Mongolia Hyper inflation

[Bob]

Notice the difference

SELLER 1: few months ago

SOLD ORDER OF THE RED BANNER OF MILITARY VALOR 2nd AWARD BOXED Battushig A 22.2, 1940-1945. Made of silver, gilt and enamels. S/n is 56, four rivets. Great near mint condition with light patina, flawless enamel. Comes with a presentation box, lightly worn. PRICE 3,950.00 [pix1] [pix2]

SELLER 2 (or 3): current price

Order of the Red Banner for Military Valor, 2nd award, 1940 type, #56, 1941-1945. Comes with an old issue box, possibly original to the award.

Silver gilt, enamels, numbered. 50.3 mm tall. The reverse shows Soviet mint mark. Exceptional quality, even if compared to Soviet decoration of the same period.

Extraordinary, near mint condition. Perfect enamel and completely intact gold plating. The rifle and sword are solidly affixed and are not bent as is often the case on the "first award" Orders of the Red Banner of 1940 type. Original silver screw plate is included.

Includes an issue box, standard for Mongolian orders, possibly original to the award or of slightly later vintage. Similar to Soviet order issue boxes, it is wrapped in red oilcloth, with padded lid having silk liner, and plywood insert wrapped in paper and silk for mounting the award.

This order was issued during WW2 as a consequent award to a person who had already been awarded with a single Combat Red Banner. This would have to be one of the highest ranking Mongolian and Soviet military officers. Most of the 1940-45 issues were later replaced with the 1945 model, which explains the extreme scarcity of this award. As an example, many early photos of Marshal Zhukov show him with two Mongolian Red Banners of the 1940 type, whereas his photos and portraits from mid 1950s and later invariably have him wearing the 1945 model.

Few of the 1940 Red Banner 4th award have come on the market over the last few years (most of them were probably unissued specimens), however this 2nd award is the only one we've ever handled. /See A. Battushig, "Mongolian Orders, Medals & Badges" p. 48, fig. A22.2/

$11,500.00

[Ed_Haynes]

"Inflation"? Not sure that is the technical term. I think the technical, scientific, term is: "Raving bloody insanity".

It is, it seems, multi-national.

[Eric Gaumann]

Prices will vary for one specific item from dealer to dealer. There's lots of reasons why, including their cost, perceived rarity, ignorance and wishful thinking.

Genereally speaking though, the more words in a dealer's description the higher the price.

[Guest Rick Research]

I think what you all are experiencing as the Sargasso Sea of becalmed availability is merely the eye of the retail hurricane.

Largely thanks to your good selves the supply has dried up. Now there is no supply. Youze have it all.

Youze are the OPEC of Mongolian collecting.

Exactly the same thing happened with Soviet precisely 6 years ago.

I can still personally date the Last Dodo/Wooly Mammoth to January 2001. Then the Lean Years, and pharoah having bad dreams.

But look where SOVIET prices are today.

Long haul, gennilmenz, long haul.

Summat tells me six years from NOW there shall be weeping and tearing of garments in Nineveh at the lost golden age that is NOW.

I'm glad I got what I did when I did, because I couldn't afford my "goodies" today. I suspect very strongly that you will all be glad you were in on the Great Mongolian Mania of 2006, too.

NEXT Phase: research.

[Ed_Haynes]

So true, Rick, so true.

Just hold your caps until research hits. You ain't seen nothin yet.

Still, there is some serious dealer pricing insanity. In part fueled by the usual suspect(s), but with some help.

But, when folks in the "Old Country" start quoting prices from a Certain Website . . .

Edited January 19, 2007 by Ed_Haynes