Ed_Haynes

Ch- I don't like this solution. I wish there were more interest and more involvement. I also wish the questions were better focused and more relevant (not: "I am guessing a number between 1 and one million..."). But (BUT) I think your solution is wise and necessary. 'Tis what needs to be done. And a resonable solution to our GROWING problem here. Ed

Good luck on the research, it could be very interesting. But, for me at least, the research well has been very DRY of late . . .

Look forward to seeing the research on this . . . it could be very interesting! (And nice to see that SOMEONE is getting SOME research back these days.)

And you have research on this ???? Show us, show us, show us !!!

Jim says it very well. If all is kosher, this is a good group (and forget the "sniper" BS). But without quality images of everything (obverse, reverse, all relevent pages of the book), avoid it. If they seller cannot or will not provide such images, be afraid, be very afraid. I hope it turns out to be good, for it could be interesting to research.

I hope that what we are seeing here is not the impending death of the quiz?

Same for me.

I agree, Bob. Given the curtrent worthlessness of the $US, 20 Euros for a catalogue strikes me as excessive. Especially given what level of investment the items (and the auction fee) will likely require.

Someplace, I think I still have the Spink catalogue. Let me seek . . . .

Part of the problem may be that while there are official badges, German jewelers also tried their diverse hands at manufacturing these awards between the wars (when the issuing authority no longer existed). It is hard enough to discern consistency in official badges, but to expect any such standards in independently manufactured badges may just be too much. Someday, when someone looks at the Ottoman records, some of our questions may be answered. They are in pretty good condition and order, it is just that no one has bothered. Maybe when that is done, we'll be able to appreciate Ottoman awards in their proper context and not merely as some exotic adjunct to German ODM. There are, of course, a couple of nice books on Ottoman awards, in Turkish of course, but the authors have not dug too deeply into the archives. Reading Ottoman Turkish is a special skill.

And should this not be moved to a more generic "miltaria" sub-forum??? This is NOT in any sense a researched award or group?!?!?

These are incredibly rare, issued only after the Empire joined (BAD IDEA) the Central Powers in the Great War; these were NOT issued during the war in the Crimea or in indigenous conflicts. Someplace, I have (aproximate) numbers . . . .

It looks to me like there has been a serious erase-and-replace job done here. The massive scraped-away blue blob in the center?! The name? The award book printing details at the bottom of the last page? This smells, and not nice . . . . Preliminary advice: Run, run fast.

Yes, Leigh. Precisely that. Thanks for the clarification.

Thanks, Nick! Maybe you are right. I hope you are. I have no clue! My narrow mind doesn't deal well with unstructured questions??

Yes, it sounds like these fellows were escaped prisoners?

Actually, Eric, it looks like you have made a good start at collecting everything! A collector after my own heart.

Mongolia is an addiction that will grow! Look around at some of the threads here and you'll see what it can lead to . . . !!!

And these will be in: http://gmic.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=10222 and http://gmic.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=10198

Right now, getting one with the document is the only hope. While I doubt if rolls will emerge anytime soon, we can always hope. I am working on an article for JOMSA on this one and Battushig is seeking more information, when the current chaos in Ulanbaatar grants him the time. See: http://gmic.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=4519

Excellent. Now I have to find some way to get a copy

Yes. Actually, I postred one way up in post #46.

They are all covered in Battushig's book. JC beat me to the ID.

As research will be based on records held in the president's office, it will be all awards. Well, "all awards" in the dimension of whether they were civilian or military awards, but it is unclear just now which of the numbered awards will be covered. It seems we'll have information on all the orders (even motherhood?) and the top medals, but whether things like the virgin lands or "We Won" medal will be included is unclear at present. It may depend on whose office was the issuing authority and how many doors can be opened in the other ministries (now under new management). Finally, something like the "Polar Star" may become clear?

I would agree with Jan. A Sukhbaatar for herding achievements seems to me to be much more desirable than a long service military award. Maybe is is just a pro-military myopia that distorts the reality of Mongolian society and its awards? Obviously, those Sukhbaatars (implicitly) paired with either of the hero stars will seem best. Still, any Sukhbaatar is better than none at all. Nevertheless, the ability to put a name and date and rough conditions of award onto these medals seems to be to be a significant research advance on the current "one-of-each" stamp-collecting approach of some collectors. Full Soviet- or British-style research may or may not be available soon, but it strikes me that a bit of history is much better than none at all. And research progress is moving along. I expect to know more first-hand this summer. Real-world issues have slowed prpogress, but most of us do have lives. Also the change of government in Ulanbaatar has meant that some linkages have had to be reinvented.