Yin-Yang Pin [Unconfirmed] [Series III]

In answering the question, 'What does the yin-yang pin tell us about enamel badges..?' [WRITE BIGGER...] there are various words that need to be defined. What is a yin-yang? What is an enamel one? Why is it enamelled? And why is it so frequently linked with badges? ... What the hell is a badge?

I picked up these three examples due to a number of factors. They seem to be roughly the correct size, two have soft enamel finishes, with the third, like most contemporary examples I have found, lacking the smooth epoxy dome synonymous with the right era. But therein also lies the rub.

In striving for accuracy with this archive, one must take into consideration natural wear and tear for vintage items. The second of these badges arrived, ostensibly, still in its original plastic bag, but despite this, the aforementioned epoxy layer has suffered some serious discolouration over the past few decades. Sadly, there doesn't appear to be a sure-fire way of restoring this pin to its former soft-white glory, but even so, I'm just glad to have tracked down another period example, at long last.

I am convinced the third of these pins is the most screen-accurate in terms of finish - specifically, the thin silver borders around each black-and-white shape. However, with so many generic variants out there, and no makers' mark, this too shall be filed under 'Unconfirmed' for, I expect, the next few decades, at least.

This badge can be found on Lister's screen-left leather jacket lapel, above the Federal Marshall badge, and to the right of the blue Monitor pin, during Series III. It doesn't appear to carry over to any other series, apparently becoming lost sometime between the battle with Hudzen 10, and Camille's rescue. Seeing as it features a butterfly clutch fastener, I wouldn't be surprised if it fell off as Lister climbed down from his bunk, let alone hanging by his ankles during an icy squall to fix the starboard engine. P'shaw.

In short, the ancient and elegant emblem of yin and yang it is often used to describe how opposing aspects can bond to form one glorious whole. For an ever-so slightly more comprehensive overview of its meanings and history, I recommend you check out the symbol's Wiki page here.

Dimensions for the larger pins are 25mm across, and the smaller type, 22mm.