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Everything posted by Mondvor
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Soviet Please post your OPW 2nd classes
Mondvor replied to Gerd Becker's topic in Russia: Soviet Orders, Medals & Decorations
Hello Ferdinand, Thanks for showing the numbers. GPW 44030 was made at Krasnokamsk Mint in a period from August to October 1943. GPW 296650 was produced by Leningrad Mint at July - November 1944, however most of them were bestowed only in 1945. -
Soviet Hierarchy of Soviet Awards?
Mondvor replied to Christian Zulus's topic in Russia: Soviet Orders, Medals & Decorations
I found another Glory citation that in my opinion is unappropriate for this award. It is currently on EBay. Awarded to Sr. Sergeant who was a personal driver of the commander of 52nd Guards Rifle Division. I should say he was highly decorated driver - Red Star, Glory, Bravery Medal and Military Merit medal. -
Soviet Please post your OPW 2nd classes
Mondvor replied to Gerd Becker's topic in Russia: Soviet Orders, Medals & Decorations
I see your position. I should say that "Sotheby's effect" was possible only because of the great value of the orders displayed there. All together they worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. Your GPWs are cheap staff and nobody would bother to track them down. However it is your right not to show the numbers to the other forum members. -
Soviet Please post your OPW 2nd classes
Mondvor replied to Gerd Becker's topic in Russia: Soviet Orders, Medals & Decorations
I can tell you when those GPWs were produced, however I'd like to see the serial number. Is it any reason to cover it? As far as I know people on this forum always display the numbers. -
Soviet The WORST OPW2 Ever Awarded!
Mondvor replied to a topic in Russia: Soviet Orders, Medals & Decorations
In Red Army the situation with food was really bad. In many memoirs has been described that very often soldiers didn't receive any food for the whole day. Even if they got some food, it was not enough to overcome the demand for calories, so the soldiers were always hungry. Because of that, the regular delivering of fresh hot food to the trenches was extremely important. Hungry soldier is not a warrior. When Russian soldier had an empty stomach, he didn't have a desire to fight. So a cook or a person in charge of food supply were important figures. Their good work was in a close connection with soldier's "high spirit". -
Soviet Sergeant Gnitienko's "Glory-Trio"
Mondvor replied to Christian Zulus's topic in Russia: Soviet Orders, Medals & Decorations
Christian, because this case is interesting, I sent the images of Gnitienko's medals and documents to my friend and co-author Igor Pak. He didn't find anything wrong with this group, except the number. He agreed that most likely it is a clerk's mistake. However, he said that he would ask Georgy Grishko (the creator of the book with Glory numbers) about Gnitienko's case. Maybe he would be able to find something explaining this situation with a different 1st class numbers. -
Soviet Sergeant Gnitienko's "Glory-Trio"
Mondvor replied to Christian Zulus's topic in Russia: Soviet Orders, Medals & Decorations
From this Gnitienko group there is only one question, but it does not directly interact with the group's autenticity. This question is about the wrong number in the book issued in 2005 with the list of the full cavalier's orders of Glory numbers. However, if you check at the same book the number of Gnitienko's first class order, you can see that this position is blank. Why does it happened? First of all I have to say that several mistakes in this book have been found already (as well as in the previously issued book with Gold Star numbers). It is normal. The source of the information for this book were record cards (you can see this wrong number in his record card too). But it is possible that clerk made a mistake while filling out the record card. I have seen several award cards and order books having the wrong numbers. How could it happened in Gnitienko's case? Just one possible version (I'm not pretending it to be true, just a theory). His initial award card was filled right after the war, most likely from 1946 to 1948. Of course at this time he didn't have his first class Glory. Instead he had two 2nd class orders. And I bet those two second classes were listed in his initial award card. If you take a look at his documents, you can see that second Glory 2nd class was issued on September 1944. It could be a 4-digit number. What if this mysterious 3646 is a number of his additional 2nd class Glory? It was listed in his original award card and clerk found this old card and copied the information to record card without noticing that it was 2nd class, not 1st class. Later, in 1980, the new award card was issued. At this time it was rewritten and probably contained correct information. So the solution would be to find Gnitienlo's award cards (both if possible). The orderbook of the full Glory cavalier is original in every respect. I do not see any traces of corrections or erasures. The 1st class number matches with order number. So everything is OK here. I do not think that somebody could find unissued 1st class Glory # 1965, also find unissued orderbook and make such group. It is very unlikely. BTW, if you check the numbers around 1965 you can see that many of them were issued in 1970-80th. -
Soviet Sergeant Gnitienko's "Glory-Trio"
Mondvor replied to Christian Zulus's topic in Russia: Soviet Orders, Medals & Decorations
Chrisitan, thanks for sharing this group with us. I think this is an excellent, problem-free set. I didn't find any suspicious details. Just can say that it is a great addition to any collection, my congratulations! -
Soviet The WORST OPW2 Ever Awarded!
Mondvor replied to a topic in Russia: Soviet Orders, Medals & Decorations
Thanks a lot Rick! I almost cried when I read this It is something!!! About the intendants (quartermasters) I have to say that they all looked like brothers. I have a picture of another quartermaser, take a look. I don't think he was starving during the war... -
Soviet Hierarchy of Soviet Awards?
Mondvor replied to Christian Zulus's topic in Russia: Soviet Orders, Medals & Decorations
Chrisitian, it could be another explanation. During the trophy harvest this guy could find something valuable (for example gold wrist watches or general's chrom-and-nickel "parabellum") and presented it to his company's commander. The commander, in turn, granted him for a Glory order. It is not a secret, that during the trophy harvest soldiers carefully examined the dead bodies of dead enemy soldiers looking for valuable things. It has been described in memoirs of some Red Army officers. -
Soviet Hierarchy of Soviet Awards?
Mondvor replied to Christian Zulus's topic in Russia: Soviet Orders, Medals & Decorations
Another document issued to this guy. It says that for his good conduct during GPW he was granted with a pocket watch -
Soviet Hierarchy of Soviet Awards?
Mondvor replied to Christian Zulus's topic in Russia: Soviet Orders, Medals & Decorations
In several posts in this discussion people mentioned that Glory order was given only for heroic and courageous events. Unfortunately, there are exceptions to this rule. Here is an example of Glory 3rd class award simply for good conduct and diligent doing of routine tasks. -
Soviet Please post your OPW 2nd classes
Mondvor replied to Gerd Becker's topic in Russia: Soviet Orders, Medals & Decorations
Gerd, actually the lowest known LMD specimes were with letters in word МОНЕТНЫЙ 1,5 times lower than in word ДВОР. Only 4 numbers have been observed so far - 100152, 100747, 100913 and 101066. They belong to LMD, Variation 1, Subvariation 2. Then it followed by LMD, Variation 1, Subvariation 3a that didn't have mintmark at all - earliest known number is 100172, several of them observed. If you want, tomorrow I can post a pictures of those subvariations (now I'm about to fall asleep , too tired today). -
Soviet Please post your OPW 2nd classes
Mondvor replied to Gerd Becker's topic in Russia: Soviet Orders, Medals & Decorations
That's a pure Krasnokamsk Mint -
Soviet Please post your OPW 2nd classes
Mondvor replied to Gerd Becker's topic in Russia: Soviet Orders, Medals & Decorations
This one might be interesting as well. Its real number is 102232, so it is also a neighbor of your GPW. However some stupid fake-maker removed last digit and was trying to sell it as a reissue order. The traces of last "2" are visible even on the picture. Under magnification glass it was very clear. -
Soviet Please post your OPW 2nd classes
Mondvor replied to Gerd Becker's topic in Russia: Soviet Orders, Medals & Decorations
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Soviet Please post your OPW 2nd classes
Mondvor replied to Gerd Becker's topic in Russia: Soviet Orders, Medals & Decorations
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Soviet Please post your OPW 2nd classes
Mondvor replied to Gerd Becker's topic in Russia: Soviet Orders, Medals & Decorations
Hi Gerd, Sorry for my late answer. I found your question just 10 minutes ago. This 101270 order is a Leningrad Mint production. Amazingly, it is a new lowest known number for LMD Variation 1, Subvariation 1 - previous was 101300 It was among the first of LMD manufactured GPWs and was produced at the begining of the second half of 1944. This mintmark is typical for LMD. Here are some close neighbours. -
Soviet Hierarchy of Soviet Awards?
Mondvor replied to Christian Zulus's topic in Russia: Soviet Orders, Medals & Decorations
No problem Gerd