Hauptmann

Berlin construction medal in bronze ?

Builder of Berlin medal... go to the bottom of the ribbon chart I linked in the last post and you'll see the ribbons for these.

Dan :cheers:

Don't have a clue on this one information appreciated !

Hi Grant,

More great pieces as always! Keep up the good work my friend!

On this one:

Medaille f?r ausgezeichnete Leistungen im Wettbewerb (Medal for Outstanding Service in Socialist Competition) (1953)

Here's a link for an excellent ribbon chart:

http://www.medals.lava.pl/de/ddr.htm

Go down to Ministerial Decorations For Civilians, 2nd column and down 14 ribbons and you'll see the one for this award.

Dan :cheers:

Hi all,

Kim found and emailed this over to me this morning. She thought our members would enjoy it. I've also posted it in the Soviet section. Great stuff! An excellent job on the photos and truly eerie on some like the bodies ont he sidewalk and the policeman and folks in modern day about to walk through this scene from the past. History is truly all around us... all we have to do is know where and how to look.

http://fima-psuchopadt.livejournal.com/2564781.html

Just wish I had a translated version. But the pics tell the whole story.

Dan :cheers:

Hi all,

Kim emailed this link over to me this morning thinking the Soviet section and GMIC members in general might be intro'd. I'm posting it in the "Then and Now" section as well. But felt since it's got a definite Soviet connection it should be here too.

http://fima-psuchopadt.livejournal.com/2564781.html

Wish I had a translated version but regardless the photos are terrific. A merging of two times and two worlds. Great stuff! Of course as a historian I tend to see things this way anyway... I know many if not most of you understand.

Dan :cheers:

This forum isn't that active so I tend to forget names.

Hi Kevin,

Not a problem my friend. Again, anytime anyone wants to confuse me with Grant, yourself or any of the greats here at GMIC I will take it as a great honor.

Dan :cheers:

Grant - I was in a bit of a rush because I was at work, that's why I called you Dan rather than Grant. Trying to multi-task and failing at it. I'll look at the other thread and provide comments there. Kevin

Hi Kevin,

I "resemble" that remark! Seriously though... it's an honor to be mixed up with Grant!

Dan :cheers:

Update: Just heard from Grant. He said when he looked at the pics last night it was right before he headed to work and he'd missed the pics of the casting lines and the blank (non pebbled) area where the swas normally would have been. In his words "It's a duffer."

So it'll have to be a place holder until (if ever) a real one comes along.

Dan :cheers:

As you can see in the one shot there's what appears to be a casting line that runs all around the ridge. Also on the reverse where the swaz would have been on the WWII versions and normally would be pebbled as on the arms, etc., is blank and smooth on mine. But it's the right size, has a good bit of detail and is a nice heavy piece. It polished up a nice silver which doesn't show as well in the pics as in person. But does still show a bit of a brass or copper color which I'm guessing is the base metal.

So I leave it up to the membership... good and if so from what period... hoping at least that it may be a late period piece... or just an out and out modern copy.

Keeping my fingers crossed but again I've got so little in this that I'm okay no matter what. I also have a ribbon coming for it from Israel.

Thanks!!!!

Dan :cheers:

I just received it today, did an initial cleaning and a set of pics to initially send over to Grant for his opinion. He thinks it looks good but can't tell for sure without having it in hand. So he suggest I put it up for general viewing and opinions. So here are the new pics. Again I apologize for the quality... I may have to just disconnect my scanner from down in the bunker and bring it up to use until all the weather problems/leaking, etc., are behind us.

Hi all,

Here's my newest. I took a chance on it... got it cheap and am hoping that perhaps it's original, though if so I'm assuming a later period piece. Here's the scoop. It was titled on the auction (Ebay) as a "German Iron Cross". As I say I got it cheap... figured it was worth the chance. I'd shown the auction to Grant and we both agreed it was worth the gamble if it went cheap enough. It looked like it had been in a fire or something... nearly totally black as you can see in these pics:

The suspension of course is incorrect for sure so just ignore that.

Very nice and many thanks for posting it. I'm guessing there couldn't have been many KM personnel who received that one. Great photo!!!!

Also guessing it depending on how the recipient felt... ie were they party members/supporters or not. If they were then the excesses went right along with their philosophy and would be more acceptible whereas those who didn't like the party or the SS would likely have not been very proud of that particular award.

A shame you didn't get that IAB. May have been the vets original that he had altered in order to be able to wear it before the 57's were created/provided. Most seem to have just denazified in some way... cutting off the swaz, or filing it down, etc. Some I've seen were nicely done, probably by a jeweler but some seem to have gone that one step beyond. Would have been a great one to have.

Dan :cheers:

Like the new goodies Dan ,

The CCC and the ostvolk and WW1 stickpins look beautiful

Many thanks my friend!!!! Out of curiosity, what is the stickpin that looks liike it has the enameled red cross on it?

Can't wait to see your para!!!!

Dan :cheers:

And last for now my CCC in it's new house :

Dan :cheers:

Here's some more shots of my recent 57's including reverse views... and a couple more of some stickpins I got a bit ago:

Thanks PK. That's true... I'd forgotten that the Uboats with diamonds had not been considered "official" state awards. And I too was always amazed that they'd included the anti-partisan award as from what I've read most of the German troops at the time and since considered this to be more of a Waffen SS award than a general one. Those in the other branches who were awarded it often downplayed it or simply did not wear it, whereas those in the Waffen SS were extremely proud of the award and wore or displayed it at every opportunity.

Dan :cheers:

Hi Paul,

Sorry about the late reply my friend... between work, travel and computer problems I've been up to my ears. But things seem to be settling down for a bit at last. Now if only we don't get another blizzard...! A good friend of mine who is one of our towns two paramedics was just on a transport taking a patient from Carrington to the hospital over in Fargo. The weather took a nasty turn just outside Fargo and they ended up rolling in a ditch. The patient was pronounced dead at the hospital, the driver was okay but my friend has serious back injuries and had to be transported over to Minneapolis for surgery and treatment. He and his family are still over there and we're all worried sick. Just praying he'll be back to his old normal cheery self before too long.

On the DDR pieces, they are indeed starting to show their age (except for the later to current production). As far as values, I can mostly speak on those I see on Ebay. Seems there are two or three sellers who always list the same pieces at what I feel are well beyond top dollar. But if you're careful and keep an eye out they pop up for cheap on occassion. Biggest problem is seeing good pics or pics of the reverse of the awards. And that especially tells the tale. So you have early (very desireable), middle (still very good and looked for) and later (many consider junk and not worth bothering with) production pieces and of course what they are still churning out.

As I've said before, back in the day when I was into TR I only wish I'd gone with my instincts back then and bought up every 57 I could lay my hands on. They'd practically give them away as hardly anyone was intro'd. But those supposedly in the know kept saying they were junk, would never be worth anything and no one would want them kept me from diving in full force and getting all I could. It's much more of a challenge to find really good deals now but over time anything is possible.

Oh, before I forget I wanted to mention that the Uboat badge is definitely a fantasy piece. This one is very well made but still not an original production piece. They definitely didn't do the Uboat with diamonds... but had they done so this would have been a definite way to go! I would have stated this before but was not 100% positive about whether the Uboat diamonds had been reissued. Strange that they didn't as they kept making the diamonds re: the RK's (save the one in gold for Rudel). So now I'm keeping my eye out for the standard issue 57 Uboat badge.

Dan :cheers:

Hi Grant,

My friend... once again you've been outdoing yourself... some terrific additions to your DDR collection! That cap badge is one I didn't even know about... but that's the great thing about all this as we learn something new each and every day.

Keep up the great work... you'll have enough to fill a wing in a museum before too long.

Dan :cheers:

Oh, nearly forgot this one. Not sure if it's supposed to represent the Doenitz special diamonds award (never reissued) or the standard Uboat badge with diamonds award... and I'm sure not an official issue in any case... but got it cheap and I love it! If not an official issue... perhaps it should have been.

Dan :cheers:

Dan :cheers:

RK... oaks are a set I happened to have and pop on... they're not 57 period.