C04153 LATVIAN COMMEMORATIVE BROOCH. BACKGROUND: Latvia, one of the three small Baltic States, in North Western Europe, has a long and tumultuous history being invaded numerous times by different peoples and eventually being conquered by Imperial Russia in the 18^TH Century and remaining under Soviet rule until May 1919 when the Russian Revolution permitted the chance for Latvia to claim independence. With the German-Russian non-aggression pact signed on August 23^RD 1939 secret protocols permitted Russia to invade Latvia, along with the other Baltic states at a future date with no interference from the Germans. With the German invasion of Poland and the outbreak of WWII on September 1^ST 1939 Latvia’s fate was sealed. In June 1940 the Russians invade all three Baltic states and began a reign of terror. Shortly after the German invasion of Russia on June 21^ST 1941 the Germans pushed the Soviets out of the Baltic states and were heralded as liberators. Although the Latvian’s joined the Germans in the battle against Bolshevism the Germans also ruled with an iron fist and purged all undesirable personnel. PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Roughly, 1 5/8", diameter, stamped silver alloy commemorative brooch features an embossed male figure in traditional clothing steering a boat with the sun rising in the background and the embossed lyrics from a Latvian folk song, "Pãt V‘jiÃi Dzen LaiviÃu", (Blow Wind Push Boat), which figuratively means, Carry me back to the Fatherland. The brooch is well marked on the bottom of the obverse with the stamped initials, "RG", the profile of a stylized medieval helmet with the silver content numeral, "875". The reverse of the brooch is a mirror image of the obverse and the soldered hinge and catch are intact but the pin is absent. The brooch shows moderate age tarnish.

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