Hauptmann

Yes - here is the specific DSM we talked about.

Hi Charles,

Outstanding! Just what I need. PM sent.

Dan

Really cool stuff Hunyadi!

What else did a person get with the Restoration medal?

Is it possible to obtian photos of these in wear at all?

I got this yesterday off ebay. Any idea what it might be at all?

Thanks-

Hi Ulster,

Now I really like that one... got that green enamel thing going and green is my favorite color! And cased to boot! Love cases too!!!!

Great find no matter what it turns out to be.

Dan

Wehrmacht Veterans pins (post war)

10 Years (in russian prison camps)

HOW MUCH LONGER

Hi Naxos,

Wow... you can really feel the pain of these troops kept for so long from their homeland. So many went in... so few returned. Must have been absolute agony! I've seen so many of the German troops in defeat in pics and documentary footage and this piece really captures that look and feeling quite well.

Never seen another one like it. Great piece!

Again thanks so much for sharing these.

Dan

Thank you Hauptmann - here is a Reiterabzeichen stickpin

Hi Naxos,

You're quite welcome. And another absolute beauty! Stunning!

Dan

pre 1934 Sportabzeichen

Hi Naxos,

Wow, now that's a beautiful piece! Certainly a prize to hang onto. Thanks so much for sharing.

Dan

Charles, welcome to the forum

Thats a really nice badge, Dan. Looks, like you started with the rarest version, congrats

Hi Gerd,

Many thanks for the compliment. Sure is nice to start at the top for a change and then worry about the common stuff! It always seems to be the other way round.

Dan

Notice the difference in color? The earlier style - awarded between 1954-1956 was only bestowed 5,375 times. The latter (1957) was bestowed 37,619 times. After 1964 when Service Awards were created (for specific lengths of time 10,15,20,25,30,35&40 years) the Metorious Service Medal remained but was awarded for specific work over a period of time.

Hi Charles,

I take it the one to the left is the type you were discussing in your last PM? If so that's definitely the one. Assuming the cases are similar as well?

Will keep my fingers crossed.

Oh, and I love the deeper blue enamel on the other one!

Thanks,

Dan

I don't know if this fits into the right time period or not, but this is one that I had in my collection at one time. The Order of the Flag of the People's Republic of Hungary. This one was awarded to Chief Marshal of Aviation Aleksandr Koldunov.

Hi Dave,

I'm in love again! Absolutely gorgeous!!!!

Dan

yes it has it all

Hi Charles,

Another fan! Hey, I love your avatar! Great choice!!

Dan

As promised, here's the award document and medal. The document is in the normal Polish hard red booklet and is dated 27 July 1983 (if I got my Polish months correct) - the medal was established in 1981.

Cheers,

Eric

Hi Eric,

Many thanks for posting them. Great looking set. Of the few Polish awards I have none have documentation. So hoping someday to be able to go that route with any new awards I pick up down the road.

Dan

Hello

I can sympathise with those nagging doubts. So, after much carefull consideration I've decided to help you out. Simply post that EK to me and you won't have to worry over it ever again !!

Seriously Dan, as you've been told already, it's a good one - and a nice one as well

Hi David,

Sorry for any confusion... I'd actually just reposted the pics because my originals were not the greatest... they were taken with my digital camera. So now that I have my scanner I've had a few select items including this one that I wanted to do scans and post them to show more details... in this case more for enjoyment and possibly anyone who wanted to see more details.

Believe me, when I got the thumbs up on my original posts that was good enough for me. But I'm always happy for more confirmation so I do deeply appreciate your additional confirmation. In such instances more is always better.

And many thanks for your compliment. She's a pretty old girl and I love her more today than I did when I got her.

Thanks much,

Dan

Hi all,

Some beautiful and well designed pieces here. I think this is another area that hasn't come into it's own yet. But I have seen alot more Vietnam related awards on Ebay these last couple of years. I still tend to shy away from them myself as far as collecting them. I grew up with that war on the TV every day and evening on the news plus in the papers, etc. Felt like I was surrounded by it. And to be honest felt it would go on so long that I too would end up going over to serve. And yet when it ended I'll never forget that there was really no reaction in the public over it... at least from my perspective as a kid. I remember riding the bus to school that day... nothing! And after all those years of studying WWI and WWII and seeing how they had all the ticker tape parades and celebrations... people gathering together to cheer the fact that the war was over. But with Vietnam... nothing! Granted it didn't end well for us but you would have thought there would be some kind of reaction.

Perhaps we were all just far too numb at that stage to feel very much at that point in time.

But I've never been able to bring myself to collect any, especially North Vietnamese pieces. Just too many bad vibes from all those years ago.

Dan

Slippery slopes.....Slippery slopes

Hi Larry,

Yup... just what I need! Another slippery slope. Methinks Kim and Nick would shoot me out of a rather large cannon.

Dan

Here is a rare one - Order of the Red Star. Post 1956 version (dont have my reference in front of me) but about 1600 ever awarded. This one is mint and was probably manufactured in the 1970's.

Hi Charles,

Great piece! The red/gold combination really stands out on this one and love the flag at the bottom... just adds that touch of additional color to it.

Thanks for sharing this one.

Dan

Hello - first post - here goes -

This is a very rare variant of the Excellent Workers Badge (over 300 variants from 1949-1991) This is an early 1949 to possibly 1952 excelent workers badge given to individulas who worked for the Hungarian Military Sports organization. Could have been a manager, coach, program director, etc... What makes this even more unique is the letter and number combination. This was the first method of numbering Hungarian badges, but was quickly phased out by 1950 as it was deemed just too complex of a system. By 1954 almost all forms of Workers Badges were awarded without serial numbers. The case is of interest as it is a later verison 1952-55 era. You an tell this by the patterned paper bottom scuff pad. This is seen oncases until 1956 - after just plain red leatherette or for some workers badges - just bare white cardboard. This type of case is not however unique to the badge as several sport related badges followed the recessed pattern. It is probable that the badge was made in 1949 or early 1950; sat in the warehouse and then was later matched up with the case and then awarded in the mid 1950's. Unfortunatly - there is little resources to research the badge as records of such are long lost and in all probability the badge was awarded with a document that had a serial number that had nothing to do with the badge.

However you can tell that this is early quality as the enamel is near WW2 standards.

Had I said its rare - its probably one of only a handful that are not in a Hungarian landfill.

Regards

CD

Hi Charles,

I deeply appreciate your help on this and all this great additional info. Looks like I really lucked out on this one.

Thanks so much!

Dan

Hi Ed & Paul,

Well, I guess it is what it is... a shame it was ever damaged. I guess it's all in the way one looks at it and from which side of the collecting fence. For me this, along with several other areas I've dabbled in were sidelines and not something I specialized in. To me, from the photos I've seen it looked as though it was just missing the piece with the jewels. And as the holes are there it seemed to me as though it would be an easy repair if one could obtain the proper piece.

Sad to say it looks as if it's consigned to be a curiosity and still one of only two Japanese awards I own. Perhaps someday I'll be able to delve a bit deeper into this area of the hobby and build up that portion of my collection a bit. Lord knows I'd certainly love to be able to do just that.

But thank you both for all your help.

She might be hobbling on one leg but I still love her.

Dan

I apologize if this is off topic, but this subject is becoming very interesting to me.

Can anybody recommend an English language book or other source with a significant section on Hungarian People's Republic awards?

Hi Keith,

I don't know if I'd consider it off topic... at least not too far off. It's a very legitimate question regarding reference material for the types of awards we're dealing with here. I wish I could help you but frankly this is one of those areas I've been flying by the skin of my teeth in.

I'm not aware of any reproductions in this area but I'm far from being an expert. I know we do have experts here on the forum who I hope will jump in and help out. I don't believe this area of collecting has come into it's own yet. Even in my collecting... I'm mostly into Soviet and DDR but I do collect other Warsaw Pact countries as well... such as Bulgaria and of course Hungary.

They're certainly beautiful awards with lovely enamels and well worth building a collection around.

Best of luck and hope to see you posting new acquisitions as you begin to get them. And I'm sure one of the other members will have recommendations for you regarding reference materials.

Dan

The only accurate type of fake I've seen, with the correct eagle.

Hi Gordon,

Nice one! I do love that eagle as well as the overall coloring. Beautiful!

Thanks for posting this one.

Dan

Hi Dan,

Great scans and thanks for following up--I was really curious to see what the third medal was from the earlier round of photos. So, here's what I deciphered; they're all service and/or campaign medals, so they read (in the order that you posted them):

'For service in Tajikistan' (think we already knew this one)

'For service on the border' (this is the one we couldn't make out before)

'For service in the Caucasus'

So...my initial hunch was wrong on that second one, and it's not for service in a particular region. Not all sectors or border districts have their own campaign medals, so I'm pretty sure that the second medal is a semi-generic one for service in one of the other, 'quieter' districts like the Far East, Pacific or Northwest. In that regard, I did find it interesting that the second one had no swords (unlike the other two), and a wreath device instead, so I guess that would also tend to backup my 'quiet sector' service hunch.

Either way--great trio! I can't imagine that there are too many more you're missing (if at all!)

Gaffken

Hi Gaffken,

Thanks so much for all the help on these. And your theory sounds good to me. But I have seen some similar Russian Federation medals with the eagles, etc. on them but for service in other specific areas, etc. They pop up on Ebay on occassion. Next time I see one I'll either try to get it or failing that I'll save the pics and info and pass it along. In fact if you're intro'd I'd be happy to pass the auction along to you if I'm unable to buy... which more often than not seems to be the case. I guess I'd be termed a "bottom feeder" much of the time... picking up little stuff for cheap when I can't afford the big stuff. But I've also been extremely blessed in finding some really great pieces, some rare and worth a good bit, for fairly cheap prices.

Anyhow let me know and I'll be happy to let you know if I see any.

Thanks,

Dan

Military Merit Medal: 1957-89 version, only for members of the military:

Hi Ulster,

Oooooh!!!! That's actually the one I'd wanted when I ended up getting the Labor one. I have a reference on Imperial Russian and Soviet awards which was the first ref. I got on the subject. Towards the back they have some pics and descriptions of some Warsaw Pact awards. That's where I fell in love with this one and it's beautiful blue enamel. It's also where I got hooked on the DDR army service medals... the ones with the airman, sailor and soldier pictured on the obverse that come in bronze, silver and gold. They showed the silver version and I fell in love. Now I have several and am always on the lookout for more at a good price.

I envy you this one. Hope to find one for my pile one of these days. They seem to pop up on Ebay on occassion. I actually just missed one shortly after I got my labor one... and from the same seller. By the time he listed it I was short again and couldn't go for it. But I know there's one out there with my name on it.

Thanks for posting this one!

Dan

Last but not least, here's page 8 with the rest of section IV.

If anyone is interested in seeing the award document, let me know and I'll post it.

Cheers,

Eric

Hi Eric,

Sadly I can't help with the Polish... but I'd certainly love to see the award document as I'm sure would the rest of the membership. Great doc... a shame about the missing pages. Perhaps they were deliberately removed to keep something from being disclosed about this individual?

Dan

sent you a pm Caotain! NICE badge.

Below is zinc Sztahanovista workers' badge with no serial #. Awarded in 1954 this type was phased out shortly thereafter. Look at the enamel work-superb!

Hi Ulster,

Wow! Very nice indeed! I love the blues and candy apple reds they used on so many of their awards and badges. Really stands out.

Hope you'll post the back too.

And thanks again for all your help on mine. Can't wait to hear more... excitement, tingle!

Dan

Dan, Congrats. If you got this badge from one of Torsten's .99 Cent auctions you got it from a very reputable dealer. There are dozens of different types of these Stasi ID pins out there. Kevin

Hi Kevin,

Actually got it from a Steven Haehnel (berlinbvg) up in Washington State. He has a 229 feedback that's 100% positive so no fears on that account. It was .99 on the bid and .99 shipping but I upped it to Priority Mail with tracking and insurance as I want to take no chances with this one.

Keeping my fingers crossed that it gets here before too long.

Thanks,

Dan

A rough guide to prices of cased Sacred Treasures, based on lowest prices between Japan and elsewhere, would be as follows : -

1st Class : $3,000 upwards

2nd Class : $1,400 - 2,000

3rd Class : $600 - 800

4th Class : $400 - 500

5th Class : $300 - 350

6th Class : $150 - 180

7th Class : $60 - 80

8th Class : $30 - 45

Meiji awards will tend to be more expensive. These are a very rough guide, especially at the upper end. Japanese orders tend to jump in price quite a bit once you go higher than 5th class.

Still cheap compared to a lot of the Soviet items out there !

Best regards,

Paul

Hi Paul,

Yeah... they go up pretty quick, but they are beautiful as are the vast majority of Japanese Orders. Perhaps someday... One can dream.

Just out of idle curiosity... if you don't mind me asking, in the condition mine is in, roughly what's it worth? Figuring not much but guess I should know.

Thanks,

Dan

reverse of this repro, a neat design and nice for kicks!

Pat

Yup! Same cast hinge and catch! ARRRRRRGH!

Dan