DDR My DDR awards

[Hauptmann]

Hi Gordon,

Sorry... a slight misunderstanding. I'd meant I'd be happy to post closer shots if it would help to show others what you were saying. I totally understand. But again I feel I did okay even if they are put togethers (will PM).

Many thanks!

Dan :cheers:

[Hauptmann]

Hi Dan,

Here is some info for you on the award critaria for the Banner der Arbeit

Award critaria

The Banner of Labour (Banner der Arbeit) was awarded for "outstanding achievements of many years which stabilized and strengthened the country, and in particular for high results of working in the national economy".

The order was established on August 4th, 1954 in one class.

On August 8th, 1974 it was divided into three classes. The 1st Class was the highest class and each class included a cash award:

• 1st Class: 1,000 East Marks, limited to 250 per year
• 2nd Class: 750 East Marks, limited to 500 per year
• 3rd Class: 500 East Marks, limited to 1,000 per year

For collectives with up to 20 members, there were cash awards of 2,000, 3,500 and 5,000 Marks per member.

The Banner of Labour was awarded to:

• Individuals and collectives in all three classes.
• Enterprises, Collective organizations (Kombinate), institutions and cooperatives in the 1st Class.

A prerequisite was that individuals and members of collectives already have received other state awards. The Order could be given in any class several times, even to citizens of other countries.

The awards ceremony took place each year on the 1st May and this order was presented by the Chairman of the State Council or on his behalf. A certificate was presented with the Order.

The medal is gilded, with dimensions of 44 x 37 mm. It is worn on the left chest. Establishments were entitled to include symbol of the Order on their flag as well as on documents.

Regards Eddie

Hi Eddie,

Many thanks for this additional information. Although it appears the Banner one is a partial or complete put together but I think I did okay regardless so it doesn't bother me. But this is definitely valueable information on the Banner.

Thanks again,

Dan

[Hauptmann]

My latest two additions. Please forgive the photos... due to some leakage in my basement I've not been able to do scans for a bit but hoping to be able to soon. Plus I just won the second of these so it'll be at least a couple of weeks (I'm guessing) before it will arrive.

My first Serial Numbered DDR medal:

5 Year Faithful Service medal in the NVA Type 1 - (1956-59) Bronze, with serial number on reverse. DDR flag on the obverse without the State Seal.

And my first silver marked DDR medal:

10 Year Faithful Service medal in the NVA Type 3 - (1962-63) Silver "900" content stamp on reverse above the intersection of the crossed laurel branches.

Been waiting a long time to get an example of these. Hoping to be able to find the same at some point for the Medal of Merit of the NVA as that's by far my favorite DDR medal. So far I have quite a few of them but none with either a silver mark or serial number. But here's hoping some day...

Dan :cheers:

[Grant Broadhurst]

Very nice Dan especially the bronze ! :jumping:

[Hauptmann]

Very nice Dan especially the bronze !

Many thanks my friend!

Dan :cheers:

[Hauptmann]

My latest... just off Ebay:

A plaque of the Treptower Monument in Berlin.

Dan :cheers:

[Gordon Craig]

Dan,

Nice plaque. I have a cased one in silver. Someplace? I posted this on the DDR WAF and got some good info on it but no time know to look for my plaque or the thread on the WAF. I'll do that sometime but I am off to Vienna shortly.

Regards,

Gordon

[Hauptmann]

Dan,

Nice plaque. I have a cased one in silver. Someplace? I posted this on the DDR WAF and got some good info on it but no time know to look for my plaque or the thread on the WAF. I'll do that sometime but I am off to Vienna shortly.

Regards,

Gordon

Hi Gordon,

Many thanks! Never seen one in other grades so would love to see your's when you have the time to dig it out. Also any info would be deeply appreciated. I've been searching for a couple of days on the net on the off chance I'd get it but nothing on the plaques... only on the park and monuments, etc. Would definitely learn all I can about them.

Also, assuming there's a gold version then? Is your's in a blue case like mine or a different color?

Just so you know I also posted it here by itself in case you'd like to pop additional info there once you're back and squared away.

http://gmic.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=3412...mp;#entry320426

Will stay in a holding pattern and keep my fingers tightly crossed.

Mucho thanks!

Dan :cheers:

Edited February 15, 2009 by Hauptman

[Hauptmann]

A bit more info from the auction:

1. COUNTRY of ORIGIN : East Germany (DDR)

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2. CONTEXT : Medal Plaque commemorating a Soviet soldier saving a small German girl (see below for more details)

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3. ENGRAVER : no attribution

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4. COMPOSITION : appears to be Bronze, but may be a less expensive ?bronzed? metal ? no markings

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5. MINTMARK(S) : none

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6. CONDITION : Excellent

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7. DIMENSIONS : 94 mm x 40 mm

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8. WIDTH : 3.75 mm

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9. WEIGHT : 102 grams. With Presentation Box 240 grams.

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10. COMMENTS : The Soviet War Memorial (sometimes translated as the Soviet Cenotaph), is a vast war memorial and military cemetery in Berlin's Treptower Park. It was built to the design of the Soviet architect Yakov Belopolsky to commemorate 5,000 of the 80,000 Soviet soldiers who fell in the Battle of Berlin in April-May 1945. It opened four years after the war ended on 8 May 1949, and served as the central war memorial of East Germany.

The focus of the ensemble is a monument by Soviet sculptor Yevgeny Vuchetich: a 12-m tall monument of a Soviet soldier with a sword holding a child, standing over a broken swastika. Vuchetich's inspiration for the monument was Soviet soldier Nikolai Masalov (1922-2004), who on 30 April 1945 found a German girl wandering near Potsdamer Platz during the Battle of Berlin and brought her to safety. Despite rumors that this episode was Soviet propaganda, owing to a journalist use of a different name for the girl's rescuer, officially confirmed documents exist that substantiate at least five cases of Russian soldiers delivering small German children to orphanages during the Battle of Berlin. The base of the statue contains a small room lined in mosaics, in which wreaths are usually laid.

Dan :cheers:

[Hauptmann]

Hi all,

Nothing special in this first one... and missing the upper bar but got it for a song.

[Hauptmann]

And a silver Waffenbruderschaft medal:

I have a gold on the way so will have the full set soon!

Dan :cheers:

[ehrentitle]

And a silver Waffenbruderschaft medal:

I have a gold on the way so will have the full set soon!

Dan

Dan - Nice medal. Note that there is also an older version of the Waffenbruderschaft Medals without the rim.

[Hauptmann]

Dan - Nice medal. Note that there is also an older version of the Waffenbruderschaft Medals without the rim.

I know... so many goodies and so little time and money. Of course I guess I spread myself way too thin but I love a variety from many different countries and time periods. Another thing is having to have three (at least) of everything. Been looking for these at a decent price for quite some time and suddenly both turned up on German Ebay the same day and time as buy it nows. I jumped! Be so nice when the gold arrives and I can basically put this baby to bed. Any variations and such will be icing on the cake!

Dan :cheers:

[ehrentitle]

Just in case you should ever come across one, here are examples from my collecting showing the medal without the rim next to the one with the rim:

[Hauptmann]

Many thanks Kevin. I remember seeing them before... they have that distinct color difference and really do look great IMHOP.

Many thanks!!!!

Dan :cheers:

[speedytop]

Hi Dan,

with the silver medal it is easy, always two stripes, with or without the rim.

But the medals in bronze and gold you can find with one or three stripes, based on the award period.

Here is one example with a bronze and a gold medal, both with three stripes, both medals without the rim:

Uwe

[Hauptmann]

Hi Dan,

with the silver medal it is easy, always two stripes, with or without the rim.

But the medals in bronze and gold you can find with one or three stripes, based on the award period.

Here is one example with a bronze and a gold medal, both with three stripes, both medals without the rim:

Uwe

Hi Uwe,

Many thanks for sharing this and that wonderful bar!

One thing... wouldn't that have caused some confusion re: ribbon bars? As here they skipped award of the silver and I've seen such before where you didn't necessarily receive them in grade order but might skip as here... or get two of one grade, then another, etc. Very confusing... or at least potentially so and especially when they wore only the ribbon bars. And in this situation having all the ribbons for that series of medals eventually being the same even more so.

Any idea why they did that with this particular award... making the ribbons all the same? If it was cost cutting I can't see where doing it for just one award would make that much of a difference when all the others used difference ribbons for different grades of the award.

Dan :cheers:

[speedytop]

Hi Dan,

as Frank Bartel say: "Nichts ist unm?glich", nothing is impossible.

The bar is one of four bars from a Lieutenant General in my collection. And he had some more bars, with six medals in a row (not in my collection).

He never received the "Waffenbr?derschaft" medal in silver; in bronze 1966, in gold 1982. And two foreign "Waffenbr?derschaft" medals in 1970, Czech and Bulgarian.

And he never received the "Verdienstmedaille der NVA" in bronze, his first was the silver medal (numbered) in 1959. But he received two "Verdienstmedaillen der NVA" in gold, 1960 and 1965.

Nothing is impossible.

Uwe

Edited June 23, 2009 by speedytop

[corvaton]

Nice collection!!

[Hauptmann]

Another VvO:

As you can see the ring has been replaced (very good job too!) at some point. Eventually hope to find the matching ribbon bar and case for it.

The last owner included this note with it:

This medal from our collection was obtained from an American woman who used to live here in Australia some years ago. She in turn obtained it from an East German who successfully got over the Berlin Wall approximately a year before it came tumbling down. She worked for the U.S. Army in Berlin (American Zone). She was a bit of a collector (also brought me a piece of the Berlin Wall with the grafiti).

A shame more information does not follow most of what we collect. But it was nice of them to send this along.

Dan

[Grenzflieger]

Nice VVO! Still missing in my collection It's a pitty indeed that we don't know much of the most stuff we own. Most of the items have been true a lot..

By the way I've bought a medal for Verdienste in der Reservistenarbeit bronce. I will post a pic as soon as it arrives from germany. You don't see these that much. Of course it's not as rare as most VVO's.

[Hauptmann]

Many thanks! And hey... you'll get there. I'm still locating and getting goodies I thought I never would. Most if not all good things come in time. You've just gotta be dilligent and keep your eyes peeled. And I've also found that once in a while such things just kind of walk in the door and end up in your lap. Two examples... many years back a friend came over one afternoon and handed me a WWII Japanese helmet, complete with the liner, straps (still tied in the proper way), etc., in absolutely mint condition. His grandfather had brought it back from the war. He was long passed on, his grandmother was moving to an assisted living facility and they were clearing out the big house. His dad found it and asked if he wanted it. He said he really didn't have any interest but could he give it to a friend which was agreed. Sadly I wasn't that much into Japanese items at that time and later traded it off for some TR. I've regretted it almost from that moment. I knew the guy, tried to get it back many times but the guy took advantage of me as a new collector on several other items and I broke with him. Sigh. The idiot mistakes of youth.

Then recently one of my wife's co-workers and a new friend to both of us was running the Schwans (frozen foods) route here in our town as a substitute. He came by for our order and I had him in and we talked a bit as I showed him a few highlights of the collection as he was intro'd. He had a few odds and ends he'd picked up over the years but didn't really collect. He'd mentioned he thought he had a German Wound Badge. I showed him my collection and it was confirmed. He said his had two screws on the back. I mentioned that I had never managed to add such to my collection. He said it's yours if you'd like it. It was all I could do to not fall over! And when I got it a few days later and then had it confirmed by our fellow members, not only as authentic but as a silver... it was again about all I could do to stand up!

You just never know what's coming around that next bend in the road. I pray you'll find and get that VvO real soon! And would love to see your newest addition. Will keep an eye out for your post.

Dan

[ehrentitle]

Another VvO:

As you can see the ring has been replaced (very good job too!) at some point. Eventually hope to find the matching ribbon bar and case for it.

The last owner included this note with it:

This medal from our collection was obtained from an American woman who used to live here in Australia some years ago. She in turn obtained it from an East German who successfully got over the Berlin Wall approximately a year before it came tumbling down. She worked for the U.S. Army in Berlin (American Zone). She was a bit of a collector (also brought me a piece of the Berlin Wall with the grafiti).

A shame more information does not follow most of what we collect. But it was nice of them to send this along.

Dan

Hauptman - It's a great later Bronze VVO. However, after years of collecting US Medals, my advice is to buy the medal based on it's merits not on the story. This may not be the case with your medal, but often a compelling story is meant to increase the sale value of a medal. Without documentation a story is just a story. And how likely would it be that someone fleeing East Germany would have the presence of mind to bring a DDR state order over with them, especially if they escaped over the Wall.

Edited January 16, 2010 by ehrentitle

[Hauptmann]

Oh I totally agree. In this case I got it for a very very good price with no story at all. The story was just a note included with it when it arrived here from Australia. So no more asked or added to it. Just what they passed along.

Dan

[Grenzflieger]

Hauptmann, I guess these these experiences make collecting a nice hobby. Sometimes you lose some (mostly because of your own stupidity) and sometimes you get your hands on some thing special (mostly because of coincidence). The fact that it's not as predictable as the weather makes it a intersting hobby. I guessluck is more important than money in this 'business'. So with a little luck I will have my own VVO soon :beer: