Hungary Hungarian People's Republic Awards

[Ulsterman]

Military Merit Medal: 1957-65 version, only for members of the military:

Edited October 3, 2006 by Ulsterman

[Hauptmann]

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

[KeithB]

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?

[Hauptmann]

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

[hunyadi]

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.

[Hauptmann]

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

[NavyFCO]

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.

[Ulsterman]

Wow!!! THAT is a beautiful medal! Is that real gold?

[Riley1965]

Dave,

Wow is right!!! That is a beauty!!! I must admit that's the first one I've seen...so I'm droolin'!!!

Doc

[Ulsterman]

another almost mint medal.

The "Munkas-Paraszt Hatalomert Emlekerem" or "Restoration of the Workers and Peasants Rule Medal", 1957.

Awarded to those who remained faithful to the Stalinists during the 1956 uprising and help crush the revolution. About 20,000 awarded.

Edited October 4, 2006 by Ulsterman

[hunyadi]

Hi Guys -

Dave - yours is not off topic as I recall that one was awarded in the 1970's - If I recal correctly you had the award document with it? It was one of 165 awawrded in 1976. Since there was the award documetn with the group - you win the prize for the most rare. Never see the award documents.

The badge was gilded according to my source.

Here is another nice one with a bit of history - Meritorious Service Medal 1957 version (or is it?) When the national coat of arms changed in 1957 there were still quite a bit of old 1949-56 coat or arms medals in warehouses. Also if you had been awarded an older style medal (49-56') and were still in "service" (both civilian and armed forces) you were required to turn your old medals in for replacement. Then they were destroyed or altered in the factory. This model is clearly a 1949-56 model as the blue enamel field is a darker blue than the 1957 model. The only thing that they did was knock off the old coat of arms and replace it with a new one.

[hunyadi]

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.

[NavyFCO]

Guys-

Thanks for the compliments on the order. This is one of the ones I kick myself for selling as the scan just doesn't do the beauty justice. It was awarded in 1985. It was really a nice award, though it wasn't gold - it was the "typical" low-quality plating of some sort as seen on the many gold "colored" medals of the Warsaw pact. This was one of two groups that I had with this badge - though the second one was missing the award. I wanted to buy another to replace it, but I just never felt the need to shell out the cash to buy one (the average price for one was around $500 when I was looking at them.) I have a spreadsheet somewhere that lists all of these awards issued by year... I need to see if I can find it.

Here's a scan of the document. I apologize for it being so big, but if I shrunk it any further it wouldn't be readable. The paper was washed out by the scanner - it was actually a nice cream colored paper in a brown leatherette binder with the order embossed on the cover in gold (as I remember - I will try to find a photo of it) Overall, a very high-end quality presentation document.

Dave

[NavyFCO]

Here's the reverse of the order. Not really the highest quality. These also came with rubies and diamonds, so I have to imagine that the quality increased at some point in the rank structure.

Also, I found a blurry image (I know I have better, somewhere) of the folder, and it actually just has the gold embossed seal of the Republic on the front.

[hunyadi]

Quick and dirty translation of the document - from top to bottom -

The Hungarian People's Republic Presidents Council

to Kuldunov Alekszandr Ivanovics

an Airforce Marshal of the Ministry of Defense

the Hungarian Nation expresses to the

activity of the Heoric Liberators, that

developed connection between the Hungarian People's Republic and the Soviet Union

and the deepening of the two peoples connecting friendship, express

to aknowledge sucessful work [and] heroic activity by recognising

The Hungarian People's Republic

With adorned Laurel Wreath

the Order of the Hungarian Flag

to be awarded

east Budapest, 1985, April 4th day

signature of the Hungarian Peoples Republic President of the Presidents Council and HPR Presidents council secratry.

Its one of a kind.....

[hunyadi]

Munkas-Paraszt Hatalomert Emlekerem - These are my favorite of all the Hungarian Peopel's Republic - mostly because it was the only 'combat' award given to Hungarians. Though in reality not everyone who got one was involved in direct combat with the revolutionary forces - it still is the only awawrd given during an armed conflict on Hungarian soil after WW2.

[Hauptmann]

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

[Hauptmann]

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

Edited October 3, 2006 by Hauptman

[hunyadi]

Yes - here is the specific DSM we talked about. The other one in the photo is gone now, The odd thing about it is the ribbon bar as the ribbon is of a brighter color. The explination can be that the medal was mounted on a medal bar (they were designed so that the medal just slid off easily) and therefore got more direct sunlight than the ribbon bar. To this day I have never seen a cloth ribbon bar on a uniform or in any period photos. The preference was the smaller plastic pieces that one purchased seprately. So these ribbon bars simply stayed in the box more than not. Or - sometime in its life someone added it to the box?? Anyhow - the second thing about this is the 'transitional' box. By the mid 1950's the government had sought to streamline the boxes by trying to make them standard. The recess for the medal was set at one size about 35-37mm. Even though there were still medals in the 40mm range - oh well, just stuff them in there was the mentality! This particular medal is 35mm in diameter though. What I am trying to convey is that the boxes during this time no longer were made for specific medals. It was one size fits all. Even though there were still several sizes of boxes being produced. This particular one is of the smaller size 102mm x 74mm x 22. Others are 138mm x 82mm x 22mm (and many other variations!). What makes it 'transitional' is that it is completely devoid of national symbolism. So it was likely manufactured in late 1956-58. The new coat of arms was designed in 1957 but like everything else it took time to cut the dies, make the decisions on how big the embilum should be etc... So the factories refrained for a few years. Also waht proves that this is a 1950's era is the paper scuff pad on the bottom. When you see the plad, or a brown marble, or a dark brown you can be certain that it was manufactured between 1949-1958 (ish). After that they had plain red scuff pads or it was simply left bare. However the idea of producing in the socialist world meant that production was everything - so more boxes were needed than what was issued. I have some medals that were clearly awarded in the 1970's - even have the plasitc inserts (1970's era) but still have the colored paper scuff plates and constructed of wood and red leatherette. Clearly a product from old stock sitting in the warehouse that was never used. Anyhow - history lesson over - here are the pics.

Edited October 4, 2006 by hunyadi

[hunyadi]

And the interior proper - silver plate has tarnished the lining a bit.

Edited October 4, 2006 by hunyadi

[hunyadi]

Reverse of the medal -

[hunyadi]

the bottom of the box - notice the same paper as your Sports Medal.

[hunyadi]

Ooopss - Here is a comparison of the brown plaid and the red plaid scuff plates (looked at the photo and thought it was the marble...)

Edited October 4, 2006 by hunyadi

[hunyadi]

Here is a better representation of the variations (but there are more than that!) In the center is the 1960's era red leatherette scuff plate.

[hunyadi]

More eye candy - This is a rare lot (just dont find them like this anymore) to an NCO Kiss Lajos who probably began his career in 1950. He served well into the late 1970's retiring as a warrant offcier. Some medals from the lot are missing - but its as complete as I have ever had.