Stogieman

It is a tough situation that I bounce back and forth on. I don't watermark my pix/scans.. but all my photos are on my?green background. Scans, well... with the flight badges, Ed is exactly right. Too often they hide what must be seen making it nearly impossible to perform correct comparative examinations/authentications.

Geez.... talk about a tease............

I believe the edging striations are from hand-finishing/filing. The early ones that I've been fortunate to handle were all very similar. All with Juncker mark, all very detailed. Some with leg cut-outs, some not. Juncker was a hold-over, high quality Imperial manufacture and their early quality was hard to beat. Things deteriorated as time/the war went on, but I still love their products. Many of the Imperial flight badges also show evidence of this hand-finishing. Sometimes buffed out more than others.

Well, I wonder what will happen when someone wins and gets gouvna? I found this early this AM and just couldn't understand.... bids were at $780++ USD. Quality of the front looked great. Quality of back looked great. Number didn't add up. I posted it so quick and never realized the photos don't even match the same piece! Has Andrei been advised this person stole his photos?

Albert Order OC looks fine, but it must be a late 1910-13 piece if it's truly gold... I would not expect there to be NO maker disc on the back of a gold one... Typically, this emblem is found on the silver-gilt example.

The thing that did not make sense for me was the number... seems really high for what this is purported to be.....

Andrei, can you help with a translation of the actual citation? Thanks!

Weitze has several available Jason, as does Kai Winkler.

Always a good thing to match these up. Makes for a fun hunt!

I'd love to know your opinion on this type 2 ORB screwback? The quality looks very good to me?

I think after all these years I've seen maybe 5 or 6 that I accepted as real. Scarcer than even a good glider pilot badge. Very hard to find, but they are out there in both buntmetal and zinc.

I like Andrei better! Only respectful to use the right name! I have been stogieman for so long, in cyberspace and elsewhere.... I don't think I have any name anymore!

And Andrew it shall be henceforth. Herein lies the one small problem with using a pseudonym...

My apologies, Mondvor, I thought Gerd had said your name was "Alex"? How shall we address you?? Thanks! Rick

As an aside, many and much thanks to Rick research, "Scanmeister" supreme....

And finally, for now... The rather unusual Ukaz for the 1951 Red Star. Note that unlike (one would suspect) a long service mass-award, a total of only 70 were issued on this document.....

Interesting and very unusual separate award card for the 1951 Red Star... note, no serial number. Only place that is found is in his original awards book.

Awards Record Card, Page 2

Awards Record Card, page 1. Note the matching Orders Book number, upper right corner.

Here's the copy of the citation for the S/B ORB. Rick is having some real problems deciphering/translating this. Any assistance would be most graciously appreciated.

Greetings Alex, thank you for your kind words. I was pretty disappointed with the loss of the stars, but I agree... a documented mirror-back was pretty hard to find. If you're only going to have one, this would be the way to go. I have hope, perhaps (maybe with divine intervention) the stars might be found... I am patient.

I don't think the pin is the same Jens... This pin does not have the nasty point like on the Brunswick fakes. The pin on this one looks cut off (blunt) and finished that way to me. granted, the photo isn't the best. While I am still unsure of the piece, I think logical arguments can be made both ways on this.... I certainly would not spend a great deal of money on one of these until we had more substantive information.

Thanks Gerd! I will add this to my notes on him.

And his awards: Order of the Red Banner #16,265 per Northwest Front decree 24.7.42 (with citation) Military Merit Medal 1,780,463 on 3.11.44 (long service) (with citation) Order of the Red Star 2,846,846 on 20.6.49 (long service) (with Ukaz) Order of the Red Star # not given on separate ARC per Ukaz ?for services rendered? 27.12.51 (with Ukaz) Order of the Red Banner #401,385 on 3 .11.53 (long service)(with Ukaz)

The thing that really appealed to me about this group is the fact that despite the regulations change, he never altered his original S/B ORB... simply had a blank ORB ribbon on his medal bar to mount his S/B carefully below. This can be seen on his original, 1950's medal bar as well as on the photo in his service record!!