Hungary Order of Merit for the Socialist Hungary

[hunyadi]

"Stolen" by paying with my pocket change from a local flea market on Saturdy - I finally got a cased set of this award. Awarded only 1965 times from 1976 to 1989 it was one of the more rare awards and perhaps one of the most detailed of all Hungarian awards.

[hunyadi]

But what I was not expecting to find was some variations between this one that I already had without the case! Examine -

[hunyadi]

It becomes a little more clearer with the reverse - the cased one

1) thinner top of the wreath

2) finished rivets instead of prongs

3) a thicker suspension ring

[hunyadi]

compared to the other details of the uncased one.

[hunyadi]

So - there is a type A and a type B - the enamel and the detail between the leaves of the wreath on the cased one - lets call that one a Type A (as its earlier) is very fine, where as the uncased one Type B (later 1980's probably) has a more rough detail between the leaves and the enamel, though hot, is not as finely finished. Its not only a matter of the jeweler finishing the wreath and the star differently, its all together differnet pieces.

[Ed_Haynes]

Oh . . .