Soviet OBH: Undocumented Transition or Strange Repair?

[Guest Rick Research]

This was brought by today by a local newbie collector who is allowing me to share it here:

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[Guest Rick Research]

Clossssssssssser

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60,798 would make this a ?1944/45 award? I don't have a good data base on these civil Orders....

[Guest Rick Research]

Now you REALLY have to magnify to see that the out-of-proportion top star arm has been filed down here, causing the enamel of the little star to crackle:

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BUT: the top of the star on the front and the top of the point on the backplate were both GILDED like the rest of the edges, AFTER that point was "tweaked" down in a curve shaped to the ring above-- in an attempt to make the silver loop and silver ring "fit" without snagging:

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But wait! It gets weirder!

[Guest Rick Research]

There was once something written in ink paint across where the screw would have been

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[Guest Rick Research]

no amount of what I can do for contrast tweaking helps, but something WAS written across there:

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Instruction for the assembler ("No screwpost here any more!" ?)

Something some dumb dealer wrote there for recent inventory marking?

I cannot conceive of ANY way that the "one piece" suspension ring of a Type 3 could have been "damaged," requiring this as a repair.

If some nefarious person was attempting to "retro-fit" a M1943 supension to a screw-back, it made NO sense to remove the ring and then... put a ring BACK on.

So, is this an unknown non-McDaniel & Schmitt improvized on the spot Mint transition like the "swallowtail" Red Banners?

Or a very, very strange repair?

("Monetny" measures 7.5mm across that line, BTW)

[Stogieman]

I saw this today too... the really bizarre thing is that this loop appears to have been placed between the 2 pieces PRIOR to it being riveted together!? There's just a slight gap at the top seam where the 2 "wires" slip inside. Very strange, but very neat, clean and professional looking!

[Guest Rick Research]

A similar "upgrade" being worn by Military Base 2330 Artillery-Technical Services Lieutenant Colonel (and John Lithgow Lookalike Contest Winner) Petr Aleksandrovich Pronin circa 1948--

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Though on his the loop attached to the OBH is so big that by contrast there is almost no ring to attach it at the ribbon:

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Was there a "learning curve" on transitional suspension pieces? Anybody got any like either of these "ring added" ones? While Pronin's MIGHT have been a screwback made into a "current model" suspension, the piece above, while MADE out of screwback pieces, was assembled as a suspension and was never a screwback.

[Dudeman]

Interesting piece to say the least.

Although it falls close to the transition range both chronologically (1943/1944) and by serial number, the switch to suspension occurred around 30.000. This piece's S/N is in the 60K range. I can understand maybe a few hundred, or even thousand pieces (such as the RB swallow tail you mention and discussion in the Order of Lenin book) to be reworked from the old screwback version to the suspension piece, but some 30K+ after the transition seems quite a stretch.

Nice discussion piece.

[Stogieman]

So what exactly is this piece? I am puzzled?

[Guest Rick Research]

[attachmentid=19286] Stay tuned for future episodes from

The Twilight Zone of Collecting!

[Ed_Haynes]

When, and how, and by whom, would the conversion from screw-backed to pentagonally-suspended have taken place? Might we not rightly anticipate all dimensions (". . . of sight and sound . . . ") of weirdness in this conversion process?

Edited December 16, 2005 by Ed_Haynes

[HuliganRS]

Guys,

The SN places it well in the hanging suspension types. The earliest SN being in the high 20,000 range.

This appears to be a decent repair by the recipient.

As far as writing is concerned.... This was right at the end of the war and materials were re-used.

Look at your screwplates from early WWII period and you may be surprised to find a remenents of a medal !!!

I'll show pics when I get back home.

Rusty.