Ed_Haynes

Interesting, Bob. As with most Mongolian ribbon bars, it raises more questions than it provides answers. Generally, I'd assume that the "VoG" ribbon would be a representative ribbon for the Soviet 25th Anniversary badge? I have never seen anything to indicate that any Mongolian troops served in the European theater. In fact, just the opposite: That their deployment there was offered and rejected. In any case, Japan was the major enemy.

Still pondering this one . . . .

And, of course, the one Markov sold.

Sorry, my mistake - I confused the Hero Star # 1 with a Sukhbaatar.

No problem, at first glance it is easy to confuse them.

Nicely done, Brian. Shabash!

Happens after hitting 50.

Really . . . I haven't noticed, have you?

Well done, Rick! Super Hero? Perhaps. But he awfully sausage-like to be a member of the Master Race?

Wasn't # 1 Stalin's?

http://gmic.co.uk/index.php?s=&showtop...ost&p=41846

Sukhbaatar? Yes, perhaps. I don't think we'll know that for sure until the rolls become available.

Come now, Rick. This must be a fake. It doesn't match what the regulations say or any uniforms in The Major Annointed Collections . . . .

Is it nice? Yes.

Is it rare? Not really.

Can it be researched? Unfortunately, no.

Is it faked? Yes, even this.

Are today's prices out of any range of sanity? Don't ask stupid questions!

And congratulations, Dan!

And a very nice one too!

Thanks, Jeff!

The whole question of insurance is an extremely important question and one to which I don't think anyone has a good answer. Some -- especially here in the US -- see a big dog or a big gun or a big safe or a big ___ as a solution. Personally, I think that avoids the question and tries to turn a serious concern into something cute.

The difficulty, of course, is value. Most of what we collect has intrinsic value (the silver, gold, whatever) that is only a small percentage of market value. Most insurers can see the intrinsic value but cannot comprehend the phaleristic/historical value. The market value, of course, is only what some damn fool will pay for the item at a real (non-e$cam) auction, and we all know how bizarre such venues have become recently.

I don't know how things are in the Netherlands, but to do this in the US is extremely difficult, as most general insurers would ask for a formal evalvaution of value by a known source and would not accept the wise advice of friends on an internet forum (however accurate). While there are a few specialist "collection insurance" providers, I have never known anyone who collected from them (not such a bad thing?).

In any case, how would insurance replace an essentially unique item? Maybe that would work if one sees collecting as merely an investment strategy . . . but maybe not even then?

Yes, the obverse is clearly the image of Emperor Menelik II, Elect of God, Conquering Lion of the Tribe of Judah and King of Kings of Ethiopia (r. 1855-1913).

Somewhere, I recall seeing mention of a "railway medal" of Menelik related to the first railway construction in the country, but I am working from memory here. Realiable sources on Ethiopian ODM are, as we have bemoaned before, rather thin and often unreliable (one must walk carefully with sources coming from exiled-pretending-royals). The ribbon looks like what I associate with the Medal of Scholarship, but as that is a post-WWII invention, it may have draw on an earlier ribbon?

As I am drawing on distant memory here . . . help??

Looks Ethiopian to me.

THAT is certainly an unexpected maker's mark to find! Assmann's "protractor A" is familiar on Third Reich insignia and awards! I knew they kept using it under the Bundesrepublik, but didn't know that they even MADE foreign post-WW2 awards!

Actually, Rick, Assmann made serveral of the Iraqi medals.

Some of these are shown in other Iraqi threads.

Just in. What I believe to be a fake type 3.1.

See also: http://gmic.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=13677&st=33

A detail of the center.

Well, it was only a matter of time?

What I think is a fake Order of the Red Banner of Military Valor, type 3.1 (why bother faking this variety?!). Numbered with a laughably scratched-in "11".

Yes, really nice. Thanks for showing this!

Any word on the book? Interest remains . . .

Ahhh ... of course ... thanks.

I knew it was late, but . . .

Ed,

And it is the rare Kuznetsov variation to boot

Marc

Sorry for the moment of stupidity . . . please explain, Marc!

And the award itself.