bifter

I recently was looking at the items sold by a german seller on e-bay,this guy is called 'rihard777'; he has a good reputation, & plenty of stock, but occasionally it is hard to locate his wares; the listing states there is none to be had, but with a bit of guile & patience PLENTY turn up. Mostly these are all high end copies such as a trio of fake Khmelnitskies or Kutezovs, & Suvorovs. There are always fake October Revolutions & Friendship Orders. What is quite disturbing is how the relativly common, & rather inexpensive Red Banner is now too being faked!!!! Also, the prices that folk pay for these copies are dreadful!!! 120 Euroes for a COPY of a Friendship Order!!!! When i was young & daft i did pay ?45 for a 1st class Glory, but since then i tremble with self disgust whenever i look at it. (The only plus side is that it was in a few films, so it has been issued & worn, even though it was only to an actor playing a Soviet Hero!!!). I wonder where these copies are made & how?! Some of them are REALY BAD!!!! I cannot show a link as i do not yet know how, but the best is the 2nd class Suvorov where it is as if he is sucking a lemon!!! He looks more like a pouting Chinese man than a Russian! You must take a look, it is 'rihard 777'; though somtimes it comes up as 'rihard111',. but it is the same guy.

OOPS! I just checked my dictionary; Narodna can mean either Nation or national, or it can mean People, as in the German 'volk'! I see that both of us are correct. A good example is the Narodna Banka Bulgaria - This can be either National or peoples' bank of Bulgaria. Language can be confusing if it isn't thoroughly reasearched! Look at the Russian Combat Service/ Military Merit merdal for a good example.

I guess it is somtimes called People's Liberty, but the direct translation is National (Narodna) Freedom/Liberty (Svoboda). I am sure any bulgars will correct me if i am mistaken. I learnt Russian, but it is more or less the same as Bulgarian! Mine are all 2nd class; & very much some of my favourites, with the 9th Septembers. Scans will be done as soon as i have managed to get some free time to use my new digital camera, I look after my disabled ma 24/7, so i virtually have no time to spare except when she is bed! Soon, ALL my little treausures will be scanned for your enjoyment!

Oh! That above was actually a plea for your help in highlighting which Order the document belongs to! I do not think i made it clear as a question! Sorry. All help appreciated!

Hi! I have just had a delivery of 2 cased Bulgar National Liberty Orders with one document. My problem is knowing which one the document belongs to, as none are numbered. The first is a 1st type screwback; the second is a 2nd type ribbon hung. The document is dated 1959, therefore ,the document will belong to whichever type was being awarded in that year. I also got a 3rd type ribbon hung, but that is not cased! Pictures will follow when i have some free time to get them taken. I have gotten a new digital camera as a gift for being a devoted ,full time care worker!!! Trouble is, finding time to use it! Bis Bald!

I am hoping to see some items from the African socialist states such as Angola, Ethiopia, Mozambique, Burkina Faso etc... Has anyone got any that they could put pictures of on this thread? I have only seen a few from each of those places, but never in great detail or with good information. There was a socialist 'National Order' from Burkina Faso on the liverpool medal co 's website a short while ago for ?99. It was a pretty but crude (though well made) example. A very good design too. I would love to see more from these places.

Thank you; the link worked. I am totally unable to access the address though; the 'senior moderator' has denied access due to the sale of 'innappropriate material'!!!! Hopfully my sisters computer will not be so fussy. The problem with public use computers is that those in charge can be Hitler at times, & ban anything that they personally disapprove of! I am pleased to see that i have only been overcharged once by my usual dealer. I was sold a 1945 polar star, in used condition (slight wear, no enamel damage though). I was charged ?150 for it. Nota Bene has a similar one for ?65; unless mine is a rare variant that i was not told about or noticed. I must try harder to get these pictures done; you can all tell me then if it is a rarity or not.

I seem to have a bit of trouble finding his site recently!!! It may just be the library computers though; i find a lot of quite respectable web sites barred from being accessed!!

Hi! Would ?175 be a good price to pay for a good condition 3rd design, combat red banner? It is beleived to have been awarded in the late 1940's. Would ?145 be a good price for a 1970 design? These are the types at the prices that i have recently been offered. (By '3rd design', i mean the ones with the centre that has the 4 animal haeds! I have not been given any other information about which variant etc...) Please help!

Hi! I cannot yet post pictures; i have no scanner! My sister has a digital camera, but she is never free to help me organise how to use it! For now it will have to be just a description; sorry! The North Korean Order Of Labor is a type 1, variant 3. It is North Korean made, with a horizontal pin; numbered 11708. It is ?135. There is obvious evidence of being worn, but no damage. Is this a good deal??

I have some more questions to ask! You guys are far more experienced than i am; & your collections outwheigh mine by 50 -1!! I have been offered a 1st type, North Korean Order of Labor. It is the N. Korean made type with a pin rather than a screw attachment. The condition is good; obviously worn, with slight wear the design, a small crack on the banner enamel; the steel pin is rusty, causing the point to have disappeared, but it still fastens. Overall it is a 'perfectly worn' example. The number is 1161. For ?135, is this a good deal? I think it may be; i have seen these on a Chinese website for $300; the Soviet ones are, of course, in the $1000s!! I you lot say this a good buy, then i shall buy. There is also an Albanian Order of Bravery for ?95; again in worn condition, with slight wear; but the enamel is perfect! Should i go for this too?

Hi! My 3rd class has a greyed centre & a slight gold wash over the rest! My 1st class has a greyed centre, but the rest is DEFINATELY bright gold plate!!! Just like the misalighnments of the centre medallions, maybe this was just a daft mistake by workers grabbing from the wrong pile of parts. There is no mistaking that the 2 examples in my tiny collection, are DEFINATELY a 3rd & a 1st class though. I promise that scans will follow on ;as previously mentioned, i am having trouble getting help do them!!!! When i do you will be pleased with what you see!!!

I agree! I need to get pictures for security reasons too. To show them off would be a pleasure, but i have no one to help me with it all. I look after my disabled mother 24/7; i am registered disabled myself!! Time is never kind to me. If i can persuade my sister or my daughter or ex girlfriend to lend a hand with the scanning (& the digital camera) i would be happy to show off my treasures to you all. With luck, you will all get to see my humble collection. My Russian partisan medals have caused me some concern!!!! About a month after i payed ?95 each for my Odessa medal & Sevastapol, i discovered that they were fakes; though VERY good fakes!!! I can tolerate some copies as space fillers, of the very rare items; i enjoy receiving a gift from somone with this in mind; but the fakes of the common items have no good purpose. A relative got me a nice copy of a Glory 1st class, to sit beside my origional 2nd & 3rd. This was kind, & i have little chance of ever getting a real 1st class. It fulfilled it's purpose of making a set which looks pleasing to display. The fake medals that are easy & cheap to aquire just serve to irritate & rob!!! If a fake is sold as a fake to represent a rare item, then all is fine- but ALL fakes should be clearly marked as such. I pray that my partizan medals are genuine; so far everyone that has seen them says that they are; but i still worry!!

"yugo 3rd class" is the Yugoslavian, 3rd class, partizan star; Soviet made type!

Hi!!! I have come by a few items which i know are quite scarce; but i am not sure exactly how scarce!!! I will list them & give the amount i payed for them. If somone could tell me if i have picked a good deal, a normal deal or a bad rip off i will be most gratful. Thank you! 1) Albanian Partizan Star, 1st class - ?35 2) Czech Red Banner of Labor , cased, mid 1970's type - ?35 3) Czech Order of Labor, 1950's type - ?45 4) Bulgarian Partizan Star & Document, 1960 - $70 (U.S.) 5) Russian Partizan Medals 1st & 2nd, - ?95 each As i cannot provide scans, i only expect a quick opinion. They are all in good condition; all have obviously been worn; only the Bulgar Partizan Star has a small enamel repair.

YES!! That is the one. Mine has a chip to the enamel in the lower left point, which has had some plastic type substance poured in to fix it; a rather good repair & a perfect match for the enamel. The screw plate has weAR TO THE BOTTOM SO THAT THE RIM & THE LOWER PART OF THE LETTERS ARE GONE. tHE EDGES OF THE SCREWPLATE HAVE ,LITERALLY, BEEN 'CLIPPED'!!!! (sorry, didn't mean to shout there; my caps lock was on!!!!) Until i get a scan i don't expect you to fully know what i mean by this, but the plate has been clipped in a 'uniformed' way; as though it has a meaning!!!! Such as, 3 big clips with a small clip between the 2nd & 3rd, on both the top & bottom!!!! It is obviously a thing which was done years ago, as the metal has oxidised over & collected a dark patina which only many years can provide. The document is the best bit!!!!!! It was awarded in 1960!!!! I NEED TO GET THIS DAMN SCAN DONE, BUT I HAVE NO ONE TO HELP ME!!!!! I NEED to SHARE this baby, i just ADORE ANY partizan item. I have both the russian medals; the Czech standard & mini; the Yugo 3rd class (russian made); Bulgarian & document; Albanian 1st class. If i could, i would have ALL the available partyzan items with all documents, from all nations, all in cases; but i would need a million ?s for that!!!! Until i can get the scan, i will shut up about it!!!!

Hi! I have just received a Bulgarian Partizan Badge & document from a seller over in Sofia. Unfortunately my library staff will not allow me to send a scan as they are worried that it may 'break' the scanner. When i have kearnt how to use a digital camera (a family member just bought a top range photo-phone) i will try to get a scan done. Have any of you got any examples of this badge? The document is complete, & has a photo which is correctly stamped & has the embossed state seal etc..., & there is absolutely no doubt that it is all genuine. There is only a tiny chip to one arm of the stars enamel. The screw disc has its makers marks & it appears that somone has been 'clipping' the edges of the disc!!!!! In olden times, folk would take clippers to silver coins in this way; i am puzzled as to why anyone would do this to a medals screw plate though!!!! I am very sorry i cannot supply a picture; as soon as i find a way to do so, i will. I really need to share this one. It is one of my absolute treasures. In the meantime; it would be good to see any others that i can do comparisons with. It cost me about $70 (U.S.).

Hi! I have been collecting militaria since i was 13; my entire family are from the military; mostly senior N.C.O.s. My family, such as my daughter & mother love most of what i have & somtimes get involved; my daughter has even looked around this website & caused much torment with her cheeky comments (my own fault for leaving my notebook lying around with all my many passwords & security codes in it!!!! Nothing 'serious 'though, just my internet codes etc..). As much as I love this hobby, when i see what some of you guys have i feel as though i will never be able to have a 'fulfilling' collection. In a few hundred years time, historians will be thanking folk like us for 'preserving' important aspects of human existence; but most of what i have are generally 'common' items. My only rarities are a cased Czech Red Banner of Labor; a soviet Labor Glory 2nd Class; a Hungarian Red Banner & a Hungarian Red Star; even my soviet Heroes are relativly common & easy to get hold of; my ones do not even have documents. Although scarce, they are still in the collections of hundreds of others, in better condition &,more importantly, reasearched!!!! Things such as the Suche Bataar Orders & the Afghan Red Banner will never grace my life, & i feel quite like i have already lost!!!! Do any of you chaps feel this way somtimes? My only chance of ever having the likes of the Nakhimovs or the Kutezovs would be only if they were copies; which, as long as they are the good quality ones, are okay as space filling representatives, but they just do not really 'feel' right & are usually put in a box away from my genuine items. Somtimes i feel angry with copies for being what they are. I cannot allow them near my genuine treasures!!!! As i am on permanent disability benefits, i am usually only able to afford the common items. To get my hands on a genuine Suche Bataar would be like going to heaven & bathing in a fine malt whisky- but it will never happen!!!!!! Some of you must get this way at times; like no matter how hard you try to get a thing that serves to preserve an important era, (a Mongolian 1st type Hero would serve to preserve an important aspect of that countrys history ,culture etc....)you just fail!!!!! I cannot find a single thing around me that will help the future historians that only i have!!!! Every thing that i have is already 'preserved' by a million others!!!!

Hi!!! I recently aquired a Red Flag of Labour fron the Hungarian Peoples republic. It is a lovely peice; unfortunately therre is a 'stain' on the banners enamel,(a line of misty white running from top to bottom!!!) the shields enamels are not complete (the enamel has missed the corners of the sheilds divisions!), & there is an area of white enamel where there should be blue around the shield!!!! Other than these irritating flaws it is a lovely peice; the slight cracks in the corner of the banner are the most annoying; these were obvoiusly not caused in the production process but probably due to rough handling of the parcel whilst held up during our postal strikes!!!! Thankfully you have to look close under a good light to spot these things. It still has pride of place amongst my Hungarian items though. It cost me ?125, uncased. Is this a good price? I would like to get another perfect example with case & mini if i ever can. Also, has anyone else got any pictures for me to do a few comparisons? I do not have a scanner to put up a picture of mine. The ones already up on the site are good pictures, but i want to see more!!!!! These are some of the best medals of the whole soviet bloc; in my opinion anyway.

Me be vewy upset you dont wike my use of langy-widge!!! Me tell daddy & he wiw beat on you for upsetting hwis likkle angel girl!!!! Me use good Englandish!

So far there are very few posts of the awards of the Peoples Army of the Nam; Isnt anyone going to show them off? Despite being a tad 'scrappy' (like they are made of scrap metal!) i love them, as they are well designed & pretty to look at. I would love to see a few made in the soviet way with solid silver & real enamel; they would be even better. I cannot show mine yet as i have no scanner or digi cam; i must get a cam-fone so that i can start posting. PLEEEEASE show me some of yours; i only have 5 so far. Order of labor, soldiers order of combat, Liberation award, Victory medal & Exploit order. The titles confuse me somtimes as so many seem to have the same names!!!!!

Is any one out there wanting to post their medals of the Peoples Army of Vietnam? There does not seem to be many at all been put up for show!! I have no scanner to show mine. The one at my library cannot scan items; only documents! I wish i could get pics, but i dont even have a digi cam yet. I am gunna gerra photo fone & use that to post my medals!!! PLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEASE show your Vivvy meddies!!!!!!!

These are all the socialist countries i have found awards from, past & present. Have i missed any? Have i put any down that are incorrect? I wish to include those that had a civil war which had communist guerillas awarding awards too! The government itself does not HAVE to be/have been socialist. Americas= Cuba; Nicaragua Africa= Angola; Mozambique; Burkina Faso; Benin; Ethiopia Orient= Vietnam; China; Laos; Cambodia; Mongolia; North Korea Europe= East Germany; Poland; Czechoslovakia; Romania; Hungary; Bulgaria; Albania; U.S.S.R Middle East= Yemen; Afghanistan

How many orders are there of the leaders of socialism? Are there pictures available of them all? 1) Order of Lenin 2) Order of Stalin 3) Order of George Dmitrov 4) Order of Ho Chi Minh 5) Order of Karl Marx 6) Order of Che Guvara 7) Order of Kim il Sun 8) Order of Suche Bataar How many more? Any pics of them side by side? I love these ones; but only of the 'leaders' that have led & taught; folk like Anna Betancourt & Frank Pais should be included, but they were not the big leaders so i cannot put them in my personal Frame of Fame. I would love to get all these in a nice big frame.

Hi!!! I know of 3 different types of the stalin order. I have 2! The 1st is in a kind of alloy that looks like lead or iron!!!!! The gold is actually a thick layer of metal that appears to peel like chrome does; the enamel is definately 'hot'; the quality is excellent & the ribbon is different, more like the zhukov medal ribbon. The reverse is the same as the second picture, with a small space for a serial number. My other is the same as the first picture; cold enamel & made from stamped brass.!!!! The 3rd type is like the first picture, but with the small space on the reverse for the serial number. It is a pretty wee order which looks good next to the likes of the Lenin order. When i can get access to a scanner i will post some pics for you all!