Actually I believe this piece is a ID badge of sorts. The number on the back
identified the worker to whom it had been issued. The badge was worn to gain
access to wartime shipyards, where security needed to be tight. Pot metal
was used because of cost and the scarcity of other metals during WWII. Since
wartime workers were fairly transient, the badge could be collected when a
worker left the shipyard's employ and reissued to the next worker. 

 

At http://www.citicom.com/~lbagnato/pjmemorabilia.htm you can see a similar
badge and a red, white & blue visitor's badge just above it.

 

 

Becky Fitzgerald

  _____  

From: Museum discussion list [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf
Of Full Name
Sent: Wednesday, April 27, 2005 8:13 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Question about a pin

 

Ms. Roberts:  

 

I think the advice about this pin being a recognition piece is probably
correct.  I would also add that this piece is probably not bronze but
perhaps pot-metal with a bronze finish, since it sounds like it was
"stamped" rather than cast, since the detail of,"  the imprint of everything
else on the back of the pin from the front," would indicate that it was
stamped.  If it was cast, then bronze might be possible but the back would
probably have been different than the front, much like a coin.

 

 

 

In a message dated 4/26/2005 12:13:13 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time,
[log in to unmask] writes:

Hi Ms. Roberts:

    This is a wild guess but, I would say that it was a recognition piece
given to shipyard workers.  It was probably given for the number of hours
worked or for completion of a certain number of ships, possibly Liberty
ships.  While this is only a guess and I have no documentation of such items
being given, that is the best explanation I have.  This might lead your or
your patron to do further research into war time ship production.    

Rachel Roberts wrote:



Good morning, listserv-ers!  We recently received the following inquiry:

 

"I have a pin, I think it is bronze, it is the size of a silver dollar, a
flag shield with thirteen stars are at the top of this pin, and around the
pin it says War Service, Ship Building, in the center there is a ship, with
smoke coming out its stack, and poles and lines, like maybe it could be
sailed, the imprint of the water is underneath the ship. This is imprinted
into the center of the pin. On the back is a # 59941. and of course you can
see the imprint of everything else on the back of the pin from the front.
And of course the clasp."

 

Does anyone out there have any suggestions for this patron?  The pin
belonged to her father, who has passed away, and he didn't know anything
about the item.

 

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