Soviet lapel badge (значок), "Ленин — наше знамя" / Lenin Is Our Banner
Entry/Object ID
2025.23.2
Description
Small figural lapel pin in the form of a furled red banner edged at left with gold-tone wheat ears and a flagstaff with finial. A left-facing relief profile of Vladimir Lenin sits in gold-tone over the red field, with incised radiating rays behind. A white band across the lower edge carries a gold Cyrillic slogan.
Use
Property of Lydia del Carmen García y Quirós
Collection
Lydia del Carmen García y Quirós collection
Acquisition
Accession
2025.23
Acquisition Method
Gift
Made/Created
Place
Country
U.S.S.R.
Region
Eastern Europe
Continent
Europe
Notes
Maker: Unidentified. No mark on the visible (obverse) face. Reverse — which on these badges typically carries the manufacturer's stamp and Soviet retail price — not imaged.
Date: circa 1965–1985 (inferred from style; tentative). Anodized/enamel Lenin badges of this type were produced broadly across the 1960s–1980s, with output peaking around the 1970 Lenin centennial. Absent a dated reverse, the exact year cannot be confirmed and could fall outside 1959–1990, though the design is fully consistent with the collection range.
Inscription/Signature/Marks
Notes
Slogan band (front): ЛЕНИН – НАШЕ ЗНАМЯ ("Lenin is our banner").
Materials
Material
Metal
Material Notes
Materials: Gold-tone metal (likely anodized aluminum, or brass/tombac); red and white enamel or enamel-effect paint.
Technique: Die-struck/stamped metal with cold-enamel or epoxy color infill; gilt or anodized finish.
Condition
Overall Condition
Good
Relationships
Related Person or Organization
Person or Organization
Lydia del Carmen García y Quirós
Notes
owner
Person or Organization
Vladimir I. Lenin
Notes
imagery
Related Places
Place
City
New York City
State/Province
New York
Country
U.S.A.
Continent
North America
Notes
preservation
Place
Country
U.S.S.R.
Region
Eastern Europe
Continent
Europe
Notes
production
Research Notes
Notes
"Ленин — наше знамя" was a stock Soviet agitational slogan.
Lenin badges are among the most prolific of all Soviet значки — collectors cite on the order of ~4,000 distinct types — mass-produced in enormous quantities through the 1960s–80s and especially for the 1970 centennial of Lenin's birth. This particular slogan variant is not itself a dated centennial issue.
