Bob

Yeah, scanning the site he has some very nice items. Also, can't feel bad about a dealer who puts an SB on his front page

While we cannot provide scientific "proof", I hope he doesn't mind his Soyombo being discussed here.

The soyombo offered to me (162) was purported to be part of a group (belonging to an SB which I bought a few weeks ago) but right now there was no document available. Am still hoping the dealer can trace down the award booklet and then we might be getting a step further... Soyombo is an area of concern / curiosity, that's for sure.

Here's the text / pics from the site:

"Hero of Labour, Golden Soyombo, #114. Ref. Batt. #A3.1. Soviet manufacture, 23k gold, early 2 piece construction. Has perfect enamel and shows only small signs

of wear. It was authorized for issue on July 2, 1971. A record number of 32 Soyombos were awarded that year, no doubt as part of the celebrations of the 50th

anniversary of the Revolution of 1921. 20 were authorized on July 2nd, and although research is not possible at this time, according to Khendemleh and

Tomorbaatar's Names of Persons of Outstanding Merit (2007) it may have been awarded to Mr. Damdingiin Sosor. $9500"

I will email the dealer to make him aware of this thread. For educational purposes and overall help to the collecting community, I think it's good to document these interesting cases.

http://gmic.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=3437...mp;#entry322750

Should have posted that in this thread in the first place

Here's another one, offered to me for sale recently

9500$- The price as for two originals!

Hmmm, that price for an original sounds appealing to me then! :cheers:

Both the site, the info AND the pic of Soyombo...

One just like it was offered for sale to me, no line under the number on reverse... hmmm

http://www.thorsonmilitaria.com/Mongolia.html

The Six Month Kingdom: Albania 1914).

Hi Eric - I read that little gem of a book while in Tirana last year. A fun read - both insightful and humorous at times. Makes you wish that you were born a lot earlier in history:)

I've ordered (a long time ago, and STILL waiting for it! every couple of weeks Amazon sends me an email on progress... or rather lack of it) the following book:

Albania as Dictatorship and Democracy (Albania in the Twentieth Century)

by Owen Pearson

It's part of a 3 book series on the history of Albania which - for the Albania enthousiasts - will probably be very warmly received. While I've not yet read it, the praise for the book is certainly very convincing.

How many Albania collectors are out there is a mystery to me... not that many I guess:(

Just read in the Economist about a new book worthy of reading for this interested:

"The Bloody White Baron: The extraordinary story of the Russian nobleman who became the last khan of mongolia" by James Palmer, 288 pages

About Ungern-Sternberg

Yep, let's say around 6000-7000 during the first period (1 certificate = 1 award) and for arguments sake another 7.000 during the second period (decrees will have multiple awards (impossible to say how often this occured, not many award doc's and even more rare to find them with same decree nr) but there'll also be decress on topics nothing to do with awards... which would imply potentially 15.000 awardings.

If we assume the third period is post-socialist then we have a decent guesstimate for the area of our collecting interest. Best thing would be: more documents, and research! :jumping:

Stealing from an email exchange with the captain:

Until 1949

- All awards were given by certificate number ( no decree )

- Observed numbers range from 1686 to 5473

- One certificate number = one award

Starting 1950

- Awards were given by a decree number (no more certificates) with one decree corresponding to many awards and thus also awarded persons

- It appears the decrees started to be numbered fresh again rather than continue from the last known certificate number

- Open question: decree numbers ONLY relate to awards or are also interspersed with decrees e.g. to build a bridge somewhere, defend against the pending invasion of Albania by foreign powers, etc.?

- A known example is medal for bravery and medal of liberation given to the same person with the same decree number 1948 date 25.10.1954

- Based on my list, roughly 7000 of these decree numbers (thus a multitide of actual awardings but unclear how many)

Starting ?

- One decree corresponding with one award

http://gmic.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=9341

A VERY different numbering style and also the screwplate is interesting. Interesting! :speechless:

To be correct, it's the first time the order has been awarded to an INDIVIDUAL in 50 years. A few years ago a Polish unit was awarded the order (but this was a very, very belated awarding for WW2 efforts).

I read elsewhere that there's also 1 US recipient still alive and 2 British. Any body with details?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_William_Order

Currently (2009) only eight Knights of the Military William Order are still alive and all of them are over 75 years of age. Well, we have a youngster added soon!

And here's the official site:

http://www.lintjes.nl/_en/militaire_willemsorde/index.html

http://www.telegraaf.nl/binnenland/3220411...nd__.html?p=3,2

Sorry - in Dutch!

A Dutch commando fighting in Afghanistan.

Hello Elmar,

Could you show a scan of your award in the relevant thread please? It's the highest numbered one I've heard of so am curious.

I will leave it to the captain to give us hope for research :cheers:

Thanks Artan - excellent piece of info "from the source" which confirms that truly awarded orders/medals are very very few and therefore the documents are quite rare (and a lot of the awards on the market are actually left over stock). For Albania orders/medals enthusiasts, this'll be the next area of focus I suspect - getting the award documents which (hopefully) allow for research in the (military) archives at some point.

OK, the category MINING AND ENERGY badge L 08 - Mongolian oiler (МОНГОЛ НЕФТЬЧ)

sorry - that group is stored away safely without easy access

Don't have my battushig handy, do you mean the interior of the top document in the last set of 3?

Anybody with additional data points? :rolleyes:

http://gmic.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=748&...unit+9999\

The power of search

And... the signature is from a bit of a "operate in the dark" kind of guy so it seems...

Rubin

Iosif Grigorevich, Lieutenant-General

(1895 ? 1954)

1938 - 1939Commanding Officer 3rd Rifle Division

1940 - 19432nd First Deputy Head of Main Intelligence Directorate GRU

1953 Head of Main Intelligence Directorate GRU

Thanks!

Not much, but still nice to know:)

http://gmic.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=5226...20&start=20

See the documented group (that is, group of documents:)) of Zhukov medal, a mongolian award and a victory medal to one and the same person (mongolian?) - am curious who signed it, any clue?

thanks :cheers: