Bob

http://gmic.co.uk/uploads/monthly_05_2012/post-679-0-58829000-1336087204.jpghttp://gmic.co.uk/uploads/monthly_05_2012/post-679-0-01151100-1336087213.jpg http://gmic.co.uk/uploads/monthly_05_2012/post-679-0-58829000-1336087204.jpghttp://gmic.co.uk/uploads/monthly_05_2012/post-679-0-01151100-1336087213.jpg Second, a 1984 one with a plastic cover added to it – so probably important enough that it needed to be kept safe against wear and tear? On the reverse is a note included in Mongolian – maybe give some more clues?

http://gmic.co.uk/uploads/monthly_05_2012/post-679-0-58829000-1336087204.jpghttp://gmic.co.uk/uploads/monthly_05_2012/post-679-0-01151100-1336087213.jpg Second, a 1984 one with a plastic cover added to it – so probably important enough that it needed to be kept safe against wear and tear? On the reverse is a note included in Mongolian – maybe give some more clues?

First, a “diploma” in French for what appears to be some kind of peace medal and awarded by the “conseil mondial de la paix”. It is a commemorative medal (I only have the document) for the 30th anniversary of this organization in 1980. "The World Peace Council (WPC) is an international organization that advocates universal disarmament, sovereignty and independence and peaceful co-existence, and campaigns against imperialism, weapons of mass destruction and all forms of discrimination. It was founded in 1950, emerging from the policy of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union to promote peace campaigns around the world in order to oppose "warmongering" by the USA. Its first president was the eminent physicist Frédéric Joliot-Curie. It was based in Helsinki from 1968 to 1999 and its headquarters are now in Greece." Good old fashioned cold war rhetoric on wikipedia:D http://en.wikipedia....d_Peace_Council

A whole stack of documents – will highlight a few as it is a pain to photograph them all. Roughly, the list is as follows (not sure if this is entirely correct): 1. Honored meritorious person certificate of the Mongolian People’s Revolutionary Party 2. Certificate of -----//-----------------badge 3.--------//-------------- meritorious person certificate 4. Certificate of honored pioneer 5. Certificate of honored badge of 70th anniversary for border protection authority 6. Certificate of honored badge of Mongolian organizations of peace and friendship 7. Certificate of honored badge of 60th anniversary of People’s Education 8. Strict declaration of association for assisting defense of People’s Republic of Mongolia 9. Certificate of honored warrior 10. Certificate of Mongolian Red Cross 11. Certificate of honored badge of state civil defense 12. Certificate of Parliament group 13. Certificate of honored badge of the Association for assisting the state defense 14 Certificate of badge of United Nations 15. Certificate of letter of remembrance and badge 16. Strict declaration of membership of Mongolian Trade Unions 17. -----//----------------------------------- 18. Certificate of deputy of Great Khural 19. Certificate of honored pioneer Some interesting ones will get some pics in later posts.

http://gmic.co.uk/uploads/monthly_05_2012/post-679-0-77521400-1336086573.jpghttp://gmic.co.uk/uploads/monthly_05_2012/post-679-0-33180500-1336086576.jpg 3 passports: one civil passport from 1987, an official one from 1992 (short Uighur script revival?) and an official one from 2005. Interesting as it contains pictures of Jamyan (of course) and visas. Even long after he was retired and Mongolia had become a democracy, he was still travelling to Vietnam, North Korea, China, etc. – continuing to maintain good relations and on official government business? Some detail pics of his earliest passport (at least, earliest in my collection) More to come (although i guess detailed award doc scans really is more for the hard core Mongolia collectors). Also possibly more to share in a few weeks... branching further and further out beyond just orders/medals to get a very complete and rich "picture" of this important General.

http://gmic.co.uk/uploads/monthly_05_2012/post-679-0-71123500-1336086317.jpghttp://gmic.co.uk/uploads/monthly_05_2012/post-679-0-31526900-1336086320.jpg Here we have some kind of heavy brass commemorative display to put on a general's desk or cupboard. There is an engraved plate attached to it: "The command of the South Military Unit is showing deep respect and honor to the Mongolian friends. May 19, 1977. Budapest city." Unfortunately not named to Jamyan, but from a reliable source and an indication of the incredible international network Jamyan must have had (before facebook / linkedin!)

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2 polar stars: 1172 awarded in 1935 (as per the doc in my possession) and 1393 (I suspect this is the one for which I have booklet which indicates a polar star being awarded in 1951 but not giving the number). Jamyan was also awarded a third polar star (nr 17340, in 1975) but I do not have this one. The screw plate of the 1393 has the imprint of a soviet medal (an oddity which is discussed in some detail on GMIC) 4 red banner of labor valor all corresponding with entries in booklets in my possession: 1915 awarded in 1961, 4206 awarded in 1971, 4354 awarded in 1974 and 5285 awarded in 1986. Undoubtedly some of which for length of service. Interesting to note is that the red banner nr 1915 which is the screwback ALSO has a screwplate with imprint of a soviet medal. So… Jamyan was awarded with more orders than can be seen on the main pic I posted early in this thread. Imagine translating it to Soviet references: a general awarded a Hero of Labor, who is also a labor order cavalier + a fourth labor order, and then has for arguments sake 3 red banner orders (i.e. polar stars). The volume of awards Jamyan has received is impressive! I just keep hoping that one day I’ll manage to get one (or more) of the three SB’s he was awarded! Yes, in Soviet terms he also received 3 orders of Lenin!

How about an attempt to reunite?

Shared with me by a forum friend, an interview with the daughter of Colonel General Lhagvasuren here. The interview is in Mongolian but over the course of the interview you will see some photos. In one of the photos, you will see a group of Mongolian generals including Baldan http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GRGbSZ7V0zw

http://www.coins-la-galerie-numismatique.com/auction/balcan-collection Online is easier - amazing!

Gentlemen, I would highly recommend you get the catalogue for the March auction at La Galerie Numismatique. The Albanian items being offered there are... breathtaking. For example, one of the few breast stars of the order of courage... in fact, the one which was awarded to Benito Mussolini!

http://www.theprisonerofdurazzo.com/ anybody here read this book? looking to purchase another albania focused history book and this seemed a possibly good one

Very interesting, thanks for posting these pics. May i get the link to the auction house? Thanks

To add to this long thread (many people must like this award:)), here's a nice recent addition to my collection: SB nr 37 (!) Judging by named awards around that number, the recipient of this one was most likely also somebody with some interesting stories to tell... Keeping fingers crossed on potentially getting a name to put behind this SB. My guess, based on where I got it from, is that it was awarded to a Russian - but that's just a guess. http://gmic.co.uk/uploads/monthly_02_2012/post-679-0-80141500-1329390848.jpghttp://gmic.co.uk/uploads/monthly_02_2012/post-679-0-61876900-1329390859.jpg

Had a closer look, on medals 3/4/5 from left I can indeed see a SJ mark although it's very small and faded, right under the neck on front side of the medal.

A Mongolian forum friend noticed Jamyan in a youtube video! It is a documentary on a former Mongolian Ambassador to DPRK. Jamyan is among the Mongolian delegates who participated in the 13th World Youth Festival taking place in DRPK in 1988. I managed to find Jamyan at 12:35 as the heads of the Mongolian delegation are getting off the plane and Jamyan is in the background in his uniform. He should be somewhere else in the video as well, as the heads of the delegation walk to a Mongolian camp. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MHz5_2wTbsM Just thought I'd share - all little bits make the Jamyan story richer and richer:)

Will have a look this evening - didn't take a very close look yesterday and to be honest the little medals are a bit worn and detailing is very small. Don't have a magnifying glass where I am now either. Pretty amazing really the level of craftsmanship which goes into these.

Just in, a nice Italian miniature set, 10 medals mounted on a black silk cord: * Order of the Crown of Italy (founded as a national order in 1868 by King Vittorio Emanuele II, to commemorate the unification of Italy in 1861) * Medal of Military Valor, bronze; * Silver Messina Earthquake Medal 1908; * Messina Earthquake Medal 1908, bronze; * Italo-Turkish War 1911-1912 Silver Medal (hallmarked 800 on reverse in very small letters); medal instituted by Vittorio Emanuele III of Savoy on 21 November 1912 for all civilian personnel and Italian and colonial troops who fought against the Ottoman Empire in the Italo-Turkish War of 1911 to 1912 * War Merit Cross, bronze; * 1915-1918 Campaign Medal, bronze; * United Italy Medal 1848-1918, bronze; * Italian Victory Medal, bronze; * Albania, Order of Skanderberg, silver gilt enameled, maker’s mark from “E. Gardino, Roma” http://gmic.co.uk/uploads/monthly_01_2012/post-679-0-91638500-1327617331.jpghttp://gmic.co.uk/uploads/monthly_01_2012/post-679-0-09571300-1327617348.jpg http://gmic.co.uk/uploads/monthly_01_2012/post-679-0-65279500-1327617362.jpghttp://gmic.co.uk/uploads/monthly_01_2012/post-679-0-65604900-1327617382.jpg

And here the interior of the DPRK doc... it is a document awarded to Jamyan and there is a brief handwritten note in Mongolian on the first page of the booklet. It is the note written by the same person (most probably Jamyan himself) that can be observed on the other foreign award docs. The Mongolian note states "Document for the Order of the National Flag 1st Class of DPRK". Yes, a second booklet for the same award - and all the numbers, dates match! My suspicion is that this booklet may be the original, that Jamyan lost it, had a new one re-issued (with pic) and then found this one again. But that is just a theory. That's all for now, still hoping for more to come my away! http://gmic.co.uk/uploads/monthly_01_2012/post-679-0-71117600-1326758461.jpghttp://gmic.co.uk/uploads/monthly_01_2012/post-679-0-27268400-1326758485.jpg

http://gmic.co.uk/uploads/monthly_01_2012/post-679-0-10638400-1326741867.jpghttp://gmic.co.uk/uploads/monthly_01_2012/post-679-0-26366500-1326741879.jpg Let's see what we have... Red leather covered doc for a Mongolian badge for the Best employee of the MPR Agricultural sector. Then a brown DPRK doc... let's see what's inside!

Here's a nice documented group to Emin Raca with 5 awards: 1. MEDAL OF REMEMBRANCE (IKOM) 2.MEDAL OF LIBERATION 3.MEDAL 10TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE ARMY 4.MEDAL FOR BRAVERY 5.ORDER "RED STAR" - SINGLE CLASS VERSION Emin Raca was born in 1924.