Soviet Information Desperately Needed!

[Tom Green]

Hey. I have just started collecting Soviet war medals and, being sixteen, money is an important factor. Altogether, I have bought a Medal for the 100th Anniversary of Lenin?s Birth, Medal for Veterans of Labour, Engineering Institute graduate, circa 1950s-60s and a Combined Arms Specialist, Master, 1960s-80s, aswell as four other medals and two other badges that I am yet to identfy. Do you have any tips for an amateur medal collector?

(Engineering Institute graduate, circa 1950's-60's)

(Medal for Veterans of Labour)

(Medal for the 100th Anniversary of Lenin?s Birth)

Thanks,

Tom

[Gerd Becker]

Hi Tom,

welcome to the forum.

Seems like a lot of younger collectors get interested in soviet awards lately, great!

Before i answer your question, i would like to ask a question:

Are you only collecting soviet Medals only or do you want to collect the orders too?

Thats a nice start, you have.

all the best,

Gerd

[Tom Green]

Thanks for the reply. I want to mainly collect medals but I would be glad to branch out and collect orders as well. On closer inspection I think that my Engineering Institute graduate medal is a fake. I guess that I should have researched a bit more before I purchased one.

Thanks,

Tom

[Gerd Becker]

Thanks for the reply. I want to mainly collect medals but I would be glad to branch out and collect orders as well. On closer inspection I think that my Engineering Institute graduate medal is a fake. I guess that I should have researched a bit more before I purchased one.

Thanks,

Tom

Tom,

many of the Soviet Medals are still affordable, some of the orders too. For a start, take a look on these websites:

http://www.mondvor.narod.ru/

(its slow and in russian, but a lot of pictures and understandable also to a non-russian speaker)

http://www.soviet-awards.com/

(Artur Bates did a great job in giving a good overview of soviet Orders and Medals)

If your budget is limited, i would recommend to get the series of Victory Medals and the Anniversary Medals of the Armed Forces, for example, as well the cheaper ones of the Campaign-Medals like Leningrad, Berlin, and so on... Of course the Victory over Germany and Victory over Japan Medals too. Later orders of the Red Star are also still not too expensive, they start around 30 Dollar. Orders of the Red Banner start at about 125 Dollar now. These are just a few examples, but i am sure, you will find more, if you look around. I can recommend these two dealers for soviet awards:

http://pweb.netcom.com/~merezhko/militaria.html

(Alexei Merezhko, very friendly, great stuff for sale)

http://collectrussia.com/

(also a very good dealer, although a bit pricy)

Hope, i could help you.

all the best,

Gerd

[Gerd Becker]

Thanks for the reply. I want to mainly collect medals but I would be glad to branch out and collect orders as well. On closer inspection I think that my Engineering Institute graduate medal is a fake. I guess that I should have researched a bit more before I purchased one.

Thanks,

Tom

I forgot, i am not aware of any fakes of the Engineering Institue badge, you show. Why do you think, yours is a fake? Can you post a picture?

[Tom Green]

http://aycu32.webshots.com/image/5071/2002...63100642_rs.jpg This is my Engineering Institue badge. The picture is extremely poor quality (bear with me). It includes on the screw plate the "original" "Monetnya Dvor", though my medal cannot be a 1950s-60s one because it has a distinctive cross-hatching on the back (unable to be scanned) and two drepressions instead of one. That leaves the Engineering Institute graduate 1970 and the Engineering Institute 1970's-80's. The Engineering Institute graduate 1970 is very similar to mine although where the screw is on the back there is a bolt head(?) With the Engineering Institute 1970's-80's The second depression is not circular but has one flat side. I know this is confusing so check out these sites:

http://collectrussia.com/DISPITEM.HTM?ITEM=9385

http://collectrussia.com/DISPITEM.HTM?ITEM=9356

http://collectrussia.com/DISPITEM.HTM?ITEM=9355

Also, I have been searching endlessly for an indentification of this badge that I have in my fledging collection. It appears to have cryllic writing on it (Russian?) and has a tank and two missiles. I would have quickly labelled it as Russian but there is no hammer and sickle present. Maybe after that era? Any coments would be great. Sorry about the shoddy photo.

Endless Thanks,

Tom

[Gerd Becker]

Tom,

i wouldn?t worry yet, i still believe, your badge is fine.

The second badge, you have posted, is the 50 years Anniversary badge of the Liberation of the Ukraine. Its not soviet era anymore, so no hammer&sickle.

best,

Gerd

[Tom Green]

Thanks, it's greatly appreciated.

Cheers

Tom