Original Soviet Cold War Era Aluminum Model T-55 Battle Tank Mounted on Base

Original Item. Only One Available. This is a perfect paperweight or desk display piece for any military vehicle aficionado or history enthusiast. A small model Soviet Model T-55 Battle tank mounted on a base.

The base measures 4¼ x 7½” and is partially transparent, so it may be acrylic. The tank measures 6¼ x 3¼ x 2½” without the barrel, and the barrel is 3¾” long. The tank is very detailed and makes for a great display for any desk, display case, or shelf. A great piece ready for further research and display.

The T-54 and T-55 tanks are a series of Soviet main battle tanks introduced in the years following the Second World War. The first T-54 prototype was completed at Nizhny Tagil by the end of 1945. From the late 1950s, the T-54 eventually became the main tank for armoured units of the Soviet Army, armies of the Warsaw Pact countries, and many others. T-54s and T-55s have been involved in many of the world's armed conflicts since their introduction in the second half of the 20th century.    

The T-54/55 series is the most-produced tank in history. Estimated production numbers for the series range from 96,500 to 100,000. They were replaced by the T-62, T-64, T-72, T-80 and T-90 tanks in the Soviet and Russian armies, but remain in use by up to 50 other armies worldwide, some having received sophisticated retrofitting. The Chinese version of the T-54A is the Type 59.

During the Cold War, Soviet tanks never directly faced their NATO adversaries in combat in Europe. However, the T-54/55's first appearance in the West around the period of the 1950s (then the beginning of the Cold War) spurred the United Kingdom to develop a new tank gun, the Royal Ordnance L7, and the United States to develop the M60 tank.