Bryan

Hi Rick, I do not have the scan from the back, because the picture is not mine, but here are other pictures from the same guy.

Have you ever seen other pictures like this one with awards drawn?

What are they doing with sausages?

Wow, this is the first time I see a cased one! Very nice Wlodzimierz. I wish I could add a cased one to my collection! Bryan

Here are 3 little ones.

Oh that's true! Prices are in Euros, not in US$!

Wow! Thanks Anatoly!

Oh, it seems I had skipped that part. I'm really happy for you! Congratulations!

have you guys seen the result of the last Carsten Zeige Auction. The Lenin tractor version sold for $100 000 + buyer's premium. Have a look here at the other interesting orders that have been sold. www.zeige.com

No red stars? Why?

Wow, very interesting! So did it get the thumbs up from Alexei?

Interesting variations! Both are 6 torches order. Do you have any 5 torches order of Military Merit 1st Class?

I'm not sure if I understand well, but this is not a 3rd Class, but a 2nd Class because of the roman number "II". So if this is a box for the 2nd Class after 1963, why isn't that good?

A WWII (military) Lenin would be just fine. I don't need a screwback!

Well for my part I never paid those prices because I started collecting in 2004, so I never took profit of the break-up od the Soviet Union neither the Russian financial crisis in 1999. I paid my Red Banners around $100 - $120 which "old" collector said these were "insane" prices at the time. I must have spent the half of my student loan in my collection and I still lack many pieces in my collection that I regret I didn't bought from (Alexei) Nota Bene before he closed his shop. Now I regret, because at the time I didn't really have to money to spend on those items. I'm not even sure if I will get one day a Lenin order or a Nevsky order. I don't even have the Friendship Order. Too bad. Anyway, I'm happy with what I have got during my studies and it' now s a shame that the prices have gone really insane. Is Soviet collecting really mainstream by now or it's just the fluctuation of the Russian market?

I bought one time from Markov. It took him 2-3 months after I paid before he went to the post office. Since then it as been a "never again".

You could add the MONETNYI DVOR screws for the Soviet made orders.

KGB, Afghanistan !?!?

Christian, can you get a better shot from the srial number? I'm wondering why the damage was done only were the seril number is.

Well that is quite a bargain! The main question is what was this piece doing in India! I think you said it has something to do with metal scrap.

I guess I'm not that kind of collector. The last thing I mather is all those small different variations. What I see is an overpriced long service Red banner in very good condition that's it. However you are right that "there is no right or wrong way of collecting", expect for people breaking groups because they collect a particular sub-variation.

I'm happy I have paid mine 50 EUR + shipping.

I have never seen this kind of ribbon configuration. It looks like a "mini" from that medal!

I think you don't have to worry about the exceptions you can encounter in Yugoslavian medals. There must have been no real "rule" of hoe to make the orders. I guess they only used what they had in stock to make their orders. In that case I'm sure this award is post-1963 because of the torches. The pinback configuration of that particular order makes me think that they only used what they have in stock before to use something else.

Nice one! Thanks for sharing!