Soviet Order of Glory 3. Class

[IrishGunner]

I am definitely not an expert at Soviet orders/medals (or anything for that matter ); so, let me hear your comments about this Order of Glory 3. Class found today at the Yerevan, Armenia flea market.

I also include a photo of the suspension reverse - maybe not an original suspension device.

It's number: 530949

[IrishGunner]

A closer look at the Order of Glory 3. Class obverse and reverse

Edited July 25, 2010 by IrishGunner

[Paul R]

What a great looking example. You should get it researched.

[Hauptmann]

I totally agree with Paul... a very nice original example. Definitely a good candidate for research. In fact, in the green bible the closest one to your number is as follows:

530940 22.7.45 Leningrad Front, Woman (For wounds received).

Dan

[IrishGunner]

Thanks for the expert input Paul and Dan!!

I am quite pleased my first foray into this flea market resulted in a couple of good finds.

I saw a couple of other Glories at the market - at a slightly higher price (about $15 more); so, that doesn't sound too bad if they are quality pieces. Although the other dealers weren't as "friendly." I liked the "attitude" of the dealer that I got this Glory from - he had a couple other orders, in particular Order of the Patriotic War and Red Stars, they might be worth a look.

I have a "mission" for next Saturday.

PS: Could either of you send me an email on how I could go about getting the research on this Order?

[Ferdinand]

Dan, the number is 350949, so a slightly earlier award (approximately spring 1945). It's most probably a combat award; the first wound awards turn up in the 400K range.

May I ask what the prices for these orders are in Armenia?

[IrishGunner]

Ferdinand, you know, I debated with my "bad eyes" whether it was a "3" or a "5" at the beginning of the number. And I didn't look close at my own photo.

And now that I do look at the photo; it looks like you are correct - the number is 350949. The engraver "missed" with the top horizontal arm of the 5 and put it to the left touching the 3.

A lower number is always a good thing... :cheers:

[Hauptmann]

Dan, the number is 350949, so a slightly earlier award (approximately spring 1945). It's most probably a combat award; the first wound awards turn up in the 400K range.

May I ask what the prices for these orders are in Armenia?

Quite correct. Many apologies for the incorrect info. I saw the number he'd posted and only took a quick glance at the pics of the award... plus my eyes are not what they once were, and they were never that great to begin with.

To update from the green bible on the correct number... the closest before and after would be:

348,753 22.5.45 139 Rifle Division

351,138 3.3.45 1 Belorussian Front

So yes, probably a combat award... always better than a long service although the history those represent is very important as well.

Dan

[Chuck In Oregon]

Hello IG

I spent 16 weeks working in Yerevan in 2007. I lived at the Marriott and I think I visited the flea market at least once every weekend. There wasn't all that much else to do.

As you go down the steps from the open air tool sellers there is a guy on the left with a bunch of minor medals and badges. However, if you talk to him and ask him, he'll probably pull out his better things. I bought a few minor badges from him but what I value much more were some excellent documents and posters that he had. Check him out, he has a table next to the wall and his buddy has one in the center of the aisle.

After you go across the street and get past the book sellers there is a little old guy with a small stand, mostly some things along the low wall plus a board or two. He is a friendly and fair guy and he came up with a couple of interesting things and some good documents.

All the way at the back by the beer stands is a crippled guy with a couple of tables of badges and medals. He does a good business and had a couple of high-end things that I couldn't afford and some more ordinary things that I did buy.

There's one other guy on the left as you go toward the back, a small stand with some good items. He used to go up to Tbilisi a lot but he got in visa trouble for entering Georgia via Abkhazia, so I don't think he goes up there any more, at least not under his own passport. He probably had the best authentic items of anyone I saw there. There are LOTS of fakes there but I assume you already know that.

Of course, that was the situation in 2007 but I'd be surprised if it has changed all that much.

My time in Yerevan wasn't as enjoyable as the 3-1/2 years I spent in Tbilisi but it was OK and I'd go again if the opportunity presented itself. I spent a lot of warm evenings eating ice cream at the city park. Armenian food isn't as good as Georgian, either. Every time I asked about a good restaurant, somebody would say "There's this great Georgian restaurant out on The Ring." However, there is also a good Lebanese restaurant just around the corner from the Marriott.

Chuck

[Paul R]

I thought that these were all combat related awards. From what I read, these were never given out as long service awards, as the ORB and OL were.

[IrishGunner]

Chuck, thanks for the intell on the dealers. I only saw four so-called dealers in medals. Although there were a few others that dealt in uniforms, badges, patches, boots, etc.

The one I bought from sounds like your preferred guy - close to the same location you describe, back under the blue tarps; he had a wide variety of militaria, including a lot of paper. He actually offered to show me the "orders" from under the table as he had mostly anniversary and campaign medals displayed. Two others were nearby to him displaying everything in cases; but they were higher priced and had the "fake" smell lingering. The last guy was out in the open-air tool area; he too had some orders behind his board, but nothing interesting to me.

[Ferdinand]

I thought that these were all combat related awards. From what I read, these were never given out as long service awards, as the ORB and OL were.

They were indeed not awarded as long service awards, but they were awarded as wounds awards. These pop up somewhere in the 400K range, but especially in the 700K they are not uncommon. Most are awarded by the 7 November 1947 wounds decree, that also awarded OPW2s and BMs.

[Guest IMHF]

I totally agree with Paul... a very nice original example. Definitely a good candidate for research. In fact, in the green bible the closest one to your number is as follows:

530940 22.7.45 Leningrad Front, Woman (For wounds received).

Dan

Does that book have ever number awarded??

Lorenzo

[Hauptmann]

Hi Lorenzo. How I wish it did... along with many others I'm sure! Here's some info and places you may be able to order a copy:

http://www.themedalhound.com/books/rec.html

http://home.netcom.com/~merezhko/echoes.html

http://www.wwmeinc.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=wwmeinc&Product_Code=BKS152&Category_Code=99-100-500

http://www.amazon.com/Echoes-War-Researching-Military-Decorations/dp/0965628914

And a thread here about the red and green bibles as well as Dave Schwind's No Deed Forgotten:

http://gmic.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=8895&hl=echos of war&st=0

The green bible is great, not only to read researched examples but also to be able to go through the lists of researched awards to compare a piece you have or are considering and see where the SN sits in the time line. But it does not include awards created after WW2 such as the Order of Service to the Motherland (Crab), etc.

Hope this helps.

Dan

Edited July 28, 2010 by Hauptman

[IrishGunner]

What a great looking example. You should get it researched.

Paul, any advice on how I can get these researched? A service of some sort?

[koopyetz]

There is member of this forum that can do research

User name order_collector

contact:

alon.gaz.gaz@gmail.com

I have used him and am very satisfied.

Rick

[ph3s]

Gents it it 330949. . next time you go to Yerevan, tell to it hi for me pls . Old good days

It's easy to spot, You run the research, and if the cavalier surname ends with 'yan' sometimes 'unc'/'unz' he is Armenian.

Edited July 30, 2010 by ph3s