05-02-2004, 07:38 PM (This post was last modified: 06-19-2006, 09:39 PM by Taz.)
My collecting focus drifted from the Soviet Union to Bulgaria, from an area flooded by fakes to a field without fakes (yet). Not having to worry about fakes makes it possible to concentrate more on awards as witnesses of history.
In the process, I learned to admire the small nation of about 8 million people who survived 500 years of Turkish occupation without losing their nationality. Their maneuvering between big powers, Germany and Soviet Union in WWII, and their transition from a monarchy to a People’s Republic and then from a Communist state to a democracy, where the former Tsar is prime minister now, fascinates me.
I believe the People's Republic of Bulgaria, sometimes called the 16th Soviet Republic or the little brother of the Soviet Union, deserves a special place in this Forum.
10-13-2004, 09:24 PM (This post was last modified: 10-13-2004, 09:32 PM by d-riemer.)
dannybou Wrote:As of this writing, is the Bulgarian market still free from fakes?
Bulgaria followed the lead of the Soviet Union with Long-Service Medals (10, 15 and 20 years) for the Military and the Interior Ministry (MVR). The MVR medals were initiated in 1965. Until 1969, people in the Fire Departments were not part of the MVR and were awarded with medals that had the "MBP" lettering abraded at the mint before plating. The quantities needed for the firefighters were apparently not large enough to justify a special coinage. After 1969, firefighters received the regular MVD medals with lettering. The initial firefighter medals are rare but easy to fake. The 1st class firefighter medal (gold for 20 years) was impossible to find but suddenly has shown up on the market. I advise caution with all firefighter long-service medals without lettering in the 6 pm position.
dannybou Wrote:See it and hard to catch unless you use a magnifying glass or have good eyes.
It is worse than that. You cannot tell even with a magnifying glass whether the letters were abraded by the mint in the 1960s or by some entrepreneur in more recent years. The appearance of the plating may be the only things that gives the fakes away.
I wonder whether my 10-year medal, shown with visible abrasion marks in the magnified picture above, is genuine. My 15-year medal looks much better almost without any signs of the abrasion process.
There have been an increasing number of "fake" Bulgarian awards on the market in the last few months mainly the 1st type of Orders of People's Liberty 1941-44 and Orders of 9-IX-1944. Some folks have been taking type 2 orders (which have are multipiece) and just removing the ribbon bar and loop at the top. Some are done really well and some are ground off really crudely so you have to look out for those! and the really poor "fakes" are type 3 Orders of People's Liberty 1941-44 2nd Class type 3 which have had a newly made bust glued on the front and then a wrong sized screwpost with a fake screwplate attached to the reverse. I managed to track down the person producing the mutilated type 3 orders and reported him to the Bulgarian authorities I haven't seen any new ones put into circulation recently but there are dozens of fakes out there... Then again at the other end of the spectrum I have an Order of People's Liberty 1941-44 2nd Class Type 1 Variation 2 (The 4 piece variation) which has just had a whole drilled into the top star ray and attached to a kolodka and had the screwpost cut down. So things can go both ways. Even though Bulgarian awards aren't the most collectable, desirable or valuable in the world there are folks out there willing to fake even the most common of awards to make a few dollars or even a few cents.... I've even seen a fake order listed as a fake order on ebay go for more than you could purchase the real deal for!
