The "retrospective view" the post communist Bulgaria has on the PRB is different to the view the Russian Federation has on its communist period. Most Bulgarian awards (but by no means all) were poorer quality than the Soviet counterparts. The mint was pushing out lots of PRB items in "mint" condition in the 90's and even to this date but they were all "left over" stock and not "modern" production. Some items were over-produced to such an extent that even some awards that were issued by both the Tsardom and People's Republic are still so numerous that there are piles of them unissued.
Some bright sparks have also recently had the idea of buying up old stock in bulk (award, case, document) and stamping it with their own "fund" rubber stamp and awarding the now defunct awards to those who cough up the $$. Somewhat parallel to what Umalatova once did.
Very little need to fake most Bulgarian items as there are still tens of thousands of them piles in the warehouses.
Now if you get your hands on the "International Botev Prize" in 23k gold or the Order "13 Centuries Of Bulgaria" you will find that they CAN NOT be beaten for quality. Then again you will need a "quality" amount of money to purchase them. Most of the items (such as commemoratives) are of a rather average quality but they also usually go for very little money too.
Now if you're looking for poor quality, late communist period Albanian pieces are what you want! But quality and authenticity are two totally different beasts.
CtahhR Wrote:The "retrospective view" the post communist Bulgaria has on the PRB is different to the view the Russian Federation has on its communist period. Most Bulgarian awards (but by no means all) were poorer quality than the Soviet counterparts. The mint was pushing out lots of PRB items in "mint" condition in the 90's and even to this date but they were all "left over" stock and not "modern" production. Some items were over-produced to such an extent that even some awards that were issued by both the Tsardom and People's Republic are still so numerous that there are piles of them unissued.
Some bright sparks have also recently had the idea of buying up old stock in bulk (award, case, document) and stamping it with their own "fund" rubber stamp and awarding the now defunct awards to those who cough up the $$. Somewhat parallel to what Umalatova once did.
Very little need to fake most Bulgarian items as there are still tens of thousands of them piles in the warehouses.
Now if you get your hands on the "International Botev Prize" in 23k gold or the Order "13 Centuries Of Bulgaria" you will find that they CAN NOT be beaten for quality. Then again you will need a "quality" amount of money to purchase them. Most of the items (such as commemoratives) are of a rather average quality but they also usually go for very little money too.
Now if you're looking for poor quality, late communist period Albanian pieces are what you want! But quality and authenticity are two totally different beasts.
Good points. And, likewise, quality and historical interest are mutually exclusive variables.
03-22-2012, 07:23 AM (This post was last modified: 03-22-2012, 07:26 AM by Sergei.)
Here is an example of a plastic sleeve unsuitable for medals. After a couple of years, the brass/copper in the suspension began to react with the chemicals in the pouch giving greenish deposits. You can see traces of green on the sleeve. Fortunately, silver and gilt in the medallion did not suffer any damage.
Sergei
PS perhaps it's best to move this post to the thread on preserving documents.
I currently have c3000 awards in plastic envelopes and frankly I wouldn't have a clue how to store the quantity without these uniform sized envelopes. I buy all the "Medal" size ones for a single source and all are uniform and I buy all the "Miniature" size from another source buy they are also uniform.
The "Medal" size ones easily eat nearly all Medals and Orders on Kolodkas (although some Orders are a bit too big) and the "Miniature" size ones are perfect for the standard DPRK Medals and Medals on rectangular suspensions like the 100th anniversary of Lenin.
I did a nice bit of research before I started enveloping the collection and bought what I thought was best for the money. So far no issues at all other than needing to buy more and more of them. A good tip when using them though is to give the award a wipe before it goes in (unless it is fresh from the mint) and also allow it to dry out if you've washed it. If not the envelope gets steamed up and there can be reactions caused by "stuff" on the surface of the Medal.
Both of these envelopes are purchased in bulk (500 at a time) from numismatist suppliers (I didn't purchase mine they were purchased for me so I have no details).
My envelopes are mainly stored in an oak cabinet with closed doors and in a reasonable climate so the sun, dust and rats don't get to them.
These envelopes fix that problem and that is the very problem I had.
There comes a point though when not having the goodies brush together becomes rather important due to scratching and the cheap "enamel" coming off. The envelopes fix that.
I had an afternoon where I was just putting named Pakistani Medals into the envelopes and then arranging them away by recipient's serial number. Fun soon becomes tedium which then becomes frustration.
Almost everything in the collection is fully catalogued and "arranged".
For example say a nation's entire set of awards fit into 1 uniform envelope they will be arranged Titles (by date of institution) Orders (by date and serial number if same award) Medals (by date and serial number) Badges (by date and number) and then whatever else is knocking about. Makes things very easy to find.... if you know what you're looking for!
CtahhR Wrote:I had an afternoon where I was just putting named Pakistani Medals into the envelopes and then arranging them away by recipient's serial number. Fun soon becomes tedium which then becomes frustration.
:laff Since there are almost NO named Pakistani medals!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
1948 was a good year for named Pakistani Medals and I got a job lot.
Storage for screwback Medals such as earlier Soviet and Mongolian ones is more difficult. Most screwbacks I screw on to something, I like to frame them but I can't always do that for everything so sometimes they get screwed into foam and rolled up for storage or an unused pizza box is good for screwing them and then closing the lid so dust doesn't get all over them.
There are all sorts of tricks for storage out there but there is difficulty with pinback orders, neck awards and sashes as they don't just fit in an envelope and I can't really put them in a pizza box either.
Awards in their original cases are easier to store. I have two trunks full and about 1/4 of the space under my bed.
If American awards in their cardboard boxes have anything to teach us it's how to store awards. You get 40 in a crate! Fresh out of the quartermaster's.
CtahhR Wrote:1948 was a good year for named Pakistani Medals and I got a job lot.
True, most of what you see named for Pakistan is the Pakistan Medal (the "independence medal"), though so many are to the police (though dealers invent fantasies). Easily available in Rawalpindi by the kilo. Some of the gallantry awards are named, some police medals are, and a few of the 1965 War Star, but not much else.
With the right wood, I'd be in business, but most of what my wife (and an entomologist) has come up with won't do.
(And I have had very VERY bad experiences with these toxic plastic medal-condoms!).
I know what you mean with the envelopes. If something arrives in one it is taken out and the envelope goes into a shoebox with all the other envelopes I can't be sure are safe (I don't know why I save them but I do). Some of the 1970's and 80's ones have perished by now and some seem like you only put them Medal in it to be eaten.
Of the 135 1948's in the collection none are named to Police surprisingly, although around 10% are to logistics which is far less surprising. Wonder if I could ever do any research on them.
If I could get them by the Kilo the same price I got these I'd buy them all! Re-ribboning them with a reel of original ribbon and a pair of scissors was so tedious and systematic I can not remember doing it at all.
I keep all of my documented awards elsewhere as not to get them confused but with the influx of hundreds of documents recently I will have to invent a new way to ensure groups live together but the documents also get the best care. The first step to storing documents however is to make a digital scan so no matter what happens there is always a copy for reference. Paper has it in its nature to decompose.
