Vintage BSA First Class Brass Pin “Be Prepared” PAT 1911 Early Boy Scouts Badge

This is an authentic early Boy Scouts of America First Class rank pin, featuring the iconic fleur-de-lis with eagle and shield, flanked by two stars, and the “BE PREPARED” scroll along the bottom. The reverse is clearly marked “PAT 1911” and “B. S. of A.”, dating this piece to the early years of Scouting in the United States, roughly the 1910s through the 1930s. The patent marking refers to the early official emblem trademark adopted shortly after the BSA’s founding in 1910. This larger version of the First Class badge would have been worn on early Scout uniforms and may have been used as a hat or neckerchief slide ornament. It retains its original brass finish, early pinback, and wire loop attachment at the bottom — a feature often missing on surviving examples. Historical Note: Early BSA pins from this period are prized among collectors for their craftsmanship and historical significance. These are tangible artifacts from the formative years of Scouting in America, predating the standardized postwar insignia.