Austria-Hungary, Empire. An Army General Flyer’s Badge

(Flugzeugführerabzeichen). Constructed of gilded bronze with multi-coloured enamels, the obverse consisting of an oval white enameled laurel wreath, joined together at the bottom by gilded and enameled Austrian and Hungarian coats of arms flanking a stylized depiction of the Order of the Golden Fleece, topped by a shield bearing a white enameled disc overlaid by a monogram of Emperor Charles I, around a central Austrian eagle in mid-flight, clutching a pair of lightning bolts over a hollow background, the reverse with two visible rivets securing the obverse eagle in place, with a raised barrel hinge and tapering vertical pinback meeting a rounded catch, bearing an etched date of “1917” and an additional number “87”, measuring 52.40 mm (w) x 56.82 mm (h), weighing 21.5 grams, some chipping and cracking is visible to the enamels of the obverse wreath with repair attempts evident from the one to three o’clock positions, in overall near extremely fine condition.