"Friendship" Medal.

[Pravda]

All,

Does anyone know how often Friendship Medals were issued to Soviet military personnel? Additionally, do we know how many went to veterans of the GPW and were they awarded them on specific anniversaries. I have seen a few photos of Soviet officers who served in Mongolia during the GPW who are wearing Friendship Medals.

Thanks!

Will

[CtahhR]

Here is #3317. The prices have seriously dropped over the last few years and can now be picked up for under $100 any day of the week.

[Pravda]

I am a big fan of this medal, due to the vivid blue enamel on the enameled suspension. I have acquired two Friendship medals in the low 100s over the past few years. Here is 0414, which was awarded to a Soviet KGB lieutenant colonel. The photo and stamp back up this claim. It was awarded in 1967, the first year of issuance for the medal.

[Pravda]

Here are the rest of the document photos. :)

[Pravda]

Here is the document for Friendship Medal #0696 awarded to Soviet citizen Sergey Afanasevich Rysevets on 12.12.1967 by decree 166 of the Presidium of the People's Great Khural.

As far as I am aware, this is the earliest and lowest-serial numbered awarding of the medal that we have observed.


Cheers,
Alex

Interestingly, I just noticed that the documented medal (#0414) I just posted was issued on the same date under the same decree as the document for #0696 that Alex posted back in 2012. An interesting coincidence.

[Pravda]

Here is a recent acquisition of mine. It is a partially documented (missing Mongolian medal book) Medal of Friendship to a Hungarian citizen. The medal came with the original box and ribbon and while it does not have the Mongolian issue book, it does have the appropriate Hungarian issue document.

I think this is my fifth example of this medal. Like the OPS and OCV, I have seemed to collect alot of these. The horde never stops expanding!

Cheers,
Will

[desantnik]

Nice piece - not every day one found awarded to a foreigner.

[Pravda]

Thanks Paul. I was pleased with it and the condition. These are very nice medals and for some reason, I cannot stop buying them. To get me with a Hungarian document really ia a plus.