2015 has been a super bumper year for collecting awards focused upon by this forum. With prices absolutely collapsing and the markets being flooded it has been very difficult for me to not buy up large numbers of them. With research cheaper than ever before it is also now more affordable to find the stories behind the awards. It was a rather strange reversal of events of previous years where I would be ecstatic with a researched award entering the collection once every few weeks or months to one every one-two weeks to, with the combined dropping prices and ease of access to research, up to 20 researched awards entering the collection in a single day. This has caused a good backlog of researched awards/groups that it may take some time to clear.
Although this doesn't include 48 researched awards I've obtained and don't have access to, nor the 17 awards I've obtained and research is pending, nor 18 awards I obtained before 2015 where research is pending. As I said, a real backlog.
Although this year has been extremely busy for me (not helped by the market being so appealing for collectors and research) I have been trying to throw out as much as I can for everyone to enjoy or simply use as reference. Just under 500 posts this year, so rather quiet for me. Don't worry I'll keep throwing the posts out there as I can.
Posting new information/pieces is not the only time consuming part of the forum. This year has seen a change of ownership and a promotion. This has caused more consumption of time with a reshuffle of the forum, whilst at the same time 50+ new sections (They're out there if you look through the forums). The forum is looking better and is easier to search and access the information you need than ever before. There is still quite a lot of "archiving" to do of older posts but they get chipped away at from time to time.
2015 was a great year for the forum and 2016 is poised to be even better. Cheaper prices and easier research is a very positive thing for us collectors.
Just a couple of days ago I found a list of the items in the collection from a few months before I joined the forum. Over 1000 awards, it seemed a lot at the time but it was just genesis. It certainly help me be retrospective. Not even all of those have been posted yet, talk about backlog!
All I can say for 2016 is brace yourself for more previously unseen items (I just made a purchase that is almost unbelievable in content), more tales of research than ever before (I personally have researched groups for combat in each of the battles of Moscow, Leningrad and Stalingrad to post) and more than likely even more Forum sections (It seems difficult to believe there are sections missing but it's true).
I thought 2015 would be a year that would take some beating but 2016 has blown it completely out of the water.
I thought the 45 researched awards I posted in 2015 would be the high water mark but 2016 has seen 135 Researched Soviet Medals and 30 Researched Soviet Orders - That's getting close to one every other day. A trend I don't see slowing in 2017 as prices continue to fall.
There are so many researched awards that I won't even try to post links to them all but they can be see in these two sections;
Every major battle seems to be covered and almost every conceivable role - Balloonist, Folk Singer, T-34 Driver, Pilot, Cook, Machinegunner, Desk Jockey, ICBM Tester, etc....
As seems to be the yearly echo - there is a backlog (and it's bigger than ever). 2017 will continue to showcase the exploits of participants in the Great Patriotic War but will also probably also uncover the labour exploits of those who served the state during the Cold War. I don't want to speak too soon but there might just be a group to a worker on the Vostok-1 programme coming out of the woodwork soon.
As I also enjoy spreading my interests, I've also been working on post-Soviet awards. The Russian Federation has had a new wave of ministerial awards and I challenged myself to complete the Ministry Of Defence Medals set. I didn't get them all but I don't think falling only 7 short of the complete set is too big of a failure considering how many fakes are out there. There's always 2017 to complete the task.
My favourite of them all has to be Demining Palmyra as I have not seen another real example for sale although I have seen hundreds of fake ones sell - often for silly money.
Russian Federation awards may be the most discussed and reported of all the post-Soviet awards but I do like the more obscure ones.
I like to get even more obscure though, going where no-one has been before or even completely missing from the map (like Karakalpakstan) and 2016 has been the very best year for the awards of "Unrecognised States".
There have, of course, been additions almost completely over the board. New or at least newly obtained or posted items that have often never been seen anywhere online before. This feat will be repeated in 2017.
Since my greatest achievements of have been completely off topic I'll leave them where they belong - elsewhere. I can say however that what is posted here is only the very tip of the iceberg. "The stories I could tell".
I know 2016 has been a rather double edged sword for many enthusiasts too. Research is now very accessible with more resources than ever and the continuing fall in prices makes collecting more appealing. However, those who "invested" during the booms times have found the reality of the market a very difficult pill to swallow. It has been nice to see not only more people get into Soviet awards but plenty returning after a long absence.
Mentioning people getting into and returning - the forum has seen new highs in the amount of users using it, hits, new items being posted and there have been even more sections created (around 50 in 2016 alone - if they don't strike you at once, good, they're supposed to blend in).
The research service I've been offering has been taking some serious interest - over 500 requests to date. Considerably more hits than misses too. This service will be expanding later in 2017. There are a few pieces outstanding and some people I need to get back to and I'll be on to that very soon. Mainly good news.
When it comes to the forum, research and collecting - a very good year indeed. Let us all continue to build on that in 2017.
It's a positive distraction from more negative things at least.
2017 has been the most busy year so far for me, it's been difficult to keep up with everything and almost impossible to catch up on some ongoing projects. I certainly intend to get some major projects finished in 2018 or at very least give it an ambitious try.
As I predicted, prices are still falling (though research is up slightly) and it is still a great time to be a collector. In fact a few days ago I bought an Order Of The Red Star (900k serial range) for a price that I don't think has happened in a generation - $8. I don't think that $8 will become a usual price for them but at the same time, prices will edge ever closer to that.
I set myself a target at the start of the year to post at least one Researched Medal per week, I fortunately managed that - in Medals "For Bravery" alone. There have been 32 Military Groups posted that with the addition of additional researched solo pieces accumulates to 26 Researched Orders and 93 Researched Medals. Not quite the heights of 2016 but I have been changing focus slightly (when I've not been too busy too focus!)
Away from Soviet items, I've posted a fairly random array of awards, documents and groups from areas covered here. 9 documented Vietnamese Orders pretty much summed up my short lived focus on Vietnamese awards - although I have a backlog of hundreds of Vietnamese items to post. When there's time!
Finding a Documented Lao Order to a foreigner wasn't an easy task - Freedom Order
I think my focus may have been mainly towards awards from Armenia and the Artsakh Republic, there are now over 150 items from those nations in the collection. Last week I picked up an exceptional 14 award (yet incomplete - for now) group to an Armenian "Suicide Squad" volunteer. I got the group directly from the family and the group may grow as they continue to go through his things, although the missing Document and Medal may be long lost. This group also busts an old myth about NKR war combatants - I'll save that for another day.
This years highlight out of all the Armenian/NKR bits I've picked up and posted is an easy choice for me. Type 1 Variation 1 Gratitude Medal. That award was at the very, very top of my wants list. I suppose I'll try and research it in 2018 too.
The forum continues to expand. There have been at least 25 new forum sections created in 2017, with the latest created just yesterday. "Always Ascending".
The forum software is still awaiting its long overdue update, although that is something out of my control. That may bring back some of the options that were lost in 2015, after a cyber attack, I don't know.
My research services have been very heavily used this year, with more than 1,500 researches being performed to date, with less than a dozen "not found" results. At least three "top end" dealers use my services, so I'm quite happy that they continue to be repeat customers. Some other researchers even use me to research for them, my contact has found the "unfindable". I also sometimes spend a whole day searching on "the site" to make sure the correct citation goes with the correct award (trying to undo administrative mistakes isn't always a quick fix!). It's due to being bombarded by so many requests that I've not been able to finish researching my own backlog - 41 awards still on that pile, with a considerably higher number of citations I'll have to obtain away from "the site".
What will 2018 bring? Pretty much the same as 2017, prices falling a bit more, more research and more goodies posted on the forum for all to enjoy. Not forgetting to mention - more fakes on the market! I know I have some interesting groups and a few pieces of gold to post in 2018. The best things will probably be a surprise to me - maybe some strange and completely unexpected research.
I really need to start making a good headway into the backlog of things to post on the forum I've got. Thousands and thousands of scans and that's without touching on the 980 Bulgarian groups I still need to post.
It's that time already, another year gone, but not forgotten.
A very busy year for me, so I feel like I have been quiet on the forum, even though I've thrown out 500+ posts. Not only have I been busier than ever, I've changed focus slightly, whilst at the same time still picking up hundreds and hundreds of forum related items. I still have items coming in and a backlog of 31 serial numbered awards to research (and thousands of pieces to post).
Once again there have been new sections created and a continued, yet slow, clean up of the forum (I know there are a great number of intra-forum links to fix). Plenty of goodies to be purchased on the Marketplace too, for participating users.
The prices of Soviet Awards (and militaria in general) have stayed down or even continued to decrease - great news for collectors! With research being the most accessible ever.
I also have around 120 more to add to this thread - though they were all picked up before 2018.
The photographs are of some of the bits I have on hand today that have been distracting my focus this year, there's a lot more but this is a fair insight. I've been researching them as best I can too, which also takes time.
As these items fall outside the sphere of the forum, I'll explain what's there.
Photo #1,
British Indian Titles "Khan Bahadur" (2nd Class) and "Khan Sahib" (3rd Class) both awarded to the same recipient (also a Type 1 MBE, not pictured) for civilian service during the Great War (3rd Class awarded 1st January 1915 and the other two awarded 1st January 1920). I have new ribbon and will be mounting the complete group
Waterloo Medal (where Campaign Medals started) named to a driver of the Rocket Brigade, a participant at the Battle Of New Orleans as well as the Peninsular War and Waterloo. He later emigrated to the USA and I've found his grave in Ohio.
Punjab Medal with Chilianwala Clasp named to a KIA private of the 24th Foot, top shelf when it comes to British Campaign Medals (The 24th Foot lost 255 KIA on the day).
India General Service Medal with North West Frontier Clasp named to a Sepoy of the 2nd Punjab Infantry.
India General Service Medal with Burma 1885-7 Clasp named to a private of the 2nd Battalion, Royal Munster Fusiliers.
China Medal with Relief Of Pekin Clasp named to a sepoy of the 24th Punjabis - one of the first men to break the siege.
King's South Africa Medal named to a Private of the 2nd Battalion, Scottish Rifles - This is a duplicate, issued to his next of kin in the USA, his original was lost when he drowned in service in 1910. I have an original bar and clasps to restore it.
Transport Medal with S. Africa 1899-1902 Clasp named to a Surgeon on original ribbon. Only 1,219 were awarded, often unresearchable. I have found dozens of pages of information on the recipient - a game changer.
General Service Medal with S. Persia Clasp named to a sepoy of the 2nd Battalion, 1st Brahmans.
A pair of British War Medals on original ribbon, one to a Canadian private, with full service record and one to a Royal Artillery Gunner with a Medal Index Card and roll.
Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal, court mounted on original ribbon.
Photo #2,
Military Medal, 1914 Star with Clasp Group to a private of the 2nd Battalion, Royal Berkshire Regiment. Immediate Military Medal awarded for action at Langemarck 16th-18th August 1917.
India General Service Medal with Waziristan 1901-2 Clasp named to a Bugler of the 17th Infantry - someone who was in the thick of it from the original ambush.
King George V Silver Jubilee Medal, tired old ribbon but only 85,234 awarded.
1914 Star with Clasp Trio to a Sapper/Warrant Officer of the Territory Force's Royal Engineers. Only one company of TF RE managed to make it to France in time to receive the Star and Clasp, so this is a very rare Trio and in immaculate condition.
Two 1914 Stars, the first to a KIA Sepoy of the 57th Rifles (named on the Menin Gate) and the second to a unique rank amongst this award - the only 1st Class Agent awarded the 1914 Star. Only 31,365 1914 Stars were awarded to the British Indian Army. (I have ribbon for all these awards.)
India General Service Medal with Waziristan 1921-24 Clasp named to a bearer of the 1st Battalion, 2nd Gurkha Rifles.
Two India General Service Medals with North West Frontier 1936-37 Clasps, one to a lascar and one to a gunner of the Royal Artillery.
Photo #3,
Four 1914-15 Stars, Two to Indian Cavalry, Two to Indian Supply.
11 British War Medals, one to a sepoy of the 24th Punjabis, one to a private of the ASC, one to a private of the RAMC, one to a KIA corporal of the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry, 6 to Canadians; (All with full service records)
One to a 51 year old - lied his way to the trenches!
one to a sapper in the Canadian Engineers
one to a sapper of the 1st Tunnelling Company, wounded in action whilst digging!
one to a gunner of the 10th Siege Battery, died of wounds
one to a gunner of the Canadian Field Artillery
one to a French-Canadian private of the Canadian Forestry Corps that died in service of Pneumonia.
Finally, one to a Seaman of the Royal Newfoundland Navy - less than 2,000 rotated through the force throughout the war (He was in prison during the next war).
23 Victory Medals, mainly to British Indians (one died in service) but a few to British soldiers.
A very busy but successful year. Who knows what 2019 will bring? I suppose we'll ll have to find out as the forum continues to grow.
2019 has been a busy year. Not just for me but for the forum. In November 2019 we saw the record number of simultaneous users - 483! The forum was also updated in June, which after a decade of waiting was well received, even if it has caused issues with the SNDB2.
There has also been a few dozen new sub-forums created, you'll find them when you need to.
Although I have been very busy with many different projects, including some audio/visual releases (always nice to get a mention in the liner notes) and live events, I have still managed to throw out just over 400 posts, which is a reasonable amount for an solidly active user.
When it comes to new Soviet Awards only 4 Researched Orders and 57 Researched Medals this year, up from last year but still shy of the old highs. That being said, research has recently been added to many awards previously posted, often tricky research with "NKGB" and "NKVD" popping up with far more frequency (I'm not posting the new research to awards posted before 2019, it's out there if you want to see it). There are only 8 "military" awards left in the collection that are unresearched and the Central Archive Of The Ministry Of Defence has confirmed that none of them are in their archives (A Red Banner, 5 Red Stars and 4 "Combat Merits") so they are most likely MVD long service awards. I will see if I can get that cleared up in the new year.
There have been plenty of other bits posted to many areas of the forum, all adding to the collected information available to reference. Of those multitudes of items the ones that stick out most are the 80 years after the fact award, a gift from the Chinese People and a group that keeps growing.
I still have a vast backlog of items to scan/photograph/post, which is still growing rather than shrinking. Every year I think I am going to be able to make major progress on it and every year I fail. We'll have to see what 2020 brings.
As I mentioned, I haven't been fully focussed on only the sphere of the forum and I've been acquiring and researching more awards from across the British Empire.
Being as unrelenting as 2019 was, I was also elected to the board of the local coin club, so as an active ember of that, I've also tried to obtain items of interest to the other members.
Photo #1, Some of the 2019 arrival British Empire pieces.
Row One;
Sutlej Medal With Ferozeshuhur Clasp, 31st Foot. This was originally displayed at the world renowned Military And Naval Exhibition, 130 years ago.
Baltic Medal, Royal Marine Artillery.
Crimea Medal With Alma, Balaklava And Sebastopol Clasps, awarded to a Private of the 42nd who was killed in action with it on his chest during the Indian Mutiny.
Crimea Medal With Sebastopol Clasp, 18th Foot.
China Medal With Taku Forts 1860 Clasp to 31st Foot.
Pair of Canada General Service Medal With Fenian Raid 1870 Clasp and Army Long Service And Good Conduct Medal to a RA Gunner.
Afghanistan Medal With Ali Musjid Clasp, 81st Foot.
Afghanistan Medal, 15th Foot, not issued until 12th October 1938, when the recipient was in his 80's.
Afghanistan Medal, 72nd Highlanders, issued 13th September 1919 - without his clasps as the mint had run out.
India General Service Medal With Samana 1891 Clasp to a Hospital Assistant.
India General Service Medal In Silver With Waziristan 1901-1902 to the Bugler of the 17th Infantry - the unit that was ambushed, triggering the campaign.
Four 1915 Stars, Three to Indians, One Royal Field Artillery.
Row Two;
Group of five plus dogtag to a child soldier of the Boer War and Old Contemptible; Queen's South Africa Medal With Cape Colony And Orange Free State Clasps, King's South Africa Medal With South Africa 1901 And South Africa 1902 Clasps, 1914 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal. As a Royal Norfolk he went to South Africa at 16 and as a member of the 3rd Hussars he landed in France on 15th August 1914. He never claimed his Clasp.
A South African World War One Trio to a Mounted Medic. 1915 Star, British War Medal, South African War Medal. He died in service in January 1943, one of the 11,023 SA casualties of the Second World War.
Group of five to a British Veteran of the German East Africa Campaign, Canadian Legion Post Commander and Gold Star Father of a Medal Of Honor Recipient. Gold Star Lapel Button, 1915 Star, British War Medal, Victory Medal and Canadian Legion Badge Past Commander. This is a unique find. I have photographs of him and his wife receiving the Medal Of Honor from the Secretary Of The Navy. The first posthumous Navy Medal Of Honor of the Korean War.
British War Medal to a member of the Royal Scots who emigrated to the USA, lots of documents/pictures.
British War Medal to a Woman who served in France, with surviving service records. Only 7,000 British women served in France.
British War Medal to a KIA British Officer.
Victory Medal, one of only 124 awarded to an African-American. The leader of the "naughty boys" of the 2nd Construction Battalion. Vast amount of research. Deserted on the first day of action, 6 pages of disciplinary action taken.
Meritorious Service Medal, RASC for service in Italy.
Row Three - All to family members;
British War Medal, only allowance, RA in India.
British War Medal, only allowance, YMCA, voluntarily went to the trenches in his late 40's.
British War Medal, RFA, wounded in action, prisoner of war, interviewed by the BBC for "The Great War" in 1964. He was originally entitled to a trio but he forfeited his other two after charges in 1919 and 1920.
British War Medal, Victory Medal and Memorial Plaque, Officer of the East Lancs, professional rugby player. missing presumed killed in action at the age of 21 at the Somme. Spent only 16 days alive in France. Body found two years later.
Trio to his Sister, Serving Sister Of The Order Of St. John, Service Medal Of The Order Of St. John, Defence Medal (Also awarded the MBE but that is not at hand). Most decorated resident of Hull during its Blitz (the most severely damaged city in Britain with 1,200 fatalities and 3,000 wounded). Head of the emergency hospital, which continued to operate even whilst being bombed.
Pair to a Police Sergeant, Defence Medal and Police Long Service And Good Conduct Medal. These Medals were only worn as a pair once, during the Queen's first review of police forces in 1954. The Sergeant dropped dead during the review.
Row four;
British War Medal and Victory Medal, official replacements to an English born Canadian soldier. Documents prove his widow was issued replacements 23 years after his death (from prolonged complications after Spanish Flu).
British War Medal and Victory Medal to a Yorkshire born Canadian Soldier. Blown to pieces in August 1918 but survived.
British War Medal and Victory Medal to a Canadian Original, signed up August 1914 and landed in England November 1914, discharged due to ill health in 1916, returned home and re-enlisted. Was not issued the 1915 Star.
British War Medal to a Canadian Officer.
India General Service Medal With North West Frontier 1930-31 Clasp to a Carpenter of the IASC.
General Service Medal With S. Persia Clasp to a Private of Coke's Rifles.
Five Medal Group to the only Wakefield recipient of the Vietnam Medal. United Nations Service Medal With Korea Clasp, 1954 General Service Medal With Malaya Clasp, 1962 General Service Medal With Malay Peninsula (Australian Army), Vietnam Medal, Vietnam Campaign Medal With 1960- Clasp. The recipient joined the British Army along with his twin brother (who died in service) and after tours in Korea, Malaya and training as a Paratrooper, joined the Australian Army and did a tour of Malaysia and Vietnam (including an airborne drop with South Vietnamese forces). After returning from Vietnam he returned to Britain and rejoined the British Army. The group comes with all his identifications, badges, uniforms, hundreds of photographs and other personal items.
Photo #2,
Set of all four portable devices issued for the King's Commendation For Bravery with original paperwork, for bravery during the attempted rescue of the tail-gunner of a crashed plane in 1940. The plane crashed into a building I am very familiar with.
Photo #3,
Some bits away from awards. A piece of world famous "plate money" and local National Currency banknotes. Many of the small banks around here don't have many surviving pieces.
So many other pieces I just don't have time to show. I've been trying to research everything too, so all these British Empire awards have some level of research to them. Too many coins to count, but this really isn't a numismatic forum.
