Ed_Haynes

2-

Some closeups: 1-

As a part of a stack of documents and photos (but only a few medals ) that has recently come my way were a couple of what are -- to me at least -- unusual uniform shots. Help, please. What am I seeing here? The first- faded toward the left.

What sort of name is "Strod"?? Nice group, by the way.

Nice one!! Any name??

The full picture. Quite some lip-fur!

2- And a badge.

Excuse, please, stupid questions. But I've two (more) of 'em. 1- Ribbon bar. Those pesky spectrum shifts! How do you "read" this?? (A nasty teeny picture.)

An interim question related to a much larger group (mainly documents, buy delightfully multi-generational -- three at least, I think), but what name is this? And what sort of name is this? Help!!!!!!!!!! (I showed it to my colleague who does Russian history and he was stumped! He, being an academic, had some guesses, but was essentially stumped.) More to come later, if anyone can tolerate another of my long posts.

Long years ago, in a universe far, far away, when I was working as a summer research intern at the Smithsonian, I came in one morning to find a tattered moth-eaten stuffed bird sitting on my desk. When I asked, I was told that this was Cherami, about whom I knew. Wow. I was told to wait around and not go on over to Archives as was my usual ritual. A kid in a wheelchair and his Congressional representative came in, as the boy had written a school essay on Cherami and the congressman had arranged to show the bird to him (and have a useful photo opportunity). The boy looked at the bird, grimaced, shrugged, and asked his parents "Can we go to the zoo and see the pandas now." All of 8 minutes of Cherami and politics.

Anything that leaves film on the inside of the glass also leaves crud on what is inside that container. And it can't be good. Short of a $8000 museum-standard ugly metal cabinet, what are we to do?! Maybe buy the selfsame "$8000 museum-standard ugly metal cabinet"? Not advertizing, but an example: http://www.vikingmetal.com/mus/search/228.html

Well, it is rare, being the issue for foreigners, but it isn't THAT rare!

I fear they're going (if they haven't already "gone") direct from no fakes to computer-assisted-laser-designed fakes.

General rule of history: Anything that has ever required any government to pay money or extend befefits to their citizens has given birth to mounds of paper detailing how much, and what, and to whom, and for how long. Likewise, anything that ever cost that government any money to make (or buy) -- like ODM -- had leagues of bookkeepers watching over the process and recording the expenditures. Who can access the (former) Yugoslavian archives -- assuming they still exist. Where are they anyway?

Many MANY thanks for all this, Humberto! Until we get reliable information, we shall stay as ignorant as we have been on these awards. Thank you again! ?Muchos MUCHOS agradecen por todo el esto, Humberto! Hasta que conseguimos la informaci?n confiable, permaneceremos tan ignorantes como hemos estado en estas concesiones. ?Gracias otra vez! (Online computer translation, so probaly very funny - Traducci?n por ordenador en l?nea, tan probaly muy divertida.)

And, while it is on the scanner, a peek at a good number (on at least two levels of meaning):

Based on the size and quality of the image, it is hard to tell, especially as there are some very dangerous fakes about, and only having them in hand (the weight is off) or a CLOSE examination of the numbering (they don't have it 100% right) can make you certain. This seems, based on the image, to be well within the parameters for a type 1, but this is a tricky call for a solo, undocumented, non-grouped Hero without provenance (yes, I am making assumptions here). An observation: The suspension ring seems too large and too thin. (I hate to sound like our Russian or German cousins in micro-dissecting obscure aspects of phaleristic anatomy, but . . . .) I see this as a cause for concern unless later specimens are different (though type 1 runs through at least 373). Compare to my recent direct-from-the-family grouped specimen:

No, the brigade was Soviets, just paid for by Mongolia. So far as I know, no Mongolians were there. It would have been neat, though. This will sort of hide the tank, far out of town where no one goes. Probably intentional.

Absolutely. He remembered how much he enjoyed being there in a previous incarnation. He also said "No Chinese".

Yes. Well, I got a 1st type Mongolian Hero Star and only six of those were issued. You gotta hope, right?

They believed that orders, and medals, and even ranks were anti-egalitarian and, therefore, anti-socialist. Maybe they had a point? Even the early stuff for the Civil War and the Anti-Japanese War fell out of use.

Me? So far, this. I have (futile?) hopes of upgrading some day to its Big Brother.

Agreed. (Why is there no Order of M. N. Roy??) The original subject line may have had problems, but I thinbk most knew what was intended. "Men that lead"? Fake lead-cast eBay medals? People with heavy feet? Contemporary leaders of the socialist world (a short list, I fear - and none of them have orders in THEIR names, yet)? Etc. . . . ????? But, in terms of phaleristics, I would hope we can agree that the orders of Lenin-Sukhbaatar-Dimitrov-Gottwald-Marx-Mart?-Ho-Kim occupy a simnilar level and serve similar functions across countries. This is no comment on the relative and comparative ideological and philosophical importance of these individuals, ranging as it does from the major to the insignificant (and I'll not name names - it would be irrelevant to this discussion). If we can comparatively study things like the hero stars or the "Red Banner" awards (which we should, and have, and it is great fun), then these orders seem to occupy the same PHALERISTIC ecological niche and layer. This has nothing (well, very very little) to do with their assertable status as great thinkers and great leaders (or not)!

Can you show the naming please.

It has to be one of the few land units that could have worn both, though. A hard combination if you don't float or fly (and not so simple for them).