Bob

Mostly not - rather frustratingly. I suspect these are all modern awards and figured it would be a good opportunity while at the museum a few weeks ago to just take a pic of it all and post it onto GMIC for "the greater benefit". Perhaps an expert can specify what it is that we're actually looking at.

Close up

And you might be thinking, what's that "funny" helmet on these Albanian awards. Well, there's a museum in Vienna where you can see for yourself: the set of arms of Skanderbeg!

Reverse

So, finally started to dabble in the pre-communist Albania(-related) awards. Here's a nice set of miniatures: - United Italy 1848-1918 - Royal Tombs Veteran Guard of Honour Medal - Victory Medal 1918 - Czechoslovakia War Cross 1918 - Albanian Order of Scanderbeg (reverse centre makers plate ?Raviolo e Gardino, Roma?) Could somebody please shed some light on the second medal - what's that exactly for? EDIT: and light came: In 1878, King Vittorio Emanuele II, first king of a united Italy, was buried in the Pantheon in Rome rather than in the family crypt of the Savoy ruling family. On 9 August 1900, his son, King Umberto I was also interred there. A guard of honour drawn from veterans was mounted at the tombs and the medal awarded to participants in recognition of their service.

Near the famous Aden gates, a sign of the old glory days of the Brittish empire. Clearly the royal family isn't much appreciated in Yemen. Surprising this is still left after dozens of years (and quite some Soviet "visitors").

Lots more interesting pics available if anybody's interested... Here's on "on request", from the military museum in Aden (should probably do a seperate thread on the - modern? - yemen orders/medals which were displayed in this museum... LOTs of them!).

Is it just me, or does that name sound Russian? Would be very interesting to get the translation of the reasons for awarding! :jumping:

yes, exactly. In normal good condition, without documents.

Huh? I mean for a real one. Don't have a scan.

No Bingo I was really referring to a transitional model which was essentially IDENTICAL to the classic one, just missing the CCCP on the banner at the bottom. Maybe Alexei Merezhko knows more on this, understand he was focussing on figuring out the different types of this award.

What's the reasonable market rate for one of these right now? Thanks

I'd like to see this as well (although I won't have much to add I'm afraid). Have been putting all my books from storage into cabinets in new house past days and came across some old auction catalogues. Before I knew it, i was reading through them... and noticed a transitional period Order of Friendship (without the CCCP on it but same design) - this would fall into the forum as well?

I don't believe only posting activity should be the criteria on which to decide whether or not a dedicated place on the forum is possible or not. While I appreciate an "other" bucket can always be useful, I've also noticed that simply providing a dedicated area (Mongolia is an example, Albania another one) helps to bring more focus and structure to relatively unserved interests... subsequently attracting more people and hus creating a wider knowledge base than if posts would just be scattered.

May be quiet in this part of the forum for some time now, but surprise surprise Alexei has put some new stuff up on his site again! Wake up everybody - wintersleep is over :cheers: