Ed_Haynes

Interesting! What size?

Yeah, in the early days, whatever came out of the USSR usually had the serial numbers scratched out, sometimes pretty deeply gouged out. I recall, at the first OMSA I attended in 1976, that there were some shifty looking types making the rounds of tables in the bourse, jotting down the serial numbers of the few Soviet awards that were for sale that still had legible numbers. Surprisingly, they weren't buying them up or demanding their return (as Putin's mob does these days), just recording the numbers. I always wonder what happened to the recipients and/or their families. The other possibility, of course, is the one you raise that it is a less-than-kosher museum "escapee". In essence, that it is stolen goods . . . . The added serial number would seem to just be a fraudulent addition, an effort to restore some value to the piece.

Thanks, Rick. Now to see if there is any chance of researching the missing Red Stars. MMM as a likely long service award will tell us nothing. As KGB, research joy unlikely, but I am asking anyway. Also, I guess, 0.00% or ever reuniting the Red Stars, though stranger things have happened.

And watch those estimates ZOOM, Christian. Good for Jani (and friends), bad for us of moderate means (a.k.a. the Phaleristic Proletariat).

No . . . you need to plop his head on the body of Nicky II -- then you'd have it -- get in the right era

Well done, Don. Great minds run in the same gutter. Still, sad . . . .

And some poor schmuck will pay HOW MUCH for it??????

More (much more) to come . . . .

It may take some time to get everything up, but here is a (teasing?) start:

The End All wisdom and insights valued, as always . . .

And the photo (we all age, don't we?) . . .

Next . . .

Spread 1

And . . . finally . . .

Next (for text, thereafter there is pre-printed text -- let me know if you wish to see it)

Next page-spread . . .

Next . . .

Last page (all pre-printed)

Closeup on photo

Part 1

Next document . . . exterior . . .

Final page (whew) . . .

A pre-printed text spread, included for historical interest (I hope):

Blank (pre-printed, like we've seen) page, then . . .

Next . . .