Russian mock badge and cartoon

Sometimes we manage to find the photos and drawings on which the badges were designed. I’m sure not all badges have that history, but many do. It’s always a pleasure to find such antecedents. These give you an insight into the process of creating a badge. They show where the idea comes from, how accurate the display on the badge is. It helps me date the badge if it doesn’t show a year.

My friend Ferenc Kovács found an old newspaper clipping that can be linked to one of the Russian mock badges. The cartoon was published at the beginning of 1915, as shown by the year on the hat of the Hungarian private. The Kappenabzeichen, on the other hand, was only made in 1916. I think it’s definitely inspired by the drawing. Previously, we discussed with fellow collectors about whether the opponent was a Russian or an Italian soldier? I thought he was Russian, but a lot of people thought he was more Italian, I guess, especially because of the year. The plate cap was more like Russian soldiers’ clothes. Based on this cartoon, I can see my position confirmed. That’s why I wrote in the title of the post that we’re dealing with a Russian mock badge.