Ed_Haynes

And, to give you an idea what the herds behind the herders' badges look like:

Just back from a trip outside UB, a general shot to give you an idea what the country looks like.

While I can't see it clearly, it looks like a standard IMS collar tab to me?

It is still used on Mongolian TV, but with scenes from the last (extra special 800th anniversary of the foundation of the state) nadaam spliced in!

I very nice Indian Medical Service group. When I get back to my library, I can fill in some information for you.

Part of the problem lies in this idea of "property", in the faulty concept that we "own" the things in our collections. The only legitimate owner was the original recipient (known or unknown). We, as mere later custodians of someone else's things and what are often the sole surviving relics of their lives, have the duty to the legitimate owners not only to preserve and study their phaleristic legacy but, in so far as we can, keep their record intact and pass in in that fashion on to the next custodian, whether this happens within a few days or after a few decades. But, then, few dealers (and far too many collectors) see things that way; they look at history and see only currency symbols and an opportunity to maximise profit.

And, at least one award today, this to a building/organization. The border guard headquarters.

And, in a ger district.

A couple of miscellaneous urban shots.

Me too! Will add some when I get back.

Correct ID. Value? I have no idea, sorry.

A nice document group!!

Founded in the 1960s as a philatelic club, their interests have expanded into coins, phone cards, and of course ODM. There was very little to be seen (even as compared with last summer!) and the same was true of the various dealers' shops which we visited afterwards. What little was seen (mainly badges, random medals, Polar Stars, and a few Combat Valors) was unremarkable, undocumented, and OUTRAGEOUSLY priced. (And that wasn't because it was a foreigner asking, trust me.) (There were also a fair number of fakes, mainly of the Hero of Labor -- as discussed on another thread here. These aren't very dangerous when you actually hold them, but a bad scan might be more difficult. Be warned.) The reason for the high prices? The internet. All know and quote and rely on Igor's site to price their goods. Read it and weep.

Had chance to go to the Ulanbaatar collectors club yesterday. Held at School #1 (which also won the Red Banner of Labor Valor).

Thanks, Ferdinand. I will try to confirm these. So often, alas, the names are rendered in Russian (and in Russian Cyrillic), as if the Mongolians spoke Russian. It is my understanding that Battuishig will include the Mongolian names in the next edition. Getting accurate names is, of course, a problem, especially for awards outside the core that inspire the greatest coillector interest. These require getting award documents, which is a real problem at times.

It could be really interesting!

A Buddha (of course), recently erected by the South Koreans at the foot of Zaisan. Though a nice new statue to Tsedenbal has just been erected in front of the State Theater.

It is a standard, normal, award document. Award section not shown.

I have met with Battushig, spent much time with him in fact. He knows these fakes well, and I saw two of them for sale just this morning (one badly numbered "11" and two unnumbered, so far). Battushig knows the origin and, if anyone really wants to know, I will say by PM. I have no desire to get into a silly nationalistic spat. The award is fake and the origin is clear.

The only "official" ribbon bars are the cloth ones. (Since the ending of the lovely enameled ribbons.) The domed painted plastic ones are all non-regulation, private purchase items, made up by free-lancers who don't know much about ribbons or medals. They are a "style" statement.

He signed documents from 1964-90, so his signature is pretty common. I mention him here, even though I don't have a signature at hand to show, because I had the real honor to have lunch with him yesterday at his grandson's apartment.

We all know Gotov, though unfortunately I don't have his signature here to scan (can someone add?) and we all know his picture from Battushig's book.

Battushig has seen this medal. He didn't like it for a number of reasons, some very complex. When he say it, it had no mintmarks. These have presumably since been added. Run away from this one. Run very fast.

As of March 2007, there is only one living Mongolia recipient of the Hero Star, the cosmonaut Gurragchaa.

Responses to questions: 1- Kev: "Plastic Irish Pub" - UB, like many cities, is infested with several "Irish" "theme pubs". Marketing. No Guinness, lots of Chengiz Khan Draft. 2- Benis: collectors meetings - There is a mixed coin-stamp-medal club, meets Sundays noon. Today is Sunday. Guess where I'm going. 3- Lukasz: new ribbons/medals - Not any (yet) everything except the Hero is still being awarded (simply no opportunity to do so?). (Though the nasty bronze Red Banner of Labor -- type 2.2 -- has never been awarded, current awards are still silver pinbacks, type 2.1 -- all type 2.2s we see are unawarded "escapees".) Apparently, there were supposed to be three classes of the new Order of Chengiz Khan (Battushig A 19), though no one seems to have remembered that. There is still occasional talk of the "need" for new awards but, so far, nothing has been done, Good!