Soviet Fake Orders for Personal Courage: Baltic Vintage

[JapanX]

Since some of my good friends (and members of this forum) collect Soviets (daredevils! ) I decided to create this little thread.

Just in case

Hope it will be appropriate especially since the original Order for Personal Courage could cost you up to 2 G`s (even right in the middle of the second wave of world wide crises ) and sometimes even more …

Edited June 29, 2012 by JapanX

[JapanX]

The first wave of high-quality faked Orders for Personal Courage came to the market around 2003-2004.

This vintage came straight from one of the ex-soviet Baltic republic.

Let’s examine these fakes since they are undoubtedly the most numerous class of high-quality faked Orders for Personal Courage.

Etalon fake

Please take a good look at this fake № 2146

Obverse

[JapanX]

Reverse

[JapanX]

Number

[JapanX]

Hook

[JapanX]

Looking good, isn’t it? Correct weight, material, ribbon, bar… Nevertheless it is 100% fake.

Now let’s take a look at original piece.

Etalon original

Please take a good look at this original issued order № 135

Obverse

[JapanX]

Reverse

[JapanX]

Please take a good look at this original unissued order № 7491

Obverse

[JapanX]

Reverse

[JapanX]

Obverse close up

[JapanX]

Reverse close up

[JapanX]

Rules of thumb to detect Baltic fakes

Here come a couple of simple rules.

Step № 1 Check the gold gilt on ring reverse

Traces of gold gilt on fake order

example 1

example 2

[JapanX]

Traces of gold gilt on original order

example 1

example 2

[JapanX]

Step № 2 Check the bore of the ring

Bore of the fake order

[JapanX]

Bore of the original order

[JapanX]

Step № 3 Check the space between Ж and Е books

Fake order

[JapanX]

Original order

[JapanX]

Мужество on Fake order

[JapanX]

Мужество on Original order

[JapanX]

Step № 4 Check the left “horn” at the bottom of reverse

Fake order (blunt horn)

Example 1

Example 2

[JapanX]

Original order (sharp horn)

Example 1

Example 2

[JapanX]

These four signs of Baltic fakes are very stable and I hope they will help you to stay as far away from these rarities as possible.

[JapanX]

But not only orders were faked in Tallinn, but documents too.

Original № 255 with original document

Obverse

[JapanX]

Reverse

[JapanX]

Doc