Eric Schena

Hi Belaruski: I didn't come across that pinback type until after I put the 2nd edition out. The third edition (which is still in the works) has the 1st class Skanderbeg varieties categorized thusly: Type 1: Screw back Var. 1: Made by IKOM Var. 2: Made by Mennica Państwowa (unreported) Var. 3: Made by Pr?wema Type 2: Pin back Var. 1: Made by Pr?wema, dished reverse Var. 2: Made by Pr?wema, flat reverse, simple integral pin assembly Var. 3: Made by Pr?wema, flat reverse, attached pin assembly with closure Var. 4: Made in Albania (unreported) Under this classification, yours is a type 2 var 3. I hope that helps somewhat. Cheers, Eric

That is a great photo of the Partisan Badge in wear! While I am a little late to this thread (easily one of my favorite threads this year), I did want to share one thing in my small but hopefully growing collection. This was with an Order of Labor 2nd class that had the large award certificate and carrying document - it's the order of precedence in wear for Hungarian decorations. This particular decoration no longer resides in my collection as it has been (thankfully) reunited with a larger group posted earlier in this thread, but I did save a scan of this document. I hope folks will find this somewhat useful. Cheers, Eric

Hi all: I hope I'm not too late to this thread, nut thought I would add my thoughts on "why". Some of this I wrote in response to a smilar question as to "why Albania", but I think it makes sense in this context, too, so please forgive any repetition :-) I grew up as an Air Force brat in the 70s and 80s and lived on several military installations growing up. Like Rick mentioned above, we all did the old "Air Raid siren - get under your schooldesk that will somehow miraculously save you from an incoming MIRV strike" drill. I also remember seeing those newsreels from the May Day parades in Moscow with all those medal-festooned leaders standing up on Lenin's Mausoleum and always found that fascinating. When the USSR started to open up in the late 80's and their decorations started to come out, being a coin collector for the vast majority of my life, I naturally started to collect them, especially since they were before a mystery. I've always been interested in the less well traveled collecting paths - going down well-trod paths does not lend itself to adventure or the possibility of the thrill of discovery. I had just started going to college, so I could not get all the decorations I would have wanted (Hero of the USSR and Hero of Socialist Labor eluded me then and now even more so), but I did pull together what I think is a nice little representative collection. When I finally visited Moscow in January 1992 (what a time to go there ), I made a point of telling the tour guide I wanted to go see Lenin's Mausoleum. Even though she didn't initially understand ("Why would you want to go there? It's just a dead guy in a glass case"), once I explained it's because we grew up with that image as one of the few things I ever saw of Moscow during the Cold War, she understood and I got to wait in that infamous line - but that's a story for another day. Once prices started to go sky high for Soviet medals in the past 5 or so years, I looked at the other Cold War "boogeymen": Bulgaria, Romania, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Poland, Mongolia, and Yugoslavia. This now forms the core of my collection. Then there was Albania - a mystery if there ever was any even more than a decade after the fall of comunism. Finally, a couple of years ago, someone was offering a couple of Albanian medals (an Order "Red Star" and a Bravery Medal) and immediately got them. Then I started to try to research these things to find out any kind of info on them. That's when I found out there was next to nothing on them in the usual literature and what was there was wildly contradictory (look at the thread on the Order "Red Star" below for an example of that), plus they were only collected as curiosities of a bizarre Stalinist holdout and not treated in any scholarly manner. It also didn't help that until the collapse of communism in 1992, Albania refused to release any info on their honors at all. So, I started collecting info even more voraciously than the medals themselves to get to the bottom of it. That info collection formed the basis for my modest monograph on them. In addition, I strongly recommend reading up on Albanian history, in particular 20th century history and you'll rapidly find out how tortured that poor nation has been through its history, the wild characters (Zog and Hoxha in particular), the weird events, all sorts of stuff that is sadly neglected in the West. Many might find the challenge daunting but I have found it immensely rewarding and a whole lot of fun! My only hope is that somehow my little book helps to right some misconceptions about their decorations and in some cases (particularly the WW II medals) shed some light on the sacrifices that nation has had to make through its history. So I guess in short, it's a little about my childhood and my love of the unknown which is why I collect what I do. Cheers, Eric

Hi Elvis: That looks like a nice earlier made example. Do you have any pics of the reverse? Cheers, Eric

Hi Belaruski and welcome! I am not aware of any fakes of communist era Albanian decorations. I have, however, seen a few Pr?wema made Orders of Freedom that have had the screwplates replaced with IKOM ones and sold as IKOM made decorations, but I can't tell if that was done intentionally or accidentally. For now, it seems to be safe. Let's hope it stays that way. Cheers, Eric

I may be imagining things, but that looks like a portion of a Soviet Medal for Combat/Military Merit:

Here's my contribution to the Albanian bibliography: R?glement sur les Titres, Ordres et M?dailles de la R?publique Populaire D?Albanie, Paris, no date (c. 1962 ? 1964). Titujt, Urdh?rat dhe Medaljet e Republik?s Popullore t? Shqip?ris?, Tiran?, 1968. Titujt e Nderit dhe Dekoratat e Republik?s Popullore Socialiste t? Shqip?ris? (Ligji dhe Vendimi), Tiran?, 1982. Here are some laws and decrees that I also used: DEKRET Nr.4400, 7.6.1968 DEKRET Nr.4783, 24.12.1970 VENDIM Nr.214, 15.2.1973 DEKRET Nr.5631, 30.9.1977 LIGJ Nr.6133, 12.2.1980 For historical background: Fisher, Bernd J., Albania at War 1939-1945, 1999. Nigel, Thomas & Abbott, Peter, Partisan Warfare 1941-1945, 1996. Tomes, Jason Hunter, King Zog of Albania: Europe?s Self Made Muslim King, 2004. As for the History of the Party of Labor of Albania, I suggest reading that book with a skeptical/critical eye. Studying Albanian history from the communist period is fraught with challenges, not the least of which is the notion of battling dueling ideologies. Many of the books that were written about the PPSH were either written by the PPSH or by opponents to them, in particular exiled early communist leaders or Yugoslav communists, both of whom sought to discredit the Hoxha regime. Many of the books that came out by official party organs were specifically geared towards underpinning the ideological foundations of the PPSH and took great liberties with fact and the "opposition press" went to the opposite extreme. So you end up with a case of two camps opposed to one another each trying to discredit the other. The truth probably lies somewhere in the middle, it's just sorting out the wheat from the chaff. That is not to say this book is not important - it is very important - just be mindful of the source Cheers, Eric

Here's a new one that I got recently. This is a membership badge of the Union of Labor Youth of Albania (Bashkimi i Rinis? s? Pun?s t? Shqip?ris? or BRPSH). The badge is unmarked but was made in Czechoslovakia by ZUKOV and the quality shows. This badge also has the membership document to Meri Grigor Ceroni dated June 18, 1977. Cheers, Eric

I agree - topic has been suitably renamed I have several earlier badges coming to me and I will post them here when they arrive. The badge for Distinguished in Cultural Labor that you show to the far right I believe was made in Czechoslovakia. Turns out ZUKOV in Prague made some of the more important distinctions/titles in the 1960s and 1970s. So far, I don't think they made medals proper per se, but if it is a well made pinback badge, odds are it's Czech made. Cheers, Eric

Hi all: I am thrilled that folks are getting interested in this project! Here is what I can contribute: I would like to turn the 3rd edition of my Albanian book into the section on Albania. I have a lot of new information plus more photos that I have been busy collecting since Chairman Nick graciously posted the 2nd edition here. In case anyone is interested on this front (Bob? I know you have been pretty gung-ho in the Albanian sphere ), what I most need are good high resolution scans of some of the badges, medals, and award documents. I can also contribute images and some information on several Bulgarian decorations. I have a few other Eastern Bloc decorations, but Albania and Bulgaria are the best represented in my collection right now. If someone takes the reigns as "head coordinator", I'd be willing to help with that effort myself. I just don't want to be the head of that effort since my full time job sucks down roughly 15 hrs of each day. What I see as necessary if we really are going to do this is the following (after, of course, finding a coordinator): 1. Milan's and Ed's recommendation of a detailed bibliography is crucial. 2. Identify specialists in each area we choose to include. 3. Decide on a mutually agreed upon format. 4. Once we get down to the nitty gritty, maybe get outlines of the decorations and the varieties/types thereof would be the next step. So...what do y'all think? Cheers, Eric

Here's a closeup of the Lieutenant's medals. The photo was taken in 1947, before Tito and Enver had their famous falling out and anything Yugoslav became forbidden. I have seen a medal award document to a friend of this particular gentleman for this very medal and it seems it was awarded for service as a partisan between July 1942 and July 1943 (which explains the KORRIK 1942-KORRIK 1943 on the medal).

That is something I have so far only seen in photographs - it's the Medal "Remembrance 1942-1943". It was later replaced in 1945 by the medal that is my avatar, the Medal of Remembrance. Here is a photo of a Lieutenant wearing that medal, alongside a Yugoslav Medal of Bravery and the Medal of Liberation. Outstanding!

As much as I would love to be the coordinator for such a project, I simply do not have the time, nor the resources to do it properly. I will absolutely assist in it where at all possible (I like Milan's idea of gathering a bibliography first a lot and have some stuff to contribute there and not just Albanian medals) but I don't want to commit to something and not be able to follow through. Anyone have any other suggestions for a coordinator/whip-swinger? Cheers, Eric

I am so glad to see folks are interested! I thought about this for a while before posting the idea and figured on geographical Eastern Europe: Albania, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, the DDR, Hungary, Poland, Romania, and Yugoslavia. The USSR is well documented, the Soviet republics would be fantastic, but when I thought about it, those reach into the USSR realm (do you include the Red Banner of the RSFSR?). So, I finally settled on Eastern Europe minus the USSR. As much as I would love to see something like that, I wanted think slightly smaller scale than all communist states in the world (as Rick said, Cuba is almost as bad as Albania was - until recently - in terms of any sort of reference material). In any event, I love seeing everyone's thoughts on this. I don't know about others, but I keep what I call my Eastern Bloc "source book", which has photos and bits and bobs of accumulated knowledge I've run across (things like: how many varieties are there of the Czech Order of the White Lion, when were .333 fine examples of the Karl Marx Order produced, etc.). I think it's high time that a lot of the knowledge that's been accumulating for the past several years be put to paper. Cheers, Eric

Hi all: I have been working on getting reference materials for Eastern Bloc medals recently and had a bit of a thought. While Soviet decorations are pretty well documented in the current body of literature, there are still a lot of holes in our understanding of the other Eastern European honors systems. I was thinking that a great collaborative project would be to have a McDaniel/Schmitt or a Battushig type encyclopedia of Eastern European communist medals - specifically Albania, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, DDR, Hungary, Poland, Romania, and Yugoslavia. What would be good to see is a one stop shopping encyclopedia that would apply the specialist's eye on key variations (not necessarily delve into TR level of detail), while still maintaining a solid focus on why the medals were awarded and the history behind them. I have focused my energies on one nation in particular, but I am utterly fascinated by medals from the other Eastern Bloc nations, as well. I left off the USSR and nations outside of Europe for now as I think this project would be best served if done in chunks. Start with Europe and work our way to Asia, Africa, and the Americas eventually. So, does this sound overly ambitious or even feasible to anyone here? I think with forums such as this one that allow for ease of international collaboration (I received help from kind folks in Germany, France, Belgium, Serbia, Bulgaria, Russia, and Albania on my modest work on Albanian medals) would really help to facilitate such a project. I know that if such a project did get off the ground, I'd be happy to contribute or even incorporate my Albanian research into it. Cheers, Eric

Hi Elvis: That is the first real citation story I have heard for a Hero i Popullit - many thanks for sharing that and his other medals. The ribbons look to be painted plastic based on the scan. I have seen one other mounted group like this one (to a counter-intelligence officer in the Sigurimi). I, for one, would LOVE to hear about your relative's Hero i Pun?s Socialiste G?suar, Eric

What an absolute first class presentation that is, Lucasz! I am thrilled and honored to have been able to offer you some assistance. Cheers, Eric

Actually, ribbon 5 is the Order "Red Star" when it was in one class only and ribbon 8 is the 10th Anniversary of the Army medal. This is a pre-1965 ribbon bar: you can tell because the Medal of Remembrance ribbon is after the Skanderbeg 3rd class. After 1965, the Medal of Remembrance moved to the 5th most important decoration and would show up before most other decorations. I love seeing these ribbon bars Cheers, Eric

Oh...I almost forgot: about Bob's earlier question about ribbon bars made with actual ribbon. They do exist, but only in the earliest period. There are photos of Hoxha from the late 1940's wearing sewn on ribbons on his Colonel-General's uniform, but after that, it looks like the plastic/metal ribbon bars replaced that type. Cheers, Eric

Hi all: Thought I would offer an update on an earlier post in this thread about that unknown Albanian medal. Well, I know what it is now. It is the original pattern of the Medal "Remembrance 1942-1943". That medal was established not in 1945, but in 1943 for service between July 1942 and July 1943. After the war (around 1947 from what I can tell based on photographic evidence), the decoration was re-established as the Medal of Remembrance and the period of service was changed from July 1943 until the liberation of Tiran? on 29 November 1944. I have seen a set of award documents in a complete award group, one for the Medal "Remembrance 1942-1943" and he Medal of Remembrance to the same officer, so it appears the older decoration was replaced with the newer more familiar one (the decoration that appears as my avatar). The first pattern medal appears to have been almost if not completely replaced and so far as I can tell, none are known (I hope that is not the case). Cheers, Eric

Hi Elvis and welcome! Thank you so much for your very kinds words on my modest book about your nation's awards for which I am most grateful. I would love to know any contributions, feedback or corrections you may have, especially since you are a little closer to the "action" (so to speak) than I am As for your question regarding prices, Rick did indeed put it quite accurately. I purposely avoided giving rarity statistics and prices because of a couple of factors: 1. There are precious few solid statistics regarding how many exist or were even awarded. 2. Some of the types of awards from the 1980's are starting to appear more frequently (comparatively speaking, of course), so prices are going to fluctuate wildly. I think some of these are coming out of the unused stocks at the President's office (at least that is what one of my friends from Tiran? told me). 3. There are so few devoted collectors for Albanian medals (I only know of maybe 6 or so folks) that the market is rather small right now. That is not to say it won't grow, it's just not on the same scale as USSR decorations. I know that does not help you a lot, but we are all still learning so much about your nation's awards... G?zuar! Eric

Hi Lucasz: Thank you for your very kind remarks. I am also working on a third edition presently, but i have no idea when it will be finished. I most certainly do not object - I would be honored to have some of my research on your fantastic website (which I use all the time when I do some research into Polish decorations). Let me know if there are specific things you need and I would be happy to help you out. You are not the only one who has had that problem . I have a friend who has been desperately trying to get any info out of the Albanian govt on their current awards and, like you, his letters disappear into the aether without a trace. I guess trying to shake off 50 years of forced secrecy is a hard habit to break. Cheers, Eric

One other thing: this is the only communist Albanian medal that completely spells out the name of the country.

Hi all: Since the other motherhood awards are being discussed, I thought I would post what I think is the rarest one, the Motherhood Medal. The Motherhood Medals were established in 1950 and came in 2 classes, gold and silver. Sometime in the 1970's, the government did a downgrade on all the requirements for the motherhood decorations and rendered the motherhood medals obsolete (the gold medal was replaced by the Order "Motherhood Glory" 2nd class, and the silver was replaced with the Order "Motherhood Glory" 3rd class). This is the only one I have ever run across outside of line drawings and blurry color photos. I think this one was likely made in Poland because of the very high quality and the alloy used. I wish it had the ribbon but considering that I believe these are quite rare, I am not complaining. Cheers, Eric

Hi Soviet: That's actually a nicer earlier made piece, probably by our friends at Pr?wema in the DDR. The soldered ring at the top of the medal and the pin affixed to the suspension by that round disk being the tip offs (that and they are better made than their later counterparts). Cheers, Eric