Soviet Achievement Medals

[Hauptmann]

Hi all,

I believe these are known as Achievement medals. Originally in 1939 they were awarded as part of the All Union Agricultural Exhibition. I managed to pick up a couple super cheap a few weeks ago. These are the pics from the original owners. I'll have to do another set when the sun is out again and I can do them in natural light as that seems to get me the best results with my digital camera.

Not that you can tell from these pics but one of these is silver and the other gold in color. These are the smaller versions... my understand is that in 1939 they came in large and small versions as follows:

1st Class - Larger Gold Medal - 1,000

2nd Class - Smaller Gold Medal - 2,000

3rd Class - Larger Silver Medal - 3,000

4th Class - Smaller Silver Medal - 15,000

This is quoted from Byrnes Soviet awards reference.

The war years interrupted such exhibitions and when they finally picked back up in 1958 they were renamed the All Union Exhibition of National Economy Achievements as it was then intended to showcase not only agriculture but industry as well.

Medals of the first issue were in three classes... Gold, Silver and Bronze and were 32mm in diameter. They hung from a rectangular plate and green ribbon. The inscription reads All Union Agricultural Exhibition.

Medals of the second issue, of which I think mine are a part, were 23mm in diameter and hung from a magenta or rose purple ribbon. Both issues come with either a screw or pin back attachment. The inscription reads For Achievements In National Economy Of The USSR.

These two are small but I think they're very attractive medals and I hope to find more in time including those from the first issue with the green ribbons.

Thanks for looking,

Dan

[Riley1965]

Dan,

I like those. I just had to pull Daniel Byrne's book off of the shelf. Great find!!!

Doc

[Hauptmann]

Dan,

I like those. I just had to pull Daniel Byrne's book off of the shelf. Great find!!!

Doc

Hi Doc,

Many thanks! I too fell in love with them the minute I saw one. In fact, I didn't recognize it at first. Knew I'd seen something like it somewhere. My problem is that my copy of Byrne's book is a xerox copy someone gave me years ago when I started out in collecting Soviet awards. Only two bad things about that... one the ribbon chart is in black and white which doesn't do a whole lot of good. The other is that it was not a great copy job and some things are slightly cut off or not clearly shown. I definitely need to get a copy and hope to soon. Did you know there is also one in this series for French awards and another for Belgian awards? When I first got this I didn't even know it was an honest to goodness book... just something someone did and put out there for the benefit of fellow collectors.

Anyhow I dug through all my refs and then grabbed Byrne's and there it was in the back... hard to make out but there nontheless. I managed to get the gold for $11.50 (including shipping) and the silver for $8 (including shipping) so I don't think I did too bad on them. I'm keeping my eye out for more as they're just terrific little medals. Would love to get some of their big brothers as well. And it's another great design to boot.

Next time I see a flurry of them I'll give you a nudge and perhaps you can grab some too!

Thanks,

Dan

[Riley1965]

Dan,

Thanks!! I have his Soviet and Belgium book. I didn't know about the French book. I'll have to find it. I'll scan the full color ribbon chart and send it to you. It is kind of a rough looking chart. Also, Thanks in advance for keeping an eye open for the achievement medals.

Doc

[Hauptmann]

Dan,

Thanks!! I have his Soviet and Belgium book. I didn't know about the French book. I'll have to find it. I'll scan the full color ribbon chart and send it to you. It is kind of a rough looking chart. Also, Thanks in advance for keeping an eye open for the achievement medals.

Doc

Hi Doc,

Hey, no problem at all. Glad to help out if I can. I think it's a great area to move into. Just hope my budget starts to agree with me soon! Just too many shiney things out there that keep calling my name!

Thanks,

Dan

[Ed_Haynes]

I have put up the VDNKh medals I have -- in a group -- as part of the Shapovalona group. See: http://gmic.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=2735

[Riley1965]

Ed, You have me droolin' again!!! Excellent group!!!

Doc

[Hauptmann]

I have put up the VDNKh medals I have -- in a group -- as part of the Shapovalona group. See: http://gmic.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=2735

Hi Ed,

Great group! You've got me drooling too! Thanks so much for posting them!

Dan

[Chris S]

I have to admit there is not to much on these Agricultural achievement medals and are quite common and at great prices!..but I found these once and at first glance thought the seller was trying to take some one to the cleaners ...on closer inspection they are made out of 10K gold and the first issue Gold medals were made of just that!

Chris

Edited May 14, 2006 by Chris S

[Chris S]

Large front

Edited May 14, 2006 by Chris S

[Chris S]

The smaller Gold

[Chris S]

Large Gold Back...notice they are numbered...

Chris

[Chris S]

The samll Gold Back

[order_of_victory]

Heres my scew back version

Does any body know how many variations there are of these?

[Hauptmann]

Large Gold Back...notice they are numbered...

Chris

Hi Chris,

Okay, you say your's is an earlier one. There was nothing mentioned in Byrnes about serial numbers so I'm not sure what's what with that. But I've been looking at one with document where the document is numbered but from the picture there is no number on the award. I'd think there should be a matching number on the medal as on yours.

I hope someone can tell us about this in more detail as now I'm a bit skittish about trying to do anything on the other one as perhaps the medal and doc do not match. However, if later awards didn't necessarily have the numbers on the medals then perhaps it's okay. It's a 1955 award which I "think" is in bronze by the look of it in the pics.

So if anyone has any more info please let us know.

Thanks!

Dan

[Chris S]

Dan

Books are incomplete especially when concerning these medals...here is one with a document which is numbered but the medal is not...this is a later variation of a small Gol Medal

Chris

[Ed_Haynes]

These fascinating awards are almost totally unstudied in any serious sense and we, here, could perform a great service by trying to sort them out. Hint, hint . . . ???

[Chris S]

This is the complete group...I have all the docs...one of the medals is gold one alloy!

Chris

[Hauptmann]

Dan

Books are incomplete especially when concerning these medals...here is one with a document which is numbered but the medal is not...this is a later variation of a small Gol Medal

Chris

Chris,

Whew... okay, this makes me feel a bit better for sure! MANY thanks for posting that!!!! I'm actually breathing again!

Dan

[Hauptmann]

This is the complete group...I have all the docs...one of the medals is gold one alloy!

Chris

Chris,

Okay... are just the early ones actual gold and the later plated or are they all gold? And are there silvers or just the alloy ones?

I know in Byrnes it says earlier issues gold and silver, later issues gold, silver and bronze.

Dan

[Chris S]

Here are the documents for the two medals...1957 in alloy 1958 in Gold...I think this was the last year they awarded this type in Gold.

Alloy first...

Chris

[Chris S]

The gold doc....the medal was 10 K Gold. Completely under rated....very hard to find but I got this whole group for 150 US.

Chris

[Chris S]

Dan

I found this some years ago for 3 dollars....the price tag is still on the plastic bag...!

Chris

[Hauptmann]

These fascinating awards are almost totally unstudied in any serious sense and we, here, could perform a great service by trying to sort them out. Hint, hint . . . ???

Hi Ed,

AMEN to that!!!! Was my thought exactly in getting this going. I think also that it would be an excellent area for specialization which I'm really tempted to do... assuming I can find enough examples and info, etc.

They're beautiful little awards, definitely seem to have a great deal of variety as far as grades, sizes and even metal content as well as serial numbered and non-serial numbered examples.

There are also tons of other items to go with them... here's an example:

Another one I'm keeping my eye on. And I've seen some other types as well.

Just seems to me a logical area of Soviet collecting as so much of their society was wrapped around agriculture and industry these seem to be a natural in my eyes.

I know alot of folks don't get thrilled by labor awards... but in a way I'd think these are not truly labor awards as they're (by my understanding at least) more for the end result of such labor. I think they're kind of like the TR Seiger awards and such... or akin to say a big county fair here in the states where you win prizes for "best bull" or "best pie" or "best whatever". However on a much larger scale.

Also I wonder... were there any monetary prizes given with these awards? I know this was the case in the DDR with the Banner der Arbeit Orders with each grade getting more money.

I think it's just a fascinating field and I can only hope we're able to dig up alot more info on these.

Here's hoping! I'm certainly willing to do what I can.

Dan

[Chris S]

Also I wonder... were there any monetary prizes given with these awards? I know this was the case in the DDR with the Banner der Arbeit Orders with each grade getting more money....

I think in the early days if you got the gold medal you got a car which was a major deal then!

Doc open awarded in 1967 to Myyra Heljm Alexandrovna

Chris