent, raised manufacturer's mint mark representing the "Pobeda" (Victory) factory in Moscow, enclosed within a small circular border near the top crest. A horizontal safety-pin style wire clasp mechanism is secured across the upper half of the shield using a central plate anchored by three round compression rivets, providing a quick system for soldiers to pin the award onto thick uniform wool.
Circa: Mid to Late 20th Century
Notes:
This award was established under USSR Minister of Defense Georgy Zhukov to drastically simplify a complex wartime system of 23 specialized "Excellence" badges into just three streamlined branches: Army, Air Force, and Navy.