Brass, enamels; measures 27.5 mm wide; weighs 8.1 g without the screw plate. Two-piece construction: the bas-relief portrait of Stalin is a separate superimposed part. Reverse shows raised "Mondvor" mint mark and stamped serial number "81717".

The motto along the upper part is "Equipment is the key to everything during the reconstruction period". This slogan was coined by Stalin in 1931, at the time when Soviet Union was buying massive amounts of machinery in the US and Europe for its fledgling industrialization program. Later, as equipment became plentiful, this slogan was replaced with the "Personnel is the key to everything" (purges reached their peak intensity at around the same time).

Excellent condition. The enamel is essentially perfect, showing only light rubbing along the edge and retaining a nice luster; there are no chips or flaking. The portrait of Stalin is extremely well preserved and retains much of its original silver finish - which is quite uncommon for this badge. The silver plating is almost entirely intact on the reverse of the badge. The screw post is full length, over 11 mm, and includes the original screw plate.

Please note, penny in our photo is for size reference.