crest

MILITARY CRESTS

Celebrate the prestige of your military order with the crest created to perfection
Since 1902, Picchiani e Barlacchi has been creating Military Crests according to the tradition of Florence, the most famous city of art and culture in the world.
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Le istituzioni che si sono affidate a noi

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OUR NUMBERS

OVER 110 YEARS

We have dedicated over a century to the processing of metal and to the minting of military crests on a national and international level.

320,000 MINTS

We boast in our archive commissions from the armed forces, from military bodies, from secular and religious associations and from important offices of the State.

1000 ARTISTS

Artists of international fame have collaborated with Picchiani e Barlacchi such as Pietro Annigoni, Mario Moschi, Laura Cretara, Onofrio Pepe, Sergio Benvenuti, Alberto Inglesi and many others.

A SELECTION OF OUR PRODUCTS

crest picchiani e barlacchi
crest picchiani e barlacchi
crest picchiani e barlacchi
crest picchiani e barlacchi

YOUR EMBLEM IMPRINTED IN METAL

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Crest is the ideal gift for institutional meetings, a concrete symbol of the milestone achieved by the military body or by the institution it represents.

To commemorate this special occasion, Picchiani e Barlacchi put at your disposal the mastery of our artists and sculptors and the heritage of the best Florentine engravers, printers and artisans who have been creating unique works for over 110 years.

Thanks to our experience you have the security of giving a precious and unique object that transmits to the recipient the sense of belonging to the department and pride in the goal achieved.

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AVOID MEDIOCRITY…

What will personalities and institutional offices think if you choose an object without any value or significance to represent your organisation or your military body?

The widespread use of substandard materials and rough and ready (as well as standardised) processing conditions the final result which can in fact turn out to be quite mediocre, strongly impacting on the image of your department and undermining the goal that is being celebrated.

The possible risk when choosing a cheap and poor quality crest is seeing these objects thrown away after a few days and projecting a very damaging image of you and of your institution.

crest

… SHAPE YOUR EXCELLENCE!!

To celebrate your goal, invest in an object that is solid and reliable over time. Receiving your crest will be an honour for official top figures and for members of the team.

Since 1902, Picchiani e Barlacchi has been creating unique crests according to the family tradition, guaranteeing an impeccable result that exceeds even the most stringent of expectations.

Engravers, designers, printers, galvanic finishers and many other professionals unceasingly work raw materials to honour your military body or your special occasion, resulting in a beautiful and durable crest.

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OUR VALUES AND OUR SENSE OF BELONGING

Florence is the most famous city of art in the world, cradle of the Renaissance and still today a land rich in culture, tradition and craftsmanship.

Workers have always found fertile ground in this city to develop and promote excellence and professionalism and this was also the case for Picchiani e Barlacchi that since 1896 has continued its activity almost unaltered.

Since the official foundation of the company in 1902 these have been our values:

incisore picchiani e barlacchi

We believe in tradition, on which our company is based.

This is why we are against any form of improvisation: our products are not just pieces of metal, but immortal objects to celebrate an event and to preserve its memory over time so it must be created to a professional standard.

punzone medaglia benetti di picchiani e barlacchi

We believe in Made in Italy, a precious resource of our country envied throughout the rest of the world.

We despise any attempt at imitation and any form of homologation that degrades the history of our country, the creative scope of our artists and craftsmen and the excellence of our products.

finitura galvanica picchiani e barlacchi

We firmly believe in quality.

This is why we avoid standardising and flattening our products, even when the operation would have an economic advantage. In no case do we cut corners on attention to detail or the perfection of the final product.

This is our philosophy; these are the values​that guide every stage of working of our products, from the conception of the design to the finishing and quality control.

THE PROCESSING

The Picchiani e Barlacchi method

bozzetto di disegno di una medaglia
DrawingTogether with you and with the other persons involved in the project, we identify and study the theme to be developed, which will be delivered to you in the form of a sketch completely free of charge. Our designs are created each time in a way that is original as well as being protected by Picchiani e Barlacchi copyright.

In this way you will enjoy the guarantee of having a crest that is different from all the others, tailor-made to your occasion.

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Modello in gessoAfter you have approved the design, the artist creates the plaster cast, larger than the size of the final object.

In this way it is possible to hand work the details of the reliefs to define them as precisely as possible and to guarantee an excellent result.

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Bronze castingCast bronze is poured into the impression made with the plaster and the “art model” thus obtained is polished and retouched for a perfect final result.
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Pantographic reproductionFrom the large bronze model we obtain, through the pantograph, the reproduction in steel (called “punch”) with the actual measurements of the final object.

Once again it is the task of our engravers to perfect their aspects and to reduce the burrs in the final product to zero.

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The punchThe punch thus obtained is tempered at approximately 850° to make it more resistant.
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MintCompressing the punch on a steel cylinder by means of the rocker arm results in the mint, that is, the die to produce the crest. Despite the efficiency of the machines, nothing can replace the experience of the engravers who oversee the reliefs and the other details of the mint, giving value to the process.
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MouldingWith the mint obtained it is possible to proceed to moulding. In this way it is possible to customise your crest choosing from a variety of materials such as brass, bronze, zamak and from polished, satin or hand-coated finishes.

At the end of production, moreover, the mint is stored in our archive and guaranteed for 100 years so that you can reuse it for a new edition should you choose.

fase di rifinitura galvanica
Galvanised finishThe last phase of production consists of very precise chemical, physical and craft processes that enhance the chiaroscuro of the sculpture as well the colour and brilliance of the metal.

Moreover these processes mean that the crest does not alter over making the memory it represents truly eternal.

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EnamellingThen we proceed with the enamelling, the decoration with precious stones (at the request of the customer).
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BondingAs a base for the emblem you can choose between a variety of bases in precious wood or in Plexiglass, on which we will securely fix the metal plate.

In addition, each crest is accompanied by its custom-made case.

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Quality controlOnce the production process is complete, the pieces are checked one by one and selected so that the entire order is free from defects at the time of shipping or collection.
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CALL US NOW

Call us now to discuss your needs and to receive an artist’s drawing of your Crest free of charge.

Our drawings are protected by copyright and you can only have them made through Picchiani e Barlacchi. We assure you that they will never be sold to third parties and will be for your exclusive use.
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THE HISTORY OF PICCHIANI E BARLACCHI

Since the foundation of Picchiani e Barlacchi in 1902 more than 110 years have passed: over a century of culture and art embodied in artistic and commemorative medals, plaques, crests, trophies and many other objects that recall indelible events at local, national and international level.

From anniversaries to institutional occasions, from the celebration of corporate goals to sporting events and including news events: in the endless archive of our historical company with a strictly family tradition we recognise in metal the features that have marked the history of our country. Learn more about the medals and objects that have made the history of our country and about our own history.

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DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS?

You will find all the answers here

How long does it take to receive a Crest?

The processing of your crest, from the design of the project to production and finishing, requires compliance with precise times. This is not a standardised process, but a true work that requires the mastery and meticulous attention of each person involved.

Each new edition entails, once the design and the sketch have been approved, approximately 30 days of actual work to give you an excellent product that reflects in the best possible way the value of the order that it represents.

How much can a crest cost?

How can I be sure of the end result?

Contact us now

Contact us now to discuss your needs and to receive an artist’s drawing of your medal for free.