hunyadi

More educated members than I can probably give more detail - but the Signum Laudis medals were one in the same - you have one in Silver and one in "Bronze", both came with crowns during this time and was an award for officers. These were awarded for bravery to "good boy at the desk". The sword devices indicate that these were awarded for frontline service. The bronze Signum Laudis was awarded during the regin of Franz Joseph and these awards bore the one crown of the Hapsburgs. The silver Signum Laudis is from the regin of King Charles and these bore the Hapsburg (?) and the Hungarian Holy Crown - there were some political rumblings after FJ's death in 1916 among the Hungarians who wished for independant rule. The Military Merit Cross was awarded in a similar fashion and many have equated it to being awarded the EK1 - this again is an officers award. Hope that helps - but AH awards are not my speciality..

Bringing up this old thread - does anyone have any more information about this individual? Would love to find a photo - someone, somewhere must have made a photo of this individual? Two Orders of Dimitrov should have brought some press.... can his records be searched for in the USSR anymore?

Ah - yes - now I see that detail! Still its a very nice case and very "personal" to the recipient.

By just a guess - and a shadow on the impression of the center I would propose that it is the Hungarian National Defense Cross

Yildirim, there are only a few small bits of information concerning these prototype badges. Before Bertalan Farkas made his space flight on May 26th, 1980 with his Soviet counterpart Valeri Kubasov, the National Mint was charged by the Presidential Council to create a new order, the Hero of the Hungarian Peoples Republic. This was made into law by the seventh presidential decree of 1979. This was probably announced in May of 1979 as the space flight of Soyuz 36 was extremely delayed. The decree did call for the creation of the Hero of the Hungarian People's Republic to resemble the Hero of Labor. Within the national mint Pakurar Istvan was given the charge of designing the new award. From the decree it would seem that Istvan simply started with the Hero of Labor award, removed the crossed wheat shaft and hammer and replaced it with the national coat of arms to signify that this was the highest award possible. From the tale related to me by a very old collector and former Hungarian Air Force Officer (we called him 'the old man' - whose collection was / is extensive) he purchased seven of these twelve "prototypes" that were brought out for sale by the National Mint in the early 1990's. This example is one that he sold to me at auction in 2006 (when he found out that I owned one - he wanted to buy it back - and this is where the conversation began about the origins - he sold all but two of them at the auction houses). Regardless - the design was not enough for the Presidents Council and the prototype was rejected, (possibly due to the delay of the space flight and therefore more time for politicians and military leaders to inject their thoughts and ideas into its design - the prototype seems very "hasty") and a new form - with the military style ribbon, the crest affixed to the ribbon and the plain star was formed. This was enough of a departure from the Hero of Labor to avoid any confusion when someone was wearing it. Only two were ever awarded, one to Bertalan and the other to Valeri Kubasov. In preparation for World War Three in the 1980's the National Mint was also charged to create sets of Battle / Bravery awards. Several very nice cased sets were created for review and were locked away in the event of war with the West. Again in the 1990's these sets were sold. Each set came with a Hero of the Hungarian People's Republic as well as some other awards, there were also several "loose" Hero of the Hungarian People's Republic sold by the Mint at that time as well, and my example is naturally from that lot. How many were actually produced is still not known, but the number of 12 prototypes seems very plausible.

Sorry for the confusion - the badge on the left is the prototype for the Hero of the Hungarian Peoples Republic while the one on the right is the final form that was awarded.

They are made of gold - probably 14-20 karat as they seem pretty durable.

reverse of the badges

This is another item that came from Hungary recently - Hero of the HUPR awarded only twice. This was obviously a National Mint left over. On the right is the final form, and the one on the left is a prototype - as related to me by an old collector who purchased two of these from the National Mint when they went out the door only 12 of these were made. As you can see the prototype had the Hero of Labor ribbon but with the National Crest added to the center - this may have been an easy way to adapt the Hero of Labor to a the Hero of the HUPR. But in the end the ribbon was changed and the crest device added to the ribbon.

After examining them for differences - the only thing that I can see between to two is the guilding on the latest one is a bit heavier than the original. The die characteristics appear to be the same so by comparison these were struck on the same die and the attaching prongs affixed by hand. With only 19 ever awarded - and the Politcal Officer Corps so small I estimate that only 50-100 of these badges were probably ever struck - but until the National Mint opens up its records we wont know...

Have to share this one - just got it in from Hungary. Why have one when you can have two? :whistle:

Certainly that is the possibility - and the fact that its in Hungarian - the latest one to show up on Ebay is the Turkish one but with German script. Still - I saw a few in Hungary when I was there - and they certainly did not sell for that ammount. But, one mans treasure is not always mine either...

Now I am really excited about the Hungarian connection for obvious reasons - It would seem that he was captured during the battle of Debrecen. This is also where the future leader of the Hungarian Communist Party arrived in Hungary after the battle of Debrecen. If anyone can do some more research on the individual, that would be apreciated. :jumping:

Someone wanted that one really bad - however they are not rare - uncommon but not rare in my opinion. It is nothing more than a veterans gong from after the war - probably the 1920's. The reverese reads in Hungarian "Commemorative of the World War" - the Hungarian crest device may be a bit more rare - but again - it was nothing more than a veterans item. The difference in dates is interesting - but probablty nothing more than a method of denoting what years one served in the war. The interesting part is that for both medals - Karl is shown not Franz Joseph.

not knowing the award criteria or placing for Austrian awards - I can not comment. However the mounting device is a dead ringer for readily available Hungarian Communist Era medal bar mounts. I would look at this as nothing more than a collection of awards - not a grouping.

Lorenzo - yep - I found it on eBay, will have to see when it comes in. I like the factor that he was captured by both the Soviets and then the Germans and then went on to have a fairly successful career. Quite unique - what I like about Romanian is that you can almost read it and understand what it is about. I only wish Hungarian was the same. Carol I - is there a way to research the individual?

Here is the cover -

interesting career?

This is the supposed documentation for the grouping...

To me it did look rather hodge-podge, but it still has some "character". Thanks for the update on the centers of the Order of the Crown. So I assume it would be a repaired item at best? :unsure:

Hi George - as I no longer live in Hungary it is nearly impossible to get these items now. I would contact some of our Magyar members, check Eban, and this forums "for sale" section regularly. They do come up for sale fairly regularly.

I have run across this medal bar and I am really considerign buying it, but the thing does strike me as a little odd? Is / was such a combination possible?

Thanks Kev - I had seen those posts beofre, but I wonder if there is any more photos / actual uniforms from the early RPR. From what I have seen there seems to have been a 4 pocket (early up to the 1950's) along with a more Soviet style "Kitel" (2 pocket form) etc... there just does not seem to be anything difinitive yet that I have found which would easliy lay out the information as to the various models, when they were introduced, discontinued, etc... :unsure:

can you make some more detailed scans of the medals and the cap badges? The medals are predominantly A-H and so are the cap badges - the uniform throws me a bit - the buttons remind me of the Czech Legion - but the tabs are "Austrian"?? - but some close ups of the medals and badges may help

From my limited ability to do internet seraches on the subject - I wonder if there is anyone out there with some rudamentary knowledge of the various types and forms of the RPR and RSR uniforms. If someone does - can we see some unfiroms and make some form of a timeline with styles and varaitions? Period photos, items in collections, etc...??