Ed_Haynes

The 1939-43 Star (as it was then known) ribbon was being worn (along with the ribbon for the Africa Star) as early as 1943 (I have the exact date somewhere in my research notes, let me look). The 1939-43 Star was later renamed when the other stars and medals wer4 added at the end of the war. It is a fascionating tale and interesting research that debunks many of the guesses of the "experts" on a number of points.

I hope, I hope that what Darrel suspects wouldn't have happened.

Things like that, can "kill" an auction house, especially now, in the days of fast communication.

Elmar Lang

Yes, in the absence of ANY communication (perhaps the most damning aspect of this whole sad episode), we can only expect the worst, and respond accordingly.

Seems not available right now,but I think you can preorder there

Near half of the book - pictures and describtions of ALL variants of ODMs of socialist period.

Excellent, thanks!

There is the book already.

This is the best catalogue of bulgarian ODMs :

<a href="http://www.shopbulgaria.com/catalogues-5025/109/bulgarian-orders-medals-book-price-catalogue-p-pavlov.html" target="_blank">http://www.shopbulgaria.com/catalogues-502...e-p-pavlov.html</a>

Thanks. A shame no price is quoted. A priceless book, literally? How much space is devoted to the socialist period as opposed to royalist stuff?

Great to see these. Thanks! We really need a good book! (Hint . . . ???)

OK, that begats the big question! Do we see a different badge for each school as per Soviet style... or are all schools issued the badge shown by Taz? The example is the only style I have seen thus far.

We know that at least Polish, Bulgarian and Hungarian Republics used a different badge for each school....

And Mongolia has a horde of badges.

Very very disturbing. Yes, another dealer crossed off the list, I fear . . . .

Wow!!!

Thanks, Rick. Ed

While the repetitive "political" labels are grossly off-base, it seems surely a modern fake.

Standard e$cam garbage.

And . . . could this (by the way) be moved into the "researched" section? It may not be "MUCH researched", but it may be as much as we'll see, especially for a KGB group, for a while . . . ??

And . . .

Have at me.

Somewhat reluctant to get back into this abusive environment . . .

Limited research in:

From what I have just recently heard, research is now quite unwell. Not due to the rumors of an archival shutdown, but from a general melt-down of source access. Those who have previously sent photographed full-color images, now request that if they are posted (on places like this) they now be converted to monochrome images. A sure sign that things are chilling?

One of my frequent research wholesalers has just given up on the business. (For those who know, initials "AF".)

Count the seconds for future research?

Lovely stuff. Many thanks.

http://www.bundespraesident.de/Amt-und-Fun...erleihungen.htm

Thanks for this!

It is worth seeing

http://www.bundespraesident.de/Anlage/orig...Deutschland.pdf

and, of course,

http://www.bundesverdienstorden.de/

How rarely are these awards issued? Are they fairly commonly seen on active duty German members?

It is a general award for merit, not by any means rerstricted to the military. Somewhere there is, I recall, a website with lists of recipients.

This was posted 2 1/2 years ago!

Probably too late NOW to get done now that Podolsk is ... going away God knows where.

True, but this isn't an abnormal amount of time to wait for research anyway.

From what I hear, the rumors of the archives' demise may be exaggerated.

I can't imagine you'd ever go wrong in researching a screwback RB.

The type 1 ended around #400 and then the (current) type 2 commenced.

Apparently, type 2s have been "escaping" from government custody and into the market. I havea good one with a quite fraudulent #223. Medal is good, number is bad, price was low. I am also given to understand that fake type 2s are also being made in Mongolia and in both their northern and southern neighbors. From what I have seen, these fakes are thinner and more insubstantial than the real ones. When working only from images, one need to be very, very careful with these type 2 hero stars.

I'll raise some of these issues with Bat when I see him this summer.

Thanks. I still await mine. The postal "service" .

Personally, I'm not sure I like that award at all. The number is way too low and way too odd.

Lovely. Thanks for showing the set.

And a beauty as well.

And she still is (was? is she still alive? soon, they'll all be gone).

I am sorry if this sounds like a commercial plug (me not being a great fan of capitalism), but I am finding http://shop.promt.com/store/promt/DisplayP...ductID.98713500 to be a joy and lifesaver (and a source of great humor) for the Mondvor and Sammler websites, among others.

Please delete if deemed nasty/commercial.