Miniature Kappenabzeichen

Ever wondered why relatively many badges were made in different sizes? The two (sometimes three) sizes can be easily compared on the display cartons of the Gurschner company (one is shown here). If I think about it, perhaps the badges of only this Viennese company were manufactured in the miniature size, suddenly I can’t think of any other manufacturer. Yet, it needs to be explained why two sizes were needed? This is not an accessory like a jacket or pants, which are produced in several sizes according to body size. Just as the awards and decorations were basically the same (of course, the different tools of the several manufacturers resulted in minimal size differences. But for the cap badges, the reduction is roughly 50%.

Alternative solutions: usage on collar lapel, buttonhole, ornamental appliqué, etc. still seem possible, but this wearing photo to be presented now shows the original, simple reason. There were those who liked the smaller badge better, found it more comfortable and practical. Of course, if there was just one size, it was put on the cap, like the Christmas badge in our case.

By the way, the insignia of the Böhm-Ermolli army group had many versions: enameled and unenamelled, war metal and gold-plated, and there were two sizes. The two copies attached to the post are two gold-plated pieces. The larger one is enamelled, the smaller one is without enamel.