Hungary Hungarian Assortment In Cases: Help Please IDing and Dating Them

[Guest Rick Research]

These are doubtless posted somewhere here in the Hungarian Forum, but given my inability to type (and thus search) on accent marks which have been replaced by the "?".... cannot "find" them.

As a still fumbling around with Magyar-language book on "Real Medals" only newbie, I would appreciate just knowing what and when they are--

first up, the two badges:

VERY nice hinged and latched case with fitted red bottom and white inside --

Badge is plastenamel which comes out yellower scanned than in reality--

[Guest Rick Research]

Very nice red case, bottom inside red with slot for the pin and inner upper lid white:

Very nice real enamel badge, obviously 25th anniversary of end of WW2-- but for WHAT, as opposed to the MEDAL for that?

:beer:

[Guest Rick Research]

Not sure whether the three medals to follow belong in the three cases here, but will indicate which is in which in case it is possible to date earliest to latest. These are in the same left to right sequence here for the tops and in the scan of the bottoms. Case on the far ight appears to be best made and has a little fitted section above the medal for the pin ?) of a ribbon bar.

What came in these are: 15 Years Military Service, Gold solid back Medal for Service to the Country, Silver hollow back Medal for Service to the Country:

[Guest Rick Research]

Bottoms in same order (sounds kinky)

[Ulsterman]

If I recall correctly the top one is the "Excellent soldier" badge and the bottom one (25 years) is a badge for marching in the annual liberation parade.

Nice!

[Guest Rick Research]

15 is real enamel, Gold solid back is real enamel, and am not quite SURE whether silver hollowback is real enamel or plastinemal

[Guest Rick Research]

Thanks Jeff!

I'm confused about dating these-- the Silver has a wide flat hook-- is that earlier than the double wire type loop? But the enamel on the Gold is immeasurably better, in hand:

[Ulsterman]

OHHHH- I DO NOT KNOW. Sorry-caps on there/

Must wait for Charles and Gordon to log on.

[hunyadi]

OK - just to recap....

Post #1 is the Excelent Soldier Badge - late 1970's era... never seen a cased example - so very nice find.

Post #2 is the badge worn for the April 4th 1970 Victory Parade. Cased examples are hard to find so again - very nice find.

Post #3 medal cases from left to right: Left is a reissue 1970's era from older parts - the marble scuff plate is the dead giveaway these parts seem to have been "found" in the warehouse and assembled - the interesting ones are the cases with the flocked plastic inserts. Center is a typical 1960's - 1970's issue case. Probably a carboard, cloth medal insert with padded silk lid liner. Right - very nice transitional case - case was made in the 1950's but not finished until after the 1956 Revolution - probably from the late 1950's.

Post#4 - case bottoms of course

Post #5/6 left to right. Left: Service to the Fatherland in Gold early production as it has a solid back, not die struck - typical post Revolution to early 1960's. I would put this one in the far right case. It would have been issued with a plexi / plastic ribbon bar for the insert. Center is a Service to the Fatherland in Silver, typical mid 1960's to the end of the HUPR. Stamped details and the "I will break son if you man-handle me" wide flange hook is typical of the 1980's. Right Service Medal for 15 years - post 1963 production.

Hope that helps...

[Guest Rick Research]

Thanks Charles!!!

I have two REALLY crappy plastenamel hollow back Service to the Country Medals and the steady decline of standards is painfully obviouse.

Rather like us, with half gallon ice cream reduced to quart-and-a-half and (I kid thee not) now quart-n-a-quarter and the peasants aren't supposed to notice.

No socity doing well cuts corners.

I can't get the insides of the badge boxes because they hiunge at 90 degrees but will try standing them up on my Magic Epson and see what it can down with /\ shape.

Looks like I have ended up-- accidentally-- with Odd Hungarian Boxes... what with having the just about only 1848-1948 boxed in captivity.

AM LOOKING FORWARD WITH GREAT ANTICIPATION TO YOUR BOOK. The Magyar one is OK for pix, but the text-- ayiiiaaaaiii. :cheers:

[Guest Rick Research]

1970 parade badge box, opened. I suppose this could have been used for a number of similar sized badges?

And the Excellent Soldier:

The recessed oval shape has a "ledge" on either side to hold the badge, while the wide center part is just the lining, allowing those strange Hungarian up-and-down prongs to sink in deeper--

This case has metal hinges as well as a metal catch, rather than just the reinforced cloth tape of the cover material as "hinge." Much better case than badge!!! :cheers:

[hunyadi]

Book will be in next week and ready for sale and delivery. Once they get me the final quote - I believe the price should be $59.99 + shipping. At any rate the price should be somewhere around that. Be mindful - 1/2 of the book is the history of the HUPR and the other half of the book is the militaria behind that history - 250 pages with 280 photographs and numerous diagrams to boot. There are only 200 being published in hardbound with the special "red" cover. All the books published by the Party publisher during the HUPR all had a similar shade of red cover so that the AVH could come to your house and easily inspect your bookcase to see if you were a loyal Party reader. This book is no different! I will post these books for sale with the "for certain" price on the Sale section when I get them in hand this week.

Anyhow - so much for trying to peddle my wares. As for the cases - the one for the Excellent Soldier is a typical 1970's form, but very rare and unique. The Parade badge case is of course from the 1970's as well and they could be used for several of the pinback awards. I have an example that has a recessed form of the badge where it would have been inserted. As for the other items; I would place the Service to the Fatherland in Gold in the early case and the other two in the "newer" ones.

Edited October 2, 2009 by Ulsterman

[Guest Rick Research]

I gotta get me some red book covers...

The star on the parade badge is exactly the same as the one used on the 1950s/60s Medal of Socialist Labor and military Distinguished Service Medals. Recycled parts?

[hunyadi]

I would not say so much recycled parts - just simply a single die for use. The parade badges especcilay were handed out en-mass, so it makes sense to not make production complicated...

[Stogieman]

.... and he said I am "evil".......

[Guest Rick Research]

Partially Evil. :cheers: