Hungary Something to watch for in the Meritorious Service Medals for XXXX Hours flying time

[Gordon Craig]

I have been spending a lot of time lately going through the photocopy boxes I keep my medals in the really catalogue what I have, what I need and how many duplicates I have. While reviewing the medals awarded for flying hours I noticed I had some that were not on the NMK. On closer investigation I came to the conclusion that someone had taken some parts from the long service medals and flying hours medals and produced medals that never existed. Since they are so similar I had not noticed this fact when I bought them. Neither did Charles as we were together when I bought them in the antique store.

The picture below has four medals in it. All supposedly flying hours medals. Two are missing the small plane but that is not unusual in these medals. The problem part is the larger piece which the other parts are glued to. (crazy glue!) Look at the wording around the outside of the large back piece. For flight time medals it should read "A HAZA FEGYVERES SZOLG?LAT?ERT". Only one has this inscription around the outside edge. The others have the wording for the long service medal which is "A HAZA FEGYVERES SZOLG?LAT?BAN". The only difference is the last three letter. Easy to miss if you are not careful. Some enterprising person has taken a bunch if medal pieces and glued them together incorrectly. So, look carefully before you by a flight time medal. They are not easy to come by but they are no good to you if they look like the three bad ones picutred here.

Rgeards,

Gordon

[cimbineus]

Gents,

The only problem with these medals is the missing two airplanes from the last two ones, I think.

In Hungarian "~ÉRT" means "FOR" and "~BAN" means "IN". If you take the medals for flight hours, although the "~ÉRT" version is the correct one, from linguistic point of view the "~BAN" ending has the same meaning, so, the mixing up of the two basic pieces during the production caused no principal problem. Consequently, the miss-glued medals were used as normal ones.

But on the other hand, in the case of the long service medals the "~ÉRT" ending would have a funny connotation. The inscription "20 YEARS FOR SERVING IN THE …" would hint at 20 years imprisonment for serving in the Armed Forces. My guess is that these kind of miss-glued pieces apparently were withdrawn by quality controllers.

I have not met this second miss-glued version yet, but many times have met the flight hour medal with "~BAN" ending as shown above, obviously miss-glued during production.

Regards,

cimbineus

.

[Stogieman]

So this one is correct? Looks like it even has the plane still!

[cimbineus]

So this one is correct? Looks like it even has the plane still!

Yes, everything looks okay with this medal. It is a late ('80s) version of the medal.

[Zsolt]

So this one is correct? Looks like it even has the plane still!

No, this is incomplete, the miniature plane is missing.

Edited March 15, 2010 by Zsolt

[Stogieman]

OK, so the medal is correct... just missing the plane. I guess from the fuzzy picture that must just be the outline of where the plane was! Thanks for the help.

Anybody have a plane? ;>)

[cimbineus]

OK, so the medal is correct... just missing the plane. I guess from the fuzzy picture that must just be the outline of where the plane was! Thanks for the help.

Anybody have a plane? ;>)

May be I am mistaken, but I can see the plane. The plane is there, nothing is missing, or...?

[Stogieman]

I think we are just seeing the outline of where the plane should be. But it should arrive in a week or so, so I will post better scans at that point. Thanks!

[cimbineus]

I think we are just seeing the outline of where the plane should be. But it should arrive in a week or so, so I will post better scans at that point. Thanks!

I would say no, there is a plane, but okay, I am waiting for your better picture. I cross my fingers... :rolleyes:

Edited March 15, 2010 by cimbineus

[Stogieman]

Hello all, here's the new scans. This one came in a hard plastic case. Reverse is plain, so I did not scan it. The plane is there! Looks like a Mig-21

[Stogieman]

Here's the case this example came in. Hard Plastic, pressed tray with light flocking, cardboard surround, synthetic cloth hinge.

[hunyadi]

Nice example Rick!

[cimbineus]

Hello all, here's the new scans. This one came in a hard plastic case. Reverse is plain, so I did not scan it. The plane is there! Looks like a Mig-21

I told you. I am happy to hear the good news. :rolleyes: