cimbineus

... and: "ÁLLATGONDOZÓ" - animal keeper "ÁLLATTENYÉSZTŐ" - rancher/stockman

Gents, Here are some "KIVÁLÓ" badges from those series I mentioned above, from agriculture: "KERTÉSZ" - gardener/horticulturist "NÖVÉNYTERMELŐ" - agrarian/farmer (who grows plants)

Gordon, Thanks for the vocabulary. I fully agree with everything you say. I can add that not only the collectors but the experts are also divided in this respect... Regards, cimbineus .

Gents, Just to continue, here are the "KIVÁLÓ" badges for Signal Troops:

Based on different sources that presumably happened in 1969 or in 1970, but the country concerned was not the USA. As far as I know that was France (90%) or Sweden (10%). No, I did not suggest anything like that. A simply tried to worn all of you about an existing danger bumping into fake medals of that kind. (And, please, remember: the more colourful the story, the bigger the danger!) Most probably those lose pieces were produced later, but in most of the cases with the original tools at the National Mint in Budapest in the early '90s. That is why one cannot make any differences between them. (I even do not know how to call those medals „after-produced", or …?) cimbineus (P.S.: Look at the ribbon on the first Hero Star, please. The Hungarian tricolour is red-white-green and not vice versa. I am sure that this piece simply could not be in a demonstration box at that time with such a mistake.)

Gents, Let me add my voice to this discussion, please. I think, that the first Hero of the HPR star can be called „prototype" with certain reservations only. In fact, that award belonged to the so called "WWIII" series. Just a few high ranking people knew about the existence of those kinds of awards until a scandalous event in the early '70s, when some pieces somehow appeared in one European country. The government of that country sent a Diplomatic Note to the Hungarian government with a simple but difficult to answer question, with something like this: "How is it possible that a country advocating for peace has an award set to be officially founded in the moment of out breaking of a hypothetical WWIII? Explain to us, please!" Of course, it was impossible to give a rational answer or explain anything. As a result, the given appendix to the most secret operational documents disappeared in the late '70s. The demonstration sets (I put the number around 20 sets/boxes) were stored in the Ministry of Defence, but at the end of the '80s all fade away. This Hero of the HPR belonged to that set, I think. Please, see the attached picture. In the early '90s separate pieces (like this Hero Star) of that set appeared on the market. Later, when the existence of such awards became public, and certain people realised the rarity of such medals, the fake medals turned up, and time to time one can see some of them in the offers nowadays too, always accompanied by colourful stories. As far as the material is concerned, those are just gold plated. Regards, cimbineus

Hi Lilo, I am very sorry, but the quality of the picture does not allow me to tell you for sure what it is. The difference is very narrow between those two. If you hold either of them in your hands, you can say immediately which is what. Nevertheless, my best guess is that in the picture we see "CROSS", issued before 1935. (But, please, remember that it could be awarded up to the late 30s!!!) Regards, cimbineus

Gents, Let me show you another Hungarian medal for pupils, a "GOOD LEARNER" medal from the same period. Regards, cimbineus

Your ribbon today has started its long journey to you ...

No, there was just one type of medal, and produced just ones. Basically, there are no variations as well, except some miss-painted ones, where during the production the workers mixed up the colours on the flags. :-) cimbineus

Yes, exactly! This is the case! Those are also real, existing ribbons, but for different medals. Gordon, There was no exact date even exact year when they changed the hook. It came into existence gradually, step by step from the early '70s, but the old hooks also appear time to time even in early '80s. From mid '80s already the great majority of hooks were the new ones, as far as I can recall. And one more thing. In some cases, although the order or medal was produced and awarded in the '80s, it could happen that they had quite an amount of earlier ribbons and they used them up, while in other cases already the new hook existed. Regards, cimbineus

No, the medals are NOT reproductions. Those are the authentic original ones.

Gents, It is not too pleasant to bring the bad news, but unfortunately sometimes someone has to play the unpleasant role of this kind as well, like me now. No, Gents! The question in this case is not the type of hook, or anything else, or its material, or the weave stile etc. These two ribbons (Ed's and Ulsterman's) are simply not the correct ones. Your ribbons are recent ribbons from the Ministry of Defence recent Merit Medal 1st Class (or Merit Medal in Gold previously). These new ribbons and the original ones are totally different not only in materials, quality of the work, appearance etc, but in the type of the so call national colour "wolf's teeth" too, at the edges of it. Just compare them, please. Here is a picture: But now comes the good news for Ed and Ulsterman. These two correct ribbons in the picture are spare ones and I am ready to present those to you, if you accept them and if I receive your addresses in a PM. Regards, cimbineus

Thanks ilja 559, (прасибо большое)! All the other branches will follow!

And here is my branch, the God of all wars, the artillery:

Your words are music for my ears, my friend! That is why I am doing all this ...

Yes, my modest personality. But, sorry to say, there is no chance at all. All the 300 copies were snaped up in weeks, in Hungarian and in Hungary.

Let me react on just a tiny aspect of your substantive contribution. Yes and yes and yes! What else can I say? You are fully right and correct, my friend. This is the usual scenario. If you share knowledge, you educate people. Breadth of view means more interest, and more interest means higher prices. This happened in the case of my book on "KIVÁLÓ" badges as well in Hungary and elsewhere. After publishing it in 1997, the prices on "KIVÁLÓ" badges doubled or even tripled in some cases in some months. But, nevertheless, I think this is my (our) mission to spread knowledge. And we will do, I hope… cimbineus

"KIVÁLÓ" badges in motor/transportation troops:

"KIVÁLÓ" badges in infantry:

Gents, Tomorrow, 23rd October is the Hungarian National Day. We celebrate the 53rd anniversary of the Revolution of 1956. To mark this day I decided to share with you an arty picture taken from an extremely rare Hungarian order from 1947. (There were 16 awards made only!) cimbineus

Well, as far as the "S" mark is concerned, I think, nowadays it is almost impossible to see a single object having that mark. The reasons are obvious, to my mind. If the leadership of the plant was lucky, they had the chance to correct their mistakes. They took back the product and eliminated it as quickly as they could. In other cases, products marked with "S" served as evidences before court-martial and were eliminated after the process.

Hello hunyadi, Good stuff, congratulations! This is an interesting study. Just a modest contribution from cimbineus: Main Quality Control Department: K Központi (= Central) Clothing Warehouse: R Ruházat (= Clothing) Health Institute: E Egészségügy (= Healthcare) Animal Health Institute: A Állatorvosi (= Veterinary) Cartography Institute: T Térképészet (= Cartography) Vehicle Warehouse: G Gépjármű (= Motor vehicle) Train Warehouse: V Vonat (= Train) Technical Engineering Warehouse: M Műszaki (= Technical) Signals Warehouse: H Hiradó (= Communication) Weapons Warehouse: F Fegyverzet (= Weaponry) Ammunition Warehouse: L Lőszer (= Ammunition) Formally, of course, you see the same "L", but the meaning is different. Here "L" stand for "Légierők (= Air Forces) "E" here stands for "Ellenőrzőtt" which, as you said, means controlled. The only letter I cannot see here is "S", which was to designate the totally unusable end-products (Selejt = refuse or spoilage) and usually provoked serious consequences, quite often the dismissal of the leadership of the plant or even imprisonment. cimbineus

Gents, Here is a photograph showing this medal. Regards, cimbineus