slava1stclass

To all: Yes, it's still alive. No, albatross it is not - the Soviets never occupied Midway Island! Keep those guesses coming! Regards, slava1stclass

To all: Now this is a shoot down any Soviet pilot would be proud of. Just who among our sharp-eyed forum members will be the first to properly identify the trophy? Let the contest begin... Regards, slava1stclass

To all: A PMD-certified Glory 1st (unissued serial number 2140) is currently available at a well-known NYC-area dealer. Condition rating: 9.9/10 Price: $5,150.00. Regards, slava1stclass

These images (of another Godet-Werner-produced bar) should help. Regards, slava1stclass

To all: I couldn't agree more. The condition/degree of damage plays an important role in driving the price equation. Nicks, scratches and even the despised "gold check" gouges are one thing. Orders that have been virtually rubbed clean of any identifying features (other than the outline of the order itself), however, is quite another. Regards, slava1stclass

To all: If one's decision process in buying a set gave more weight to its history versus the condition of the orders themselves, one shouldn't be faulted. At the same time, however, to expect to reap fair-market value when one decided to part with a less-than-ideal condition set (when others in far better condition are to be found on the open market) is somewhat naive. Yes, the historical element counts, but condition is equally important. In this case, one can't expect to receive current market value and may/should expect to settle for less. That's something one should have considered when acquiring the set in the first place (if the intent was to sell it somewhere down the road). Regards, slava1stclass

To all: As with anything else, completeness of the set as well as condition of the orders themselves are critical components in establishing an asking price. My recollection of these sets is that they weren't primo in terms of condition. This was especially true for the set containing the Cavalier Booklet and all three Orders of Glory. Hope this helps. Regards, slava1stclass

To all: It appears the bidder may not have been that hapless after all. I have come across an image of an original Slava/Glory 1st Class with a flat-top "5" in its serial number. The serial number of this example is within 50 numbers of serial number 597 seen above. It appears that good 'ol # 597 was a real find after all. Regards, slava1stclass

To all: Absolutely nothing wrong with this one. Regards, slava1stclass

To all: A well-known NYC-area dealer currently has one listed for $76,000.00. Serial # 28. Regards, slava1stclass

...no doubt, but the seller is laughing all the way to the bank! Regards, slava1stclass

To all: A very unusual M1945 VP service cap that was recently listed on a well-known auction site. Seller indicated it was for a NKVD transportatation corps general officer. I thought the cloth aficionados among you would enjoy seeing it. It sold for $850.00. This only goes to show that the occasional "diamond in the rough" can be had on the oft-maligned auction site! Regards, slava1stclass

To all: All told, only 15 Marshals of the Soviet Union (MSU) would have worn this headgear. Considering that the successor model, the M1955, was authorized on 3 March 1955, the 15 MSUs who would have worn the M1945 model were: MSU Beria MSU Budyonny MSU Bulganin MSU Govorov MSU Konev MSU Malinovskiy MSU Meretskov MSU Rokossovskiy MSU Sokolovskiy MSU (later Generalissimus) Stalin MSU Timoshenko MSU Tolbukhin MSU Vasilevskiy MSU Voroshilov MSU Zhukov No matter how you look at it, beyond its exceedingly rare status, the M1945 Victory Parade service cap has an immediate direct connection to the most singularly prominent Soviet military and political figures of the Great Patriotic War period. Regards, slava1stclass

To all: A recent acquisition. Regards, slava1stclass

To all: Based on what I've observed over the years, it's not particularly difficult to "assemble" a period uniform e.g., an original WW II U.S. Army "Ike" jacket by sprucing it up with some period ribbons/badges. The individual components are readily available at militaria shows, thrift shops, and a well-known auction site, among others. In knowledgeable hands, such a "package" can be assembled, assigned an appropriate "history/provenance" and then "pitched." It's amazing what people jump at/are sucked into - an Ike jacket with a couple of period patches, some overseas service bars, a period sterling silver CIB and period ribbons will reel them in. Some forum members know this better than I. This case, however, was definitely heavy on the show versus go (i.e. credibility/backstopping). Regards, slava1stclass

To all: The bidding war on this one is slowly picking up steam. Regards, slava1stclass

To all: Serial number 597 is currently listed on a well-known auction site with an opening bid of $9.00. Regards, slava1stclass

Rick, Thank you. Regards, slava1stclass

To all: As stated in my above post, there were only four Full Cavaliers of the Order of Glory who were also HSUs. Yes, my forthcoming work will include details on the single and double Order of Glory winners who were also HSUs. Regards, slava1stclass

To all: The best way to end this "He Says, She Says" discussion is to get a copy of his Awards Record Card (Uchyotnaya Kartochka) or Special Awards Record Card for a Full Cavalier of the Order of Glory from the Russian archives. Either document will serve to confirm the true number of his Glory 1st Class. Regards, slava1stclass

To all: As a point of clarification, beyond the four Full Cavaliers of the Order of Glory who were also HSUs, there is also a very healthy number of HSUs who were either single or double Order of Glory winners. Details will be included in my forthcoming book. Regards, slava1stclass

Rick, A bit of clarification ref Guards Jr. Sgt Zaripov: - We can date the photo to sometime on/after 1948. Understanding that he was demob'ed in 1945 and that his Glory 1st Class wasn't officially awarded (in exchange for a double Glory 3rd Class) until 1951, it's clear why he remained a Jr. Sgt. As he was no longer on active duty, he was not eligible for the advancement in rank that accompanied elevation to Full Cavalier status. In normal circumstances a Jr. Sgt. would have been advanced to the rank of Starshina (Master Sergeant/Sergeant Major) upon becoming a Full Cavalier. Since he was demob'ed, there was no basis to do so. His rank, if you will, was frozen. - Ref the photo. It could very well be the case he's wearing the 2nd Class and two 3rd Class Glories he was originally awarded. Since this is a B&W image it's hard to say, but that would be my best guess given the 1951 awarding of his 1st Class Glory. In any event, he's a Full Cavalier. Hope this helps. Regards, slava1stclass

Full Cavaliers of the Order of Glory - Present Day Market Realities My interest in Full Cavaliers of the Order of Glory (which extends back some 15 years) has led me to the following general observations ref the collectors market for Full Cavalier sets that has developed in the United States and Europe over this period. I offer the following as my personal observations and welcome your comments/opinions. The Hierarchy of Collectability (defined by dealers' asking prices for a Full Cavalier set ranked from most expensive to least expensive) as of 24 February 2006: 1) Order of Glory 1st, 2nd and 3rd Class medals with accompanying Full Cavalier award booklet that includes photo of recipient, official military commissariat stamp on photo and date when booklet was issued plus all standard entries. 2) Same as 1) above but the photo does not have the official military commissariat stamp and the booklet lacks an entry for date of issue. 3) Order of Glory 1st, 2nd and 3rd Class medals with accompanying Full Cavalier award booklet but award booklet is missing the photo, official military commissariat stamp and date booklet was issued. 4) Order of Glory 1st, 2nd and 3rd Class medals with accompanying Ordenskaya Knizhka with or without photo. 5) Order of Glory 1st, 2nd and 3rd Class medals with accompanying Voenniy Bilet. 6) Order of Glory 1st, 2nd and 3rd Class medals with research e.g. Special Awards Card for HSU and Full Cavalier and/or Standard Awards Card and/or copies of Glory Award Citations. 7) Order of Glory 1st, 2nd and 3rd Class medals that stand alone without accompanying documentation of any sort. NOTES: 1) Over the past 15 years I have encountered a few category 1) Full Cavalier sets that also included the associated Ordenskaya Knizhka (OK). These occasions have been far and few between. In those instances where I have seen them, all of the other accompanying awards (e.g. Red Star or Medal for Valor) were never included/available with the set. For this reason, I have not included a separate ranking for category 1) - 3) Full Cavalier sets that might also include the OK since, in my judgment, dealers don't necessarily adjust the price upwards unless the orders/medals identified in the OK are also with the group. 2) The above ranking does not consider Full Cavalier sets that include duplicate Orders of Glory in their make up. While the duplicate(s) may be original in every respect, their presence markedly detracts from the sets' historic/monetary value. BOTTOM LINE: My observation is that dealers' asking prices for a Full Cavalier set generally follow the above guideline. I look forward to your thoughts. Regards, slava1stclass

To all: No matter how you look at it, this set raises far too many questions. I made this point to Herr Gattringer of Austria some time ago. In my view, no right-minded collector would feel comfortable buying this as a Full Knight/Cavalier set - no matter how one might seek to justify it as such. Regards, slava1stclass