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His Story Collections Presents1966–1976 Chairman Mao Portrait Badge SetThree Mao Zedong Badges · Cultural Revolution Era · Certified MS70
Vintage Chinese Political Memorabilia | Mao-Era Wearable History | Three-Piece Certified Set
Suggested Title
1966-76 China Mao Zedong Portrait Badge Set Cultural Revolution 3pcs Certified MS70
The Story
This certified three-piece set preserves one of the most recognizable forms of material culture from twentieth-century China: the Chairman Mao portrait badge.
The grading label attributes the set to 1966–1976, the period conventionally associated with the Cultural Revolution. During those years, Mao badges were produced in enormous variety and became highly visible objects in everyday public life. They appeared on clothing, uniforms, bags, caps, and other personal items, making the image of Mao Zedong one of the dominant visual symbols of the era.
What makes this group particularly appealing is that it presents three different portrait-badge designs together in one certified holder, allowing the collector to compare variations in shape, border design, scale, and decorative treatment.
Rather than representing just one badge type, the set offers a small visual survey of the Mao badge phenomenon.
Three Different Designs
The holder contains three distinct Mao portrait badges.
The upper example features a compact circular design with a gold-toned profile portrait of Mao against a dark red field.
The lower-left example is smaller and more decorative, with a gold-toned portrait surrounded by a radiating or floral-style outer border.
The lower-right example is the largest of the three and displays a gold-toned Mao portrait against a vivid red background with an ornate gold-colored perimeter.
Together, the three pieces illustrate how the same central image could be interpreted through different decorative formats while remaining instantly recognizable.
Mao Badges and Everyday Life
Mao portrait badges were more than conventional commemorative objects.
During the Cultural Revolution, they became part of the public visual environment and could function as objects of political identification, social participation, and personal display.
They were manufactured in many sizes and styles and in a wide range of materials and finishes. Some were relatively plain, while others used elaborate borders, enamel-like surfaces, radiant red backgrounds, inscriptions, or symbolic motifs.
Today, these pieces are collected as examples of Chinese political memorabilia, Cultural Revolution material culture, vintage badge design, and twentieth-century social history.
1966–1976: Historical Context
The certification label dates the group to 1966–1976.
The Cultural Revolution began in 1966 under Mao Zedong and continued through the final decade of his life. It was a period of extraordinary political mobilization, ideological campaigns, social disruption, and transformation in Chinese cultural life.
Mao's portrait became omnipresent in visual culture. It appeared on posters, publications, badges, banners, ceramics, textiles, medals, and countless other objects.
For collectors today, these surviving objects provide a direct window into how political imagery became embedded in daily material culture.
A Three-Piece Snapshot of Mao-Era Design
One of the strongest aspects of this set is its variety.
Each badge uses Mao's portrait as the focal point, but the surrounding design differs noticeably.
This makes the group particularly suitable for collectors interested not only in political history but also in:
graphic design, badge production, propaganda art, enamel-style decoration, and variations within Mao-era iconography.
Displayed together, the three pieces tell a broader story than a single badge can.
Wearable History
At His Story Collections, this category fits especially well within the concept of wearable history.
These objects were designed to be displayed on the body. They were small, portable, personal, and highly visible.
That gives them a different historical quality from coins or documents. A coin may tell us about an economy, and a document may preserve an official record, but a badge shows how history was literally carried and worn.
More than fifty years later, these three badges remain tangible witnesses to the political and visual culture of Mao-era China.
Third-Party Certification
The set has been encapsulated and certified by a Chinese third-party grading company.
Information visible on the holder
Period: 1966–76
Description: 毛主席像章套装 — Chairman Mao Portrait Badge Set
Grade: MS70
Certification No.: 10071253
The label also shows the following measurements:
22.8 mm
20.5 mm
30.2 mm
These appear to correspond to the three individual badge sizes in the set.
The MS70 designation represents the grading company's assessment of the condition of the certified group.
Buyers should review all photographs carefully for the precise designs, surfaces, holder, and certification details.
Why This Set Is Collectible
This group brings together several strong collecting themes in one certified presentation:
Mao Zedong · Cultural Revolution · Chinese political memorabilia · vintage badges · wearable history · propaganda-era design · twentieth-century Chinese history
The three-piece format is especially attractive for display because it immediately demonstrates the diversity of Mao badge design.
For a collector beginning a Mao-era collection, it provides three representative examples at once. For a more advanced collector, it can serve as an attractive certified type group.
Item Details
Country/Region: China
Period: Mao Era / Cultural Revolution
Date: 1966–1976, according to certification
Type: Chairman Mao Portrait Badge Set
Chinese: 毛主席像章套装
Quantity: 3 badges
Portrait: Mao Zedong
Theme: Cultural Revolution / Mao Era / Chinese Political History
Sizes shown on holder: Approx. 22.8 mm, 20.5 mm, and 30.2 mm
Grade: MS70
Certification No.: 10071253
Condition: Third-party certified and encapsulated; please review photographs
His Story Collections
At His Story Collections, we preserve history through the objects people actually saw, carried, used, and wore.
Our collection extends beyond traditional numismatics into historical badges, medals, documents, wearable artifacts, military objects, and other pieces of material culture that connect collectors directly with the past.
His Story Collections
Collect History. Preserve the Story.
Carry History With You.
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