Glory.

[Mozzabloke]

I have a glory 2nd class with the enamel missing from the star of the tower. it is not gold plated beneath. Im sure that the order has been re-plated as well as re-enamled at some point the factor that makes me think its original is the wear on the front and particularly the back which is in the correct position to have been made by the tip of the 3rd class (I have put one next to it to check).

[Nota Bene]

Bazanov,

I agree with Dave, it's probably unintentional. I think I would just clean this piece with some silver-cleaning solution, and then wait till it develops some patina.

Alexei

[Ed Maier]

I've seen something like this before. In a full Glory set, the Glory 2nd and 3rd were covered in a sort of varnish (I've also seen this only on a 2nd Class center). It looks very strange but I was able to se photographic evidence that the owner did this years ago as he was wearing the Orders with the varnish.

This one looks like the varnish was broken off at some time.


I'm happy that you received Paul's book as it is great, but the observation that only 2nd Classes have thin variations is outdated even by Paul's own admissions. There are a number of thin 3rd Classes and they appear to be mint mistakes that were thrown into the 3rd Class bucket and not discovered before they were serial numbered and issued.

They are not common but they do exist. I have seen about a half dozen over the past few years.

Just my opinion,
Ed Maier

[Lapa]

For what it's worth, it should clean up easily and without risk with acetone (pure acetone, not nail polish remover). It is chemically inert and will not attack the silver in any way.

Marc

[JensF.]

I still have the feeling that it is original. ;)
Please guys... the date with number 7943! Thanks!

[slava1stclass]

To all:

While the ranking remains current as of 29 November 2003, a fellow forum member recently PMed me with an interesting new case/twist.
Member was offered a Full Knight Set with accompanying Full Knight Booklet. All orders and the booklet appear to be authentic. The twist came when a check of the Order of Glory 1st Class serial number against Soviet/Russian archival records disclosed that this particular Full Knight winner was evidently awarded an Order of Glory 1st Class with a different serial number - different than that engraved on the Order of Glory 1st Class and recorded in the Full Knight Booklet offered to the forum member.
My thoughts follow. There are only two possibilities as I see it: 1) the 1st Class Order of Glory serial number listed in the Full Knight Booklet was very skillfully changed to make it match the 1st Class Glory order or 2) the archive did in fact make a mistake in recording the s/n of the 1st Class Glory awarded to this person i.e., he was actually awarded with the serial number engraved on the order and recorded in the Full Knight Booklet and the archive recorded the wrong serial number in its records.
Since so relatively few Orders of Glory 1st Class were awarded, and since the Soviets were meticulous record keepers when such high awards were bestowed, I can't imagine they would have made such an error.
As such, this may represent one of the first known attempts to doctor an authentic Full Knight Booklet to match a thrown together set of authentic Orders of Glory - an otherwise authentic Full Knight Booklet has one of its entries manipulated to make it support the accompanying "matching" Glory set.
Should fellow forum members have any thoughts on this development, please feel free to comment.

Regards,

slava1stclass

[Ed Maier]

I tend to agree that this would appear to be an attempt to fake a Cavalier set. In conducting archival research over the years, I have seen multiple occasions where a person was mistakenly awarded 2 Orders of Glory 3rd Class or 2 Orders of Glory 2nd Class. In all cases, detailed notes were added to the Award Card showing that the Order in error had been recended and a new Order of the next higher grade had been awarded with its serial number written down.

That being said, I have also seen 1 example of an error in serial number transcription. This was on a hand engraved serial number and the error was between a "7" and a "1." The rest of the numbers were correct and it is easy to see where they misread the number given the style of engraving.

With serial number lists for Glory 1st Classes being available, I would always have the serial number checked with the name on the list to see if it matches before buying a Cavalier group. They are too expensive to waste money on.

Just my opinion,
Ed M.

[slava1stclass]

Ed,

Thank you for your observations. In the case at hand, however, one could only have hoped that there would have been something as simple as a number "7" and a number "1" transcription error.
In this case, the serial number variance is much larger - the Order of Glory 1st Class in question is s/n 1965 while the archives indicate the Full Knight was actually awarded Order of Glory 1st Class s/n 3646 on 29 DEC 80 (to replace a double award of the Order of Glory 2nd Class). The Full Knight Set in question is that of: GNITIENKO, Vasiliy Platonovich.
Allegedly, the person offering the set for sale is himself a former member of this very forum - someone who went by the handle "CZ."

Regards,

slava1stclass

[new world]

slava1stclass,

There was so much bragging about this set and in the end it turned out to be cooked.

However, if I remember correctly, CZ bought it quite cheap, so even separate Slava stars now sell for way more what he paid...

William

[Dave]

Hi All-

Here are a couple citations I just got in some research. They are both to Glory 3rds, and they are unusual as they are the first ones (out of about 25) that I've owned that did NOT involve shooting people! Plus, the first fellow was OLD!

Enjoy!

--Dave

Citation 1:

Comrade Shanin has been participant of the Great Patriotic War on the Leningradsky Front since July 1941. As a lines telephone operator of the 996th Rifle Regiment, 286th Rifle Division he participated in battles near the MGA station in September 1941, where he was heavily wounded on 28 April 1942. As a result, he received 6-months leave. On 25 January 1943, he returned and served as a lines telephone operator in battles to break the siege of Leningrad and near Krasny Bor in January and February 1943. As a courier, he delivered ammunition to the front line to ensure the offensive continued in July and ____ber 1943 in the area of the Sinyavsky heights. In January and February 1944 he fought near the town of Pulkovo and the town of Narva, in June 1944 at the Isthmus of Karelia, in September 1944 in liberation of the Soviet Estonia, and in February-March 1945 at the Kurland Peninsula. In all these battles Comrade Shanin showed himself as a brave and courageous soldier. Comrade Shanin was a participant in the Civil War in 1918-1920. He was wounded in the battles near Leningrad in 1919.
He deserves to be awarded the Order of Red Star.

(His award was later upgraded/downgraded -depending on how you look at it- by the Division Commander)

Citation 2:

During the offensive in March and April Comrade Homenko fulfilled all military objectives from his commanders. Being in the fighting units, under heavy enemy fire he removed mines from the mine fields, allowing our infantry to successfully fulfill the military objectives of their commanders.
For creating the possibility for the infantry to fulfill their military objectives, for personal bravery and courage, Comrade Homenko deserves to be awarded the Order of Glory 3rd Class