Ed_Haynes

But the invitee never went. We may guess why. How do I know this? The actual ticket.

As Mongolia and the PRC were still friends at the time, sort of, such a performance might take place and an invitation might be issued. Though there were (and are) hard feelings about this complex "Inner Mongolia" business. Inside.

OK . . . blame Rick! . . . ONE MORE. Document 8 A never-honored invitation to a performance of "Inner Mongolian" music, 14 September 1959.

Tip of the metaphorical iceberg, but they don't have those in Mongolia, but, then, in the winter, all is an iceberg, . . . . Don't encourage me, Rick, I might post more. Post-holidays, translations and context anticipated! Bichig is a, well, no pun intended.

I could keep going, but I'll stop now. You're welcome. More later, maybe.

Document 7 From the same group. He surely must have done something that "Big C" liked? Cropped.

And inside (also cropped). Much translation looms (well, many translation requests)!

Document 6 Another (from the same group). Cropped.

Document 5 Another from the same group. Too large to fit on the scanner, but you'll get the point?

Document 4 Part of a large document group. (In more ways than one.)

Closeup.

Inside.

Document 3 A Young Pioneer, from 1954.

Inside. Translations welcomed.

Document 2 I have reason to think this will be very interesting, but right now it is just very pretty.

Closeup on the oh-so-cheerful chap. A recycled photo?

Inside. Obviously, pasted over something else. (What and what?)

OK, let me start this. While I was hoping for more details and translations, it is Nadaam in Mongolia now (and everyone is quite drunk -- or watching sports -- or something). I reserve the right to come back and edit, extensively, as I know more (though I welcome any and all commentary ad interim). Document 1 The ugly outside.

Inside 2 And the final stanza from his famous poem "Where was I Born?": "I took my birth in the blue lands of Heaven, in the stories of Mongolia's famous past, in the flame of liberation, shining in the homeland of Chinggis Khaan. And, lost within the wrinkles of the golden earth, I took my birth in the blue lands of Heaven." See: http://depts.washington.edu/ccalt/database...here-Was-I-Born And his lyrics have now moved into current Mongolian popular music. He may be better known now than when he lived?

Inside 1

Document for People's Great Assembly to the famous Mongolian poet Begz Yavuukhulan (1929-82, so this dates from just before his death). Outside.

No, that seems a fair deal. It is just when some dealers move into that third digit on the price . . . . . . OK, almost a century old (scary thought), but, still . . .

I have never thought of these as being rare (at least not in the common dates, like this one). Being unnamed and untracable, commercial purchase items . . . . They are nice, if anonymous. I have a couple in groups (one WWI, one WWII).

The Medal Yearbook shows the stripes as running from lower left to upper right (like your certificate). But, then, the MYB is very often very wrong. These pesky diagonal ribbons!

Good points, Rick. I've always hard a hard time conconcing a plausible story to support these things.