Dolf

Feel free to contact me privately, I might be able to help on your quest. PM sent. Dolf

"SB's with that low numbers aren't on the market often, and certainly not at sane prices. E.g. collectrussia now as nr 607 for sale for 4900,- USD." Right. I know. "In my eyes, that's really excessive in the current market..." Well, imho if it wasn't the global crisis, the current market price would probably be higher... "...there are still 1-2 items for which I'd break the bank... a type 1 Polar Star for example." Imho most probably the nicest Mongolian Order, with A 1 (Dr. Battushig's reference) following it very closely. Dolf

"Type 2 - I have taken my 420 (which can be traced back to the most reliable dealer possible in UB)..." I count 4 different hands, him (you mention above), me, a Chinese dealer, you... not counting the awardee, and maybe the possible "middle man", the one who got it from the awardee and sold it to the UB dealer you mention. Now, whatching back, I guess this Order have always been my less favorite, among all Mongolian Orders... Not sure why, probably just personal taste or so Just curious, you got it boxed? It was boxed when I got it and when it was gone. Dolf

WOW! Man, that is the largest stock of S-Bs I've ever seen all reunited in one single hand!!! Just to check if I still have "eagle eyes" for these things: the "ugly thing" you mention (one of those recent ones, right?) is the one on top (at 12 o'clock) right? "I guess (not sure off top of my head) they are still awarded. If they are, it still leaves the question: are they awarding "classic" SB's (using up old stock) or are they issuing new ones?" Good question. Well, if only guessing what would have been logical (or at least seems logical to me), they would have probably awarded the "classic" ones until the stock was over, then started awarding the "ugly" ones (I only had one once for a short period in my hands, then returned back to the source; ugly thing indeed!). Don't have that info anymore, I'm sure it will help if you know (and I'm sure you do) the date the new ones have been manufactured. And then "la cerise sur le gâteau" would be knowing the date they started being awarded. But of course not eveything is logical, so sure other options are possible. "And how many of those "classic" SB's are out there?" You mean in collectors' hands? If so, you alone have these nine (amazing ), plus you count at least two for each of most hardcore collectors known here, plus one-two for some of those guys we all know from where they are sold (eBay, other auctions, private dealers, etc), plus those sitting on dealers sites right now, and I guess you get a good idea of the actual number. If you mean not only all these mentioned above, but also those still in their real (by merit, after all) owners' hands, the awardees, then the highest known/reported S/Ns would help. "Are the new ones identical to the classic ones?" In which way? Sure not in quality, as we already know. Prestige? Guess in some cases still the same as before (imho probably most of those awarded to civilian, either artists, or all other cases), but obviously if you got it for deeds that took place in the old war days, or if you got it more recently, still for military, for 50 years in the Army or so... imho not the same prestige... "From your post, it would appear that your 2006 is an awarded one then..." Would be my guess, but who knows? Your next question partially asks this one. "...but it still leaves the question of when the bank thing happened and unawarded ones came on the market" I've already known that, just can't remember it now. That's an easy info for you to get, just ask... you know... "Also, updated list of SB's which I am actively looking for..." Wow! If one day you manage to get them all, that would make 15 S-Bs in your hands... Sorry, as far as I remember none of those have been in my hands, nor do I remember seing one of them around... Dolf

"...or is it maybe a non-awarded one?" Bob, aren't these still being awarded nowadays? Well, at least that's the info I had a couple of years ago directly from the source... unless that changed in the meantime. When I bought #2006, back in 2004 I guess, it was already out there, years before the bank thing... Cheers, Dolf

Hi, 1- I believe it's called "Medalha da Cruz Vermelha Portuguesa" (Portuguese Red Cross Medal). 2- I believe it's the "4º Grau" (4th Grade) Medal. The 4th Grade is called "Cruz Vermelha de dedicação" (Red Cross of dedication?) Despite the fact it has a "roseta" (the roset was apparently only used for the 1st and 2nd Grade; not sure if a 1st or 2nd Grade roset, as the only difference is the size, the roset being slightly larger on the 1st Grade Medal), I believe it's a 4th Grade Medal. My opinion is based on the fact the 1st Grade it's not really a Medal, but a Badge/Breast Star, called "Placa de Honra" (Plate of Honor), the 2nd Grade has a kind of 4 pointed circle (points at 1:30, 4:30, 7:30 and 10:30) behind the Medal (never saw one but it could be a 2 pieces Medal), and the suspension of the 3rd Grade Medal is different from the one in your Medal (not a circle but a laurel wreath instead). The 4th Grade Medal is awarded to people who become a for life member of the Society. There are 8 Grades of this award. I'm not sure about dates, but it seems the 1st Grade was created on May,7,1908 (sorry, not sure about this, as apparently it existed before, so a bit confused about dates). 3- Check the usual dealers of this kind of awards, such as Liverpool Medals in GB and Emedals in Canada. Dolf

And the front of the same piece:

"Type 1.1 (screwback, USSR-made) - Low = 200; High = 49326" Ed, I believe the lowest S/N should be corrected, as I happen to (still) have S/N 106 in my collection. Thanks, Dolf EDIT: Just in case a proof is needed here is a pic, Mr Haynes.

"(A 32.2/M 12.2) -- Type 2.2 (Screwback; downward-curved МОНЕТНЫЙ ДВОР mintmark; Uighur; SN directly below screwpost); Low = 1151, High = 2789; 1941-??" Ed, I believe this Type is not a A 32.2, but a A 32.1 instead, right? A 32.2 has the inscription in the front in Cyrillic, not Uighur. "(A 33.3/M 12.4) -- Type 4.1 (Pinback, silver); Low = 15074, High = 30409; 1970-2003" As for this one, isn't it a A 32.3 instead? "(A 33.4) -- Type 4.2 (pinback, bronze); Low = 31835, High = 39785; 2003? (A 33.4) -- Type 4.3 (pinback, bronze, no serial number)" Same with these, aren't they A 32.4 instead? The A 33 series is for the Mother Heroine series I believe. Thanks, Dolf

"Type 1.2 (as above, but with Cyrillic ?B? mintmark) - Low = 1332; High = 1955" Ed, could you please examplify this? Where is that Cyrillic "B" located? And is that a kind of "B" but as if seen in a mirror, usually seen together with a perfect circle, as for example the one shown on Post #48 on this thread? Asking because if that's the case I happen to (still) have S/N 2015, shown somewhere on another thread. Thanks, Dolf

Jorge, Obrigado I remember seing only the 1st or the 2nd piece from the newspaper collection, man it was so tiny and so bad looking quality that I bought none of those How does the Peninsular War Cross looks like, btw? Same design as the traditional War Cross? Don't remember ever seing one of those! Thanks, Dolf

Ol? Jorge, Have you bought or seen any of those replicas from the collection of the "Revista Militar"? Notice that on the other collection they also mentioned the replicas were finished in gold and silver I'm not sure if the size they mention in the descriptions on the link are from the replicas or the real Orders! Best, Dolf

Hi Jaime, Welcome aboard. Very nice figures indeed! Which scale are they? Dolf

This is the site from the Chinese dealer to whom I sold both that boxed Golden Soyombo #420 as well as one ORBCV #2. Both pics with a red foam background are originally mine btw and have been posted here, on another Forum and on eBay quite some time ago. This is the guy from whom Bob bought the Golden Soyombo. As for what is writen in Chinese, either "Sold" or anything else I have no idea! Dolf

Re-salut Christophe, I don't know, I haven't checked the others, only the 1st one and as I wasn't convinced with that one... Je sais, c'?tait juste pour rigoler Cheers, Dolf