Bob

Thanks - I'll be doing a big update coming weekend. Anything you throw at me, I'll put in. It's very interesting to see patterns in awarding sometimes. Although, to be honest, it raises more questions than it answers. Makes you wish you could read old newspapers to figure out the significance of certain dates.

Combat Red Banner - forgot to write down the number and the auction's ended

No problem, these are public domain numbers as far as I am concerned. Maybe good to refer to GMIC though (whatever gets more Mongolia enthusiasts over here). Here's my up to date list for SB (with some additions on the low end related to a special Partisan): Order of Suche Baatar 1 1941 Order of Suche Baatar 24 1946 Order of Suche Baatar 31 1949 Order of Suche Baatar 48 17/10/1951 Order of Suche Baatar 86 26/05/1955 Order of Suche Baatar 114 29/12/1955 Order of Suche Baatar 158 24/10/1957 Order of Suche Baatar 166 29/05/1957 Order of Suche Baatar 186 6/07/1960 Order of Suche Baatar 242 24/12/1959 Order of Suche Baatar 340 1961 Order of Suche Baatar 341 1961 Order of Suche Baatar 342 1961 Order of Suche Baatar 343 1961 Order of Suche Baatar 344 1961 Order of Suche Baatar 383 27/10/1961 Order of Suche Baatar 423 28/11/1962 Order of Suche Baatar 470 13/12/1963 Order of Suche Baatar 500 18/05/1965 Order of Suche Baatar 541 1966 Order of Suche Baatar 542 1966 Order of Suche Baatar 558 1966 Order of Suche Baatar 586 1968 Order of Suche Baatar 588 1968 Order of Suche Baatar 589 1968 Order of Suche Baatar 591 1968 Order of Suche Baatar 605 13/06/1968 Order of Suche Baatar 612 10/11/1968 Order of Suche Baatar 642 12/08/1969 Order of Suche Baatar 684 15/10/1969 Order of Suche Baatar 692 1969 Order of Suche Baatar 695 18/12/1969 Order of Suche Baatar 747 12/03/1971 Order of Suche Baatar 803 5/07/1971 Order of Suche Baatar 885 2/07/1971 Order of Suche Baatar 919 1971 Order of Suche Baatar 922 1971 Order of Suche Baatar 923 1971 Order of Suche Baatar 924 1971 Order of Suche Baatar 925 1971 Order of Suche Baatar 927 1971 Order of Suche Baatar 928 1971 Order of Suche Baatar 931 1971 Order of Suche Baatar 932 1971 Order of Suche Baatar 933 1971 Order of Suche Baatar 937 1971 Order of Suche Baatar 989 1973 Order of Suche Baatar 1.123 1975 Order of Suche Baatar 1.255 14/12/1975 Order of Suche Baatar 1.335 1978 Order of Suche Baatar 1.404 22/10/1980 Order of Suche Baatar 1.412 2/12/1980 Order of Suche Baatar 1.462 8/06/1981 Order of Suche Baatar 1.463 1981 Order of Suche Baatar 1.465 1981 Order of Suche Baatar 1.491 9/07/1981 Order of Suche Baatar 1.530 1981 Order of Suche Baatar 1.532 1981 Order of Suche Baatar 1.548 1981 Order of Suche Baatar 1.562 1981 Order of Suche Baatar 1.715 1986 Order of Suche Baatar 1.770 11/11/1989 Order of Suche Baatar 1.934 23/10/1996

Updated my serials numbers spreadsheet and it's amazing how the awarding of the SB's progressed: - first 100: took almost 15 years - next 100: took roughly 5 years - next 100: took around 1 year!

Collectrussia has one for sale for a hefty 3.800, and provides a very good description which I think would also be relevant for this thread: "Hero of Labor of Romanian Socialist Republic, 1970s - mid 1980s. The star is in 14 K gold; suspension device in silver gilt. The star medallion measures 27.4 mm in width, 29.9 mm in height including the eyelet; 13.2 g total weight with suspension. The suspension shows hallmarks of Romanian State Mint and stamped serial number "206"; the pin of the suspension is also hallmarked and maker marked. In excellent condition. Shows no wear or scratches to the gold, the details are beautifully crisp. The suspension shows attractive patina to silver. The title of Hero of Labor was established in 1965. Only 298 Type 1 medals in gold have been issued prior to mid 1980s, when this version was replaced by a gold medal without serial number and with three stripes on the suspension ribbon. The Type 1 gold medals were reportedly awarded exclusively to VIPs whereas the rank and file party members were given the gilded brass version (approximately 600 of the latter have been issued during the same period). "

Nr 164 (researchable? ) with an ingenious connector on the reverse of the suspension

I don't collect Romanian awards but have a hard time resisting cased, numbered, hero awards

Yummy

Pretty nice track record: Honorary medal of combat Polar star 40 years medal Order of the Red Banner of Combat Valor SB

Finally managed to get my hands on a documented SB, and it's a screwback, nr 747

And here's the herder badge thread: http://gmic.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=5229...t=0&start=0

Hi KDVR - welcome to the Mongolia forum! Rather than posting new threads, I suggest you search for the right thread covering this award first. It contains a large amount of info which probably answers most if not all of your questions (and more!). If you then add your scans to that big thread it'll help to keep all relevant information together in one thread which makes it easier for us all to learn. Date / serial number thread http://gmic.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=9917...40&start=40

No, a Mongolian red banner. Perhaps the reason why the price was shooting up :cheers:

For the record, on eBay there's an Order of the Red banner with such a soviet-medal sourced screwplate.

thanks to Ed i don't have to wait for the recently ordered book to arrive From Owen Lattimore's Nomads and Commissars (pp. 18-19), at the 1961 Naadam in Ulanbaatar - Hmmm - must have had a VERY interesting life this Sodnomdarjaa!

Lots of very, very interesting research to do on Sodnomdarjaa although it'll probably be difficult. To add to a previous post on raids into no-mans land... here's what Sodnomdarjaa was possibly involved with: "In the fall of 1922, Sukebator, the MNP war minister, succeeded in having Dambijantsan killed in his own castle. The officer who got in and shot him had to bring the severed head to Uliasutai to prove that such a man had really died" http://books.google.be/books?id=-XUx_vS52j...snum=7#PPR25,M1 Whether it was Sodnomdarjaa who did the above is not known for sure. I'm hoping/waiting for a better scan of the Voroshilov document. In any case, Sodnomdarjaa appears to played a role in ehmm some 'purges' (all in the interest of the Mongolian independence of course). At risk of getting here's a pic of Dambijantsan

Had dinner with two Russian ladies this evening, good moment to get a translation of the document Will have to try to get a better copy as the most important part of the text is illegible. "Revolutionary Military Committee of the USSR The Central Executive Committee of the USSR rewards Sodnom-Darja for special distinctio in combat against the enemies of the socialist motherland xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx with the Order of the Red Banner, symbol of the socialist revolution. To confirm the above, this certificate is given by the Revolutionary Military Committee of the USSR and this certificate is issued. Peoples Komissar of Military & Marine Affairs of the Revolutionary Military Committee of the USSR, K. Voroshilov" the 'xxxxx' is a small but important piece of text which is poorly legible. I'll try to play with it to make it readable.

Sodnomdarja's awards are: Russian: Order of Red Banner Victory over Japan Medal (not 100% sure) Mongolian: Order of Sukhbaatar (2x) Order of Red Banner for Labour Valor Order of Red Banner for Combat Valor Order of Combat Merit Honorary Medal of Combat (2x) Polar Star (2x) Medal We Won Medal 25 Years of MPR Deputy badge (not 100% sure) Badge for 15th Anniversary of the Mongolian Revolution I'll be posting pics of his orders booklets soon. What's interesting to note is that the dates for above awards suggest that his Mongolian Red Banner for Combat Valor and 2x Medal of Combat were actually awarded for combat operations. The Order of Red Banner for Combat Valor for instance has a date of 1921 in his orders book... (presumably implying 1931).

Another picture (enlarged, but his red banner - both russian and mongolian - are clear)... more to come

Yep, apparently Voroshilov personally presented the 4 Red Banners during a visit to Mongolia. I'm hoping to receive a photograph of this. Please PM me your email address and will send a better scan.

Apparently all in all 17 Orders of the Red Banner were awarded to Mongolians (I'm not sure if this means "ever" or just of the early orders or... ). This specific one in this thread was part of an awarding of 4 Red Banners to key Mongolian revolutionary leaders. Ed's picture posted earlier should provide an interesting clue... Once I've got everything in my hands, I'll be posting quite a bit more and by then perhaps this thread should move to "researched awards" or in fact to the Mongolia forum (I know, it's a soviet award... but still )