A military lapel pin with no paperwork can be hard to place. Many are not official military insignia at all. Start with what the pin shows, then look at the back, the maker’s marks and how the pin was made. Together, those clues will tell you a lot more than any single feature.
Common types of military lapel pins
Most pins you will come across fall into a few groups:
- Branch and service pins, showing an emblem or lettering for a military service
- Unit pins, which may carry a unit number, crest or motto
- Qualification or skill pins, awarded for a specific training or achievement
- Memorial pins, such as the Gold Star lapel button, worn by family members of service members who died in service
- Veterans’ group, club and commercial pins, which may use military motifs without being military insignia
Knowing which group a pin probably belongs to narrows the search before you check anything else.
What to check first
Work through the pin in this order:
- The face. Note the lettering, emblem, numbers and colors. Photograph the front in good light before you touch it.
- The back. The fastener is one of the most useful clues. Common types include butterfly clutches, pin backs with a safety catch, screw backs and magnetic backs. The same type of back can be used across many decades, so it narrows the field without settling the question.
- Maker’s marks and hallmarks. Look for a manufacturer’s name, a foundry mark, or a metal mark such as “sterling.” These can show what a pin is made of and who made it. They do not prove the pin is authentic.
- Construction. Enamel pins have color filled into recesses. Cloisonné pins have enamel separated by thin metal wires. Die-struck pins are stamped without enamel. Many modern commercial pins use printed or domed resin finishes, but that is a general pattern, not a rule.
- Context. Where the pin was found and what it was displayed with can matter as much as the pin itself. A pin kept with dated documents or a named uniform is easier to research.
When you ask for help online, post clear photos of the front and back, with a scale reference. Forum threads can help, but treat any single opinion with caution.
Official, unofficial and corporate pins
It helps to sort a pin into one of three groups before you go further:
- Official pins are made under service authority and follow an approved design. Official insignia designs can be checked against the US Army Institute of Heraldry or the relevant service’s uniform references.
- Unofficial pins include souvenirs, commemorative pieces and items made by veterans’ groups. They may carry military imagery but are not authorized for uniform wear.
- Corporate and club pins are made for businesses, clubs or events. They can look military, but they are not military insignia.
An official pin is not automatically valuable, and a corporate pin is not automatically worthless. Sorting the pin tells you what questions to ask next.
Common questions
Which lapel should a pin be worn on? For civilians, the usual convention is the left lapel, over the heart. Uniform placement follows the rules for the specific service and uniform, so check the current uniform regulations for the period you are studying.
What is a magnetic lapel pin? A magnetic pin has a magnet on its face and a second magnet on the back, which holds the pin to the fabric without a needle. Magnetic pins are common in modern commercial designs. When you are dating a pin, treat a magnetic back as a clue that it is more likely to be modern, not as proof. Anyone with a pacemaker or another implanted medical device should keep magnets away from it and check with their doctor before wearing one.
What does a Navy pin look like? Navy devices often include an anchor and naval lettering, but the exact designs and wear rules come from Navy uniform regulations. Check those regulations, or a Navy-specific reference such as US Navy WWII uniforms and insignia, rather than relying on a general description.
Preservation
Store pins in a dry, dark place. Use acid-free card, padded boxes or pin-cushion displays, and keep pieces apart so enamel and finishes do not scratch. Do not polish enamel with abrasives, and do not clean old pins with household solvents. Keep magnetic pins away from watches and cards with magnetic strips.
For more on how the broader family of military insignia is identified, see the guide to military patches, badges and insignia. For a related method that uses construction and backing clues, see how to date a military patch by its backing and stitching.