Watch List notes:

RUSSIAN MEDALS. BADGES . Other Law Enforcement Badges. NKVD. To an Excellent Worker, For Outstanding Efforts in the Bureau of Far Eastern Construction and Development. Engraved # 492. Silvered white metal, red and white enamels. Oval badge with a depiction of a gold-mining plant, white enamel background. Red enameled banner above inscribed: 'ОТЛИЧНИКУ ДАЛЬСТРОЕВЦУ', on the left: 'ГУСДС НКВД. СССР' below on a red enameled scroll. Stamped 'MД' on bottom back. Zak 2.3.56. Choice and problem-free. There are numerous Soviet so-called `Labor' badges from the 1920's to the 1940's. At first glance, they seem innocuous – badges for construction, development, canals, etc. But, in fact, they were GULAG labor camps which dotted the Soviet landscape. The badge above is the only one which spells out that chilling fact: ГУСДС НКВД – GUSDS (Gulag Far Eastern Construction) NKVD

Estimate: $1000