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Marshal of Italy's baton

DrG

Active Member
Marshals of Italy (singular: Maresciallo d'Italia, plural: Marescialli d'Italia) were awarded a baton, as usual in all the countries with this rank.

These are two photos of Marshal Pietro Badoglio's baton, the only one, as far as I know, currently on display in a Museum (Museo Storico Badogliano - Grazzano Badoglio):
bastone.jpg

(source: http://www.museobadoglio.altervista.org/prima_gm.htm)

r_810x810_e3692407430a42278856c83573e6dbf0.base.jpg

(source: https://www.ilmonferrato.it/articolo/hp333XDXeEO6LFcC15A_1Q/il-museo-badoglio)

In 2013 an fantasy baton, allegedly belonging to Marshal De Bono, was auctioned: https://www.the-saleroom.com/it-it/...0000/lot-ea74febf-1297-4dc2-bedc-a43500d0c52e .
It was clearly a baseless creation, not only because it was completely different from Badoglio's baton, but also because it was different also from Emilio De Bono's real one, as you can see from these photos:
s-l1600.jpg

(source: https://www.ebay.it/itm/143569978793)

s-l1600 (1).jpg

(source: https://www.ebay.it/itm/143569977332)
 
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DrG

Active Member
Marshal Badoglio's baton is somewhat puzzling. Badoglio was promoted on 26 June 1926, i.e. between Cadorna and Diaz (4 November 1924) and De Bono (16 November 1935), yet his baton is quite different from those of these other Marshals. First of all, it has only 5 and 4 rows of crosses, instead of the 6 and 5 rows of the other batons. Secondly, the crosses are plain, while in the other batons they have some lines in relief. Thirdly, it seems that there isn't the tiny flame on the upper end of the baton. Moreover, the coffret is completely different.

I guess that there are only three solutions:
1) Badoglio's baton was made in a different way for unknown reasons;
2) Badoglio lost his original baton, maybe looted after 8 September 1943, and thus ordered a replica after the war, made in a rather crude and inaccurate way;
3) the baton on show in the museum is a replica for security reasons, made in a rather crude and inaccurate way.
 
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