Badge Collection Military Government Police Fire

[Cobra 6 Actual]

Here are a few more CAA ‘goodies’: 

 

[Cobra 6 Actual]

So, “Supervisory O & M Examiner” … “Supervisory Operations and Management Examiner”?

 

[Cobra 6 Actual]

[Cobra 6 Actual]

The people in Rhode Island must take their milk very seriously:

 

 

“Freeze! Step away from the milk cartons! Let me see your hands!”

[jmd62]

36 minutes ago, Cobra 6 Actual said:

The people in Rhode Island must take their milk very seriously:

 

 

“Freeze! Step away from the milk cartons! Let me see your hands!”

 

LOL!

[Cobra 6 Actual]

In 1937 the Pennsylvania State Police and Pennsylvania Highway Patrol were merged into one Department, the Pennsylvania Motor Police. In 1943 the newly-formed agency went back to the name Pennsylvania State Police. This hat badge then is from 1937 to 1943:

 

[Cobra 6 Actual]

[easterneagle87]

Two Navy badges currently on Etsy, both priced above $100 

[Cobra 6 Actual]

Thanks, EE87. They’re both priced too high, in my opinion. Not to say that someone that really wanted one of those badges wouldn’t pay the listed prices. But, not me. Meanwhile, here’s a Marine Security Guard badge:

 

 

Perhaps someone more knowledgeable than I could tell me if this is an unofficial badge or one that would be worn while in uniform. Any current or former Marine Security Guards out there?

[easterneagle87]

Here’s another badge on Mercari , priced above $400. 

[Cobra 6 Actual]

Thanks, EE87. Now, to me, that badge would be somewhere in the range of $100 to $125. But, if someone really wanted it then far be it for me to scare him off. Unfortunately, a lot of new collectors don’t really have any criteria in their experience-base yet. I think I have some insights for them (and these are just my opinion; so, nope, no one left me as King). For example, for me to pay $400 a badge would have to have at least several attributes from this list:

 

1. A custom design (versus a stock design).

2. Precious metal construction, at least Sterling Silver.

3. Be from a highly-sought after agency or organization (such as Treasury, Justice, or a major metro department).

4. Be obsolete (versus a current issue badge).

5. Have some unique aspect (agency name, location, rare position title or rank).

6. Personalized, either with the name engraved on the back and/or enameled on the front.

7. Refer to or pinpoint some major historical event or era (a federal “Prohibition Agent” badge, for example).

8. Have inherent rarity (such as a badge from an extremely small agency, unit, or team [a documented/authenticated Texas Rangers badge or a commemorative U.S Marshals Service “Special Operations Group” anniversary badge, for example]).

9. From an agency or jurisdiction that is obsolete or been re-organized into a new jurisdiction or department (many of the 22 agencies that were melded into the new US Department of Homeland Security [DHS] in February 2002 would meet this criteria. For example, an obsolete Border Patrol badge with the Justice Department seal as the central badge design versus the new DHS central badge design. The obsolete one would be highly collectible.) 

 

Here’s an example of a badge that would sell for ~$400:

 

 

So, what’s so special about this badge? Well, it is obsolete (The current badge has a seven point star. Plus this badge is from the 1920’s), has a base metal “star” … but the little walking bear is 14 karat gold, and this was a very small department. In addition, although it’s from the early 20th Century the design has an Old West vibe to it. So, there’re my ideas on this. Comments?

[jmd62]

Excellent information and observations Cobra 6. Nice badge too by the way!

[Cobra 6 Actual]

Thanks, EE87, for posting those pics and thanks, jmd62, for your comments. I probably should clarify that one of the examples I used for Item # 8, “a documented/authenticated Texas Rangers badge”, would cost much, much more than just $400. 
 

Also, there may be an additional attribute to consider: The badge has some other desirable characteristic. Let’s take “cross-overs” as an example. A “Boxing Commission” badge from the 1920’s would be of interest to police badge collectors because of the unique name and the fact that it would be older and from a defunct law enforcement function. Meanwhile, a boxing fan would also have interest in such as badge. A “cross-over” thus has wider audience appeal and a concomitantly higher price. Here’s an example of such a badge:

 

[Cobra 6 Actual]

Some interesting differences between these two badges, both from the same railroad:

 

 

[Cobra 6 Actual]

Here’s an obsolete Marshals Service anniversary badge for one of its speciality units, the Critical Incident Response Team:

 

[Cobra 6 Actual]

[easterneagle87]

HERE ARE A COUPLE I PICKED UP YESTERDAY FROM MY LOCAL SURPLUS STORE.

 

* Air Operations Metro Fire Sacramento - Pilot

* Air Operations Sacramento Metropolitan Fire Dept.

 

I normally don't pick up police of fire patches/badges, but a s former rotor head, these appealed to me.  

[easterneagle87]

In addition to my post of #236, The seller on FB Marketplace has these two badges and Civil Defense as well. 

[Cobra 6 Actual]

EE87, those wire thread patches are cool. And those two metal badges look like they’d have stories to tell! Here’s a badge from a police benevolent association:

 

 

Interestingly this badge appears to be a custom design. But, the badge shape is the same as used by several federal agencies, such as the Border Patrol.

[Cobra 6 Actual]

Here’s one for an association:

 

 

It’s sort of expected that the badge shape is similar to that of the current DEA badge.

[Cobra 6 Actual]

Back many years ago, particularly in the 1930’s through the 1950’s, EVERYONE had a badge: newsboys, ticket agents, food vendors, etc. I think this badge illustrates how ridiculous the whole thing was:

 

 

I’m having a difficult time conjuring up why a person would need to identify himself as a Library Trustee … “just because” apparently.

[Cobra 6 Actual]

Here’s a “bringback” a friend of mine gave me many years ago:

 

 

It’s for a South Vietnamese Fire Department. The reverse has both a screwback and a safety pin attachment. The graphics with the twin dragons are pretty cool. The usual “just OK” construction. My buddy, who I’ve lost touch with, had another of these that he kept that was made by the French firm, Drago, and it was a thing of beauty.

[Cobra 6 Actual]

Obsolete Immigration bullion badge patch with the Justice Department seal (since 2003 replaced with the DHS seal):

 

[jmd62]

That's a great looking bullion badge Cobra 6!

[Cobra 6 Actual]

Thanks, jmd62. This is an obsolete USDOJ Immigration and Naturalization Service seal: