slava1stclass

Not necessarily. Only Junior Lieutenants of the Air Force were eligible to receive the Order of Glory. Once promoted to Lieutenant, however, they could no longer be recommended for a higher class of the Order of Glory (if they hadn't already earned it as a Junior Lieutenant in the Air Force). The regulation also stipulated that serving Starshini who became Full Cavaliers would be concurrently promoted to the rank of Junior Lieutenant. Hope this helps. Regards, slava1stclass

To all: Absolutely. What's even more unusual is the very rarely seen Slava/Khmelnitskiy 3rd Class winner. I have an original period photo of one such Slava/K3 winner - a battle of Koenigsberg vet - in my collection. Although the Soviet regulation provided for award of the K3 to enlisted personnel, it's rare to see period photographs of these recipients. Regards, slava1stclass

To all: Very nice grouping. It's unfortunate the original documents weren't included, but rather photo copies thereof. This was common in the early days following the collapse of the USSR when the vet/his relatives often unloaded the orders/medals, but retained the Full Cavalier Booklet/Ordenskaya Knizhka to verify the entitlements accorded a Full Cavalier. Regards, slava1stclass

To all: This is Full Cavalier of the Order of Glory Kovalyov. His Imya and Otechestvo escape me at the moment although I believe the initials are A. S. I need to confirm. Regards, slava1stclass

To all: Concur. A HSU/Double Slava winner grouping is a great score. It epitomizes the in-your-face combat valor that makes collecting Order of Glory Full Cavalier sets (and other unique Slava groupings such as this one) all the more appealing. Very nice. Thank you for sharing. Regards, slava1stclass

Ed, Precisely. She (it's the female of the species in the very first photo) can be thankful it was a fly boy manning that sniper rifle - and not a ground pounder. It might have been a different matter, however, if the encounter was while he was piloting his Yak-3. The Great Bustard is like a Ju-52 - large and slow flying. Regards, slava1stclass

To all: We have a winner!!!! Regards, slava1stclass

To all: Let's see now, albatross, seagull and strange looking eagle - unfortunately all incorrect. Hint: This is one of the world?s heaviest flying birds ? if not the heaviest. Its principal range is located throughout southern Eurasia. As you know, the former USSR is in Eurasia. C'mon, I thought you guys prided yourselves in your research skills. Regards, 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