rocketscientist

I repeatedly fail in getting original Academy Badges for my collection. This one was promising, but apparently everything is wrong with the ввмиу plate. I have been told that they are always secured to the rhomb by means of clasps. This one seems just glued. Pity, because the other elements of the badge look proper.

Thanks for your comments. True that the pictures are not the best quality, and I am not the most qualified person to spot cast copies, but I had this impression as well, but I thought it was driven mainly by the poor photos. If I can get better pictures I will submit them to you.

is this authentic, in your opinion?

I start liking this badge very much. I have seen most fakes are actually showing strong mirror reverse characteristics. I am unsure that there were originals with this feature. The most ancient types were flatbacks or only slightly mirror reverse. Reading this post, I started being confused in recognizing fake and originals from the pictures.

It looks pretty much ok to me. Why do you have doubts?

Hello! An italian collector sent me these pictures of his Medal for the Defense of the Public Order. His impression is that it might be made of silver, therefore there are chances it is a type 2 because of the 15 ribbons in the crest. Nevertheless, there are some details making me very skeptical, in particular the lack of sharpness in the details and the general, diffused porosity which I would not expect in these relatively recent specimens. All comments are definitely welcome.

Yes, I remember having seen these pictures. Beside all, I would be extremely skeptical if I would be offered a Red Star without mintmark... I've already got enough FAKES with mint marks that I would be scared of being cheated again! cheers sergio

Very interesting walkthrough, JapanX! Most unusual, the Red Star without mintmark. Was it from MZPP?

Hello everybody! Another outstanding example from my collection : Valiant Labor medal, numbered. Fake T1 suspension applied to a serial number that would require a T2... The medal, on the other end, seems original to me.

What a wonderful set of medals and everything! Congratulations! Definitely not common!

seven ribbons of 37mm in a row without overlap means 277mm of breast to cover... I would say that that medal bar was never worn, actually. I think it is just a setup for the display. As far as the non-combatant serving motherland in wartime, I join you, j-sk, in remembering them all. cheers sergio

It is also my interest to keep active this discussion. I'm also interested in having a Fassino's 3rd army cross and I need to learn all I can in order to avoid bad choices.

Thanks Rob, but I am not sure that all the posted medals have a period ribbon. Also my medals, or some of them, very likely have replacement ribbons. I have not spent enough time so far in studying ribbons, I am still not capable to recognise original one from new productions.

Browsing other forums, I found another picture of a 3rd Army Cross like the one posted by j-sk. Nobody put in doubt the originality. I think it is not the final conclusion, yet, but a positive piece of information for assessing the authenticity of your medal, j-sk.

I think we should wait for more experts giving their opinions. I looked for original L.Fassino 3rd Army Crosses on the internet and made this collage. I see many differences in the medal you posted, j-sk, with respect to the others. One of the most evident is in the crown. Maybe there are variations also in the Fassino's production, this I don't know. Please note that the two medals taken for comparison are not confirmed originals, even if both have Fassino markings on the reverse.

Correct. Fassino is the manufacturer who produced the mistaken medal. His mintmark shall always be there on all RICONOCSENZA medals. As far as I know the obverse is identical to the correct open from the same factory, to spot fake you should compare the obverse with a sure original (even without the error). As far as the medal you've posted is concerned, I like it. For the price, I'm not the right person to help you. I would make a statistic on bay's closed auctions. cheers sergio

Thank you for the clarification. If I understand correctly, the medal is an official issue of the first wave (let's say after WW1) while the ribbon comes from a medal produced the 1945-48. Were these ribbons available to those veterans willing to replace the original one after 25 years of wearing?

I've never said so. I do not know whether there are other pin arrangements in other version of this badge. I am not an expert. The only example I could find with two pins in the same position as in your badge is the following (on sale as ORIGINAL, but I think that the manufacturer is not exactly WW2 period...

All versions I have seen so far have a pin across the circle, the hinge being in correspondence of the second "M" is "sommergibili". The hook is opposite to it. I do not see any sign of pin or pin-holder in your example. Image courtesy of http://www.betasom.it/forum/

Here's my 4th Class Legion d'Honneur for Officers, for your comments. When I purchased it, long ago, the seller told me it is an example of the 4th Republic version. From the information I have got in this forum, I would say this is not true and it should be from the 5th Republic. I also doubt the originality of this specimen, due to the very poor manufacturing not as good as I would expect for the Country's highest Order.

Great! Thank you. Pity for the ribbon, unfortunately most of my Interallied Medals have new ribbons...

Maybe Claudio2574 means Cap. Mario Muccini and his book "E allora, Andiamo!" ? Editions: TAVECCHI-Bergamo (1938) and GARZANTI (1939)

Clear! Thank you, Nick ciao sergio

Besides going to the datation tables with the serial number, do you see any other physical indication that this order was manufactured in Krasnokamsk? I ask for my education, If there is any hallmark of KMD on their orders I would like to learn. In this one a cannot see any other marking than the usual MONET'NI DVOR. Thank you sergio

Hello, this is my Czechoslovakian Interallied Medal, in my collection since some years. Never had the opportunity to ask for opinions, so far. I always wondered whether it is original or not. Please leave your comments. Thank you