dpcsdan Posted October 27, 2020 Share #1 Posted October 27, 2020 The Forum has covered USN/USCG chief petty officer bullion badges over the last few years. There are also many USN/USCG very rare non-bullion rating badges. Here are a few from my collection. Chief Aviation Rigger; Specialist H (Harbor Defense Sonarman) from the Don Thompson collection. What have you? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dpcsdan Posted October 27, 2020 Author Share #2 Posted October 27, 2020 First Class Sailmaker's Mate, distinctive cut (I refer to as WWI cut, but was seen in other eras, also). Chief Underwater Mechanic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dpcsdan Posted October 27, 2020 Author Share #3 Posted October 27, 2020 Lots of rare rating badges in the early Apothecary, Hospital Steward and Pharmacist's Mate specialties. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dpcsdan Posted October 28, 2020 Author Share #4 Posted October 28, 2020 USCG Second Class Master at Arms petty officer, 1915-1920. First Class Pharmacist's Mate with odd black specialty mark, regulations called for a red specialty mark. Also, Pharmacist's Mate with "outline" form of specialty mark. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dpcsdan Posted October 29, 2020 Author Share #5 Posted October 29, 2020 Chief Aviation Pilot, late-teens, early 1920s. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dpcsdan Posted October 30, 2020 Author Share #6 Posted October 30, 2020 Second Class Electrician (1905-1913). Electrician (Radio) distinguishing mark makes this uniform's combination valid for the time frame of 1912-13. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sigsaye Posted October 30, 2020 Share #7 Posted October 30, 2020 6 minutes ago, dpcsdan said: Second Class Electrician (1905-1913). Electrician (Radio) distinguishing mark makes this uniform's combination valid for the time frame of 1912-13. Always loved the red chevrons on the dress white jumpers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dpcsdan Posted October 31, 2020 Author Share #8 Posted October 31, 2020 Unexplained "right arm" Parachute Rigger rating badge. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sigsaye Posted October 31, 2020 Share #9 Posted October 31, 2020 5 hours ago, dpcsdan said: Unexplained "right arm" Parachute Rigger rating badge. Looks like an “OOOPS”. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dpcsdan Posted November 1, 2020 Author Share #10 Posted November 1, 2020 Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service (W.A.V.E.S.) temporary rating badge utilized in basic training (Boot Camp). Shown in gray and white seersucker material is the Recruit Chief Petty Officer (RCPO) version. The WAVES seersucker working uniform was utilized from Oct. 1943-1959. Also shown are the WAVES Recruit Petty Officer 3rd class in seersucker material and a WAVES chief Personnelman rating badge shown in blue pin cord material for the working uniform authorized in 1959. During WWI and early in WWII, WAVES wore full sized (male) rating badges. In March, 1943, a 2/3's size rating badge was authorized for use on WAVES uniforms. A "reserve blue" working smock and rating badge was also authorized during WWII. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dpcsdan Posted November 2, 2020 Author Share #11 Posted November 2, 2020 Fellow collectors, those who are still collecting, who posted in "Spectacular Bullion Rating Badges," should also post in this thread. There are many pre-1948 non-bullion rating badges to be posted. Additionally, post-1948 specialties, such as Aviation Guided Missileman, Aviation Photographer's Mate (48-53), Fire Control Technician (46-56), Guided Missileman (53-61), Photographic Intelligenceman (58-75), Specialist B, Specialist H and Specialist U are all scarce rating specialties. I'm attempting to create a USN rating specialty "Relative Rarity Grade" check-off sheet. The late John Helvey (The Storekeeper) created one for the Specialist ratings back in the 1990s and he last updated his chart in 2002. I'll post my "Draft" copy on this forum and request your input as to my "first cut" at rating the rarity of each rating specialty. I plan to make my first pass at this task at the CPO level for each specialty. For this exercise, I'm counting 1st class Sailmaker's Mate as a CPO. I'm about 90% through my first draft. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0bx Posted November 2, 2020 Share #12 Posted November 2, 2020 2 hours ago, dpcsdan said: Fellow collectors, those who are still collecting, who posted in "Spectacular Bullion Rating Badges," should also post in this thread. There are many pre-1948 non-bullion rating badges to be posted. Additionally, post-1948 specialties, such as Aviation Guided Missileman, Aviation Photographer's Mate (48-53), Fire Control Technician (46-56), Guided Missileman (53-61), Photographic Intelligenceman (58-75), Specialist B, Specialist H and Specialist U are all scarce rating specialties. I'm attempting to create a USN rating specialty "Relative Rarity Grade" check-off sheet. The late John Helvey (The Storekeeper) created one for the Specialist ratings back in the 1990s and he last updated his chart in 2002. I'll post my "Draft" copy on this forum and request your input as to my "first cut" at rating the rarity of each rating specialty. I plan to make my first pass at this task at the CPO level for each specialty. For this exercise, I'm counting 1st class Sailmaker's Mate as a CPO. I'm about 90% through my first draft. Looking forward to your "Draft" copy Dan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Minton Posted November 2, 2020 Share #13 Posted November 2, 2020 4 hours ago, dpcsdan said: Fellow collectors, those who are still collecting, who posted in "Spectacular Bullion Rating Badges," should also post in this thread. There are many pre-1948 non-bullion rating badges to be posted. Additionally, post-1948 specialties, such as Aviation Guided Missileman, Aviation Photographer's Mate (48-53), Fire Control Technician (46-56), Guided Missileman (53-61), Photographic Intelligenceman (58-75), Specialist B, Specialist H and Specialist U are all scarce rating specialties. I'm attempting to create a USN rating specialty "Relative Rarity Grade" check-off sheet. The late John Helvey (The Storekeeper) created one for the Specialist ratings back in the 1990s and he last updated his chart in 2002. I'll post my "Draft" copy on this forum and request your input as to my "first cut" at rating the rarity of each rating specialty. I plan to make my first pass at this task at the CPO level for each specialty. For this exercise, I'm counting 1st class Sailmaker's Mate as a CPO. I'm about 90% through my first draft. I look forward to your list. Will this only be full size, or will you do reduced size rating as well? I would like to post, but it depends on how you define "rare." I always defined it as patches I don't have because they are too expensive. On the other hand, I have a few of the ones already posted, so how rare could they be 😉 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dpcsdan Posted November 2, 2020 Author Share #14 Posted November 2, 2020 David, I titled this thread, "Rare", but, I posted what I consider "scarce" specialties, also. My version of a Relative Rarity Grade (RRG) will be a 1-5 scale. I'll fully explain when I post it. I'll likely start a thread just for that discussion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Minton Posted November 2, 2020 Share #15 Posted November 2, 2020 Specialist U 1cSent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
topdcnut Posted November 2, 2020 Share #16 Posted November 2, 2020 Gun Capt. CPO on a patch blanket. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dpcsdan Posted November 3, 2020 Author Share #17 Posted November 3, 2020 Chief Gun Captain, easily "Top-3" most difficult in my opinion, John. Some might say, most difficult. I know of two in chief grade. I've got Gun Captain, any grade, on my "two-arms-and-a-leg list." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Minton Posted November 3, 2020 Share #18 Posted November 3, 2020 Sailmaker’s Mate 2c (1922-39)Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Minton Posted November 3, 2020 Share #19 Posted November 3, 2020 Pelham Bay Naval Training Station (1917-19)Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dpcsdan Posted November 3, 2020 Author Share #20 Posted November 3, 2020 Specialty Marks were implemented in 1942. These "letter" ratings were in use through the rating structure revision of 1948. The "titles" used with each Specialty letter mark changed multiple times during their period of usage. For example, Specialist S, was initially titled "Entertainer" in 1942, then titled "Shore Patrol" in 1942-43, then titled "Shore Patrol and Security" in 1943-48. Specialist S (V-10) was titled "Master At Arms (WAVES)" in 1943, Specialist S, was titled "Personnel Supervisor (V-10) in 1943-48 and Specialist S, was titled "Shore Patrolman" from 1948-1954 when the Specialist S usage was disestablished. If that's not enough to confuse a collector, what is? After the rating revisions of 1948, those Specialist ratings that were retained were designated Emergency Service Rating for members of the Naval Reserve. Those "letter ratings" that were still around between 1957 and 1964 were reclassified Emergency Ratings. After 1964 only Emergency Service "K" existed through 1974. (Thank you, John Stacey). All the above being stated, the rarest "letter" rating is possibly Emergency Rating H, Harbor Defense Sonarman, 1959-1965. The examples shown below were all purchased from the Don Thompson collection around 2006. I discussed the rating badges with John Stacey and he believes the Specialist rating badges were most often sewn with only the diamond in place and then the "letter" was sewn when the badge was needed for a uniform. That explains why a good number of "blank" diamond rating badges show up "for sale." Since ES-H did not come into existence until 1959, and possibly only in the Los Angeles/Long Beach area, the "letter" of these rates will show up under black light while the rest of the badges do not "glow." What are the other experts thoughts on this discussion? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
29navy Posted November 4, 2020 Share #21 Posted November 4, 2020 I've got this 3rd class Airship Rigger patch but the chevron is gray. Any ideas on why? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Minton Posted November 4, 2020 Share #22 Posted November 4, 2020 I've got this 3rd class Airship Rigger patch but the chevron is gray. Any ideas on why?My guess is it started off black and faded either due to washing, sunlight, oxidation, or any combination. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dpcsdan Posted November 4, 2020 Author Share #23 Posted November 4, 2020 21 hours ago, dpcsdan said: "Specialist Rating Badge Marks" were implemented in 1942. These "letter" ratings were in use through the rating structure revision of 1948. The "titles" used with each Specialty letter mark changed multiple times during their period of usage. For example, Specialist S, was initially titled "Entertainer" in 1942, then titled "Shore Patrol" in 1942-43, then titled "Shore Patrol and Security" in 1943-48. Specialist S (V-10) was titled "Master At Arms (WAVES)" in 1943, Specialist S, was titled "Personnel Supervisor (V-10) in 1943-48 and Specialist S, was titled "Shore Patrolman" from 1948-1954 when the Specialist S usage was disestablished. If that's not enough to confuse a collector, what is? After the rating revisions of 1948, those Specialist ratings that were retained were designated Emergency Service Rating for members of the Naval Reserve. Those "letter ratings" that were still around between 1957 and 1964 were reclassified Emergency Ratings. After 1964 only Emergency Service "K" existed through 1974. (Thank you, John Stacey). All the above being stated, the rarest "letter" rating is possibly Emergency Rating H, Harbor Defense Sonarman, 1959-1965. The examples shown below were all purchased from the Don Thompson collection around 2006. I discussed the rating badges with John Stacey and he believes the Specialist rating badges were most often sewn with only the diamond in place and then the "letter" was sewn when the badge was needed for a uniform. That explains why a good number of "blank" diamond rating badges show up "for sale." Since ES-H did not come into existence until 1959, and possibly only in the Los Angeles/Long Beach area, the "letter" of these rates will show up under black light while the rest of the badges do not "glow." What are the other experts thoughts on this discussion? Corrected first sentence. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dpcsdan Posted November 5, 2020 Author Share #24 Posted November 5, 2020 Ultra rare Revenue Cutter Service, (later USCG), petty officer first class Master at Arms (1908-1915). During this period of the Revenue Cutter Service the Master at Arms was a petty officer first class, but wore a chief's uniform and a chief style rating badge. Top rating badge photo, (Sandlin Collection) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dpcsdan Posted November 6, 2020 Author Share #25 Posted November 6, 2020 My mistake in posting RCS MAA. I was thinking one of the photos was non-bullion. This is the "non-bullion" thread. Thanks, -dan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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