hunyadi

Here is some interesting anomolies for the Return of Hungary variety. First is a Return of Southern Hungary - Balkan Campaign medal. What is unique is that the medal is made from aluminum instead of zinc. The normal issue items were made of zinc - but you could privatly purchase aluminum versions for parade dress wear as these looked much nicer. Also has a very rare lapel pin of the medal iteself for civilain wear.

Hi Dan - Not a problem - I can also do imperial measurments. Case should be about 4" x 3 1/4" x 7/8". Medal diameter 1 1/4" (aprox)

and the back - it a non issued piece as the center reads: age gruop competition placement I assume that it would have the information engraved, but alas it is not...

Dan - Thought you might also like to see this one - a post 1967 medal due to the MHSZ - not MHS. But its a medal for shooting (pistol I assume)

the front - medal and the ribbon bar appear to be silver.

case - colors are different though...

Ok - a few things coming out of the "box" - a sport medal for the National Sport Competion in 1954. This is for handball - I cant decipher the designations - Hauptman - is your MHS medal 32mm in diameter?? I wonder if the case is similar construction? But it looks like this one is larger. Case is 100mm (L) x 80mm (W) x 25mm (H).

Here was the lisiting title U. S. Military Distinguished Flying Cross Medal Set NEW Here is the medal....

And the Ho-Hum case - you are exactly correct: people do tend to overlook them as just a 1970's-90's issue. So keep your eyes out

Here is the Vietnam era issue BS

I would chime in here - thre are still great finds on Ebay and other places that are sometimes the smae price or even cheaper than the modern strikes beong sold at wholesale. If you know what to look for. My favorite one to collect that seems to be over looked is the Korean War clear plastic issue cased medals. Most of the time you find WW2 stock in them and an odd case to boot . Another favorite of mine are Vietnam era Arrow cases with WW2 parts inside. I got my first one with a WW2 Bronze star in it for $9.00 off Ebay, the second one for $12

Hi Doc - Yes - what I was trying to say was that all of the Warsaw pact nations adopted the 5 sided ribbon in one way or another. Hungary even has some very rare five sided ribbons, but they are very rare - it was decided very early in the Hungarian Communist Party that the ribbons would follow the traditional trifold. Of even further interest is the commemorative medal for 40 years of communism in Hungary. 1919-59 medal. (since communsits still lived in Hungary during the Horhty era - ) the ribbon however follows the same pattern and nealry the same dimensions for the different colors as the WW2 era War Ribbon of HUngary. To get back on point - the trifold for the Anti-Fascist Fighter seems to devitae extensivly from the five sided ribbon standard completely. Very interesting. Can anyone else confirm tha this was the standard??? regards Charles

Hello Haynau - thanks for that bit of information. I did not know that about the fahnrich option. good to know! Love it when I learn something new...

Here is another on of mine - had to restoere it with the addition of the silver bravery medal. It was originaly on there - but the ribbon was so far gone from wear that it just would not hang on the bar. So it has a little restoration work - difficult to find a ribbon with just the right ammount of sun-fade.

Picked this up a while back and I mounted it under glass. Need to get it out of there for better pictures. Its a nice 7-place bar with some overall wear - the neat thing about it is the FJ Bravery medal (awarded to NCO's and other ranks) then followed by Military Merit Medals (Sinum Laudis) - only awarded to offciers. Battlefield promotion. The backing for the medals is made from what looks to me to be a piece of shrapnel( ) Anyone else got some other A-H bars to look at???

The nice part of the deal was also his promotion later on to Lt. Col of the police.... the sadest part - the guy I got this lot from didnt bother to get a name from the old lady who brought it to him...grrrrrrrrr....

Here is a detail shot of the tunic ribbon bar area - I oculd not get a good shot of the two differnt buttons.

Here is one of my only 1956 era Hungarian uniforms from the late 1950's. Its a police uniform that follows the old AirForce style - only a gray instead of the kahaki brown. What made it worht buying is the 1956 Revolution history behind it. Below is the Majors uniform, but with a little twist - the buttons on the jacket and the cuffs are all Rakosi era Coat of Arms (1949-56). Its a simple class A uniform - not a parade so it was worn more often, however before Ocotber 23rd 1956 I would venture to say the chap was a Capt. As the twist is in the shoulder boards. They are sew in type and the button on the shoulder board is not sewn to the tunic. The button on the shoulder board is a Kadar era (1957-77) Coat of Arms. He got promoted (!) and didnt bother to vhange the buttons on his jacket with the new design for the national identity. Also it came with the ribbon bar - the Restoration of Power to the Workers and Peasants medal for individuals that participated in bringing down the revolution. If this thing could talk - as I wonder how he got a pormotion so quickly. Tunic is completer with the cap (dated 1957) and the breeches.

Hi Doc - Very nice items you have there - dont see Bulgarian items much. Any idea why the Anti-Facist medal has the trifold ribbon while the other have the standard Soivet style? It was my understanding that Hungary was one of the only Warsaw pact nations to keep their traditional trifold style. That medal interests me -

Hi Guys - Ulster - in the proclimation, the medal specificly stated that your oldest got to got to a university, Regiment March 2006 page 59. (practicing for the quotes...) But it also helped to speed along getting a telephone (tapped of course), use of the vacation resorts, moving up the list on military family housing, getting that LADA you always dreamed about, getting your status moved up in the Party etc...When worn on the medal bar it is always the highest above all other awards. The only photo that I know of is in the book i sent on page 188 - its just beneath the lapel. there are others in a book that I saw once on a propoganda book that was somethign like 'Life of the Socialsit Hungary'. Didnt have the money in my pocket at the time and went back the next week and it was gone. The badge you got there on Ebay is a "Excellent Innovation" badge for the building trade. (in the article the center coat of arms would be on the early 1949-50 workers badge - one of about 13 trade coats of arms) This is one more of those 300+ variations, but this is clearly for a person who invented something new for the building industry. New way of pouring concrete for workers housing?? The case is the late 1970's style and the enamel work from the photo looks to be from about the same era. Have not seen one of them here yet. Its interesting how the odd and more rare variants of the workers badges are all on ebay and not at the flea markets of the dealer shops here??? Doc- yes - welcome to the darker side of Hungary...you cant leave... Hauptman - here are Kiss Lajos's ribbon bars - they are not all correct! Top one - Resoration, Bronze Merit Medal for Serivce to the Nation, 25 year, 10 year, 20 year, Meritorious Service Medal (oops!) Second - Restoration, 20 year, 15 year, 10 year (correct pattern) Third - Restoration, Bronze Merit Medal for Serivce to the Nation, 20 year, 15 year, 10 year. (correct pattern)

The most rare aspect of the lot is the Munkas-Paraszt Hatalomert Emlekerem. It has the carrying document with it! Because Lajos stayed faithful to the Soviet cause in 1956 his oldest child was given a free ride to the University of their choice - even if the childs scores in school would normaly not warrant such admission. Also there was so much more - it became a medal that opened up so many doors to the Party. Even for a low NCO.

More eye candy - This is a rare lot (just dont find them like this anymore) to an NCO Kiss Lajos who probably began his career in 1950. He served well into the late 1970's retiring as a warrant offcier. Some medals from the lot are missing - but its as complete as I have ever had.

I wonder who would have gotten such an item? The Hungarian medal is for "Weapons Friendship" in Gold - first issued in 1979. Not a Hungarian medal bar style - ????

Here is a better representation of the variations (but there are more than that!) In the center is the 1960's era red leatherette scuff plate.

Ooopss - Here is a comparison of the brown plaid and the red plaid scuff plates (looked at the photo and thought it was the marble...)