US Navy - Surface Warfare Specialist pin

[digi-shots]

Here's a Navy pin I recently got.... they are not rare and you see them from time to time. They come in both gold (officers with crossed swords; and silver (enlisted with crossed cutlasses). The officer's pin was first introduced in 1975.

 

This one I think is a very early one - the enlisted (silver) version was first introduced in 1977 but not available until April 1979. This pin came in a grouping from a US Navy veteran who served in Vietnam in the "Brown Water Navy", made Chief in 1976 and retired in 1983. I've seen a few of these pins, many are made by Vanguard and the newer ones I think have solid backs. The back of this pin is stamped "1/20 Sil. Filled".

 

Somewhere I read that the "silver content stamping" was only used up until a certain date... but I forget the date. Does anyone have any info on this type of stamping or have any early pins?

 

Please feel free to post pics your SWO or ESWS pins!

 

Thanks!

 

Wiki link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surface_warfare_insignia

 

 

[Tim B]

My 1980 presentation piece was of this pattern. These enlisted silver-filled badges were meant to be dull, matte finish but many polished these to bring out the silver and they looked much better, though the silver would eventually tarnish so you had to keep them shined up. Better than the later ones that once scratched up look rather ugly as the base metal was a cream colored pot metal.