I've seen T1 medals (Soviet made with three rivets) with serial numbers as high as 31X. Battushig's T2 number 115 is a total mistery to me, I can only assume that the number on that medal was changed.
Thanks for the reassurance guys. Also, William, I think you're correct, it's the suspension which is supposed to be silver. Looking at the 115 serial number in the book, it's huge by comparison to the little script I have. Thanks guys for putting my mind at ease.
Born 1916, died 1997. Gobi-Altai province, Sharga soum.
Hero by decree No. 13, on 10 February 1966, as the chief of the collective farm in Khalium soum of Gobi-Altai province.
'He was a herder until he was 20 years old. He was recruited to the military service in 1936 and served as the border guard in the east as well as in the west border. He participated in the military actions of Khalkhyn Gol and Baitag Bogd. After he was discharged from the military service, he returned to his home and worked as a secretary of the soum authority for several years. Thereafter he studied in the Party college and after graduation worked as the chief of the military department in the Gobi-Altai and Uvurkhangai province administration. He worked as the deputy governor of Uvurkhangai, Khuvsgul, Gobi-Altai provinces. Since 1956 he worked in the collective farm voluntarily. He was a chief of the collective farms in Sharga, Khaliun, Taishir soums of Gobi-altai province. He was the best chief of the collective farms and amassed valuable experiences during his work in the supreme council of the agricultural collective farm association as well as a counsellor of the cooperative of the collective farms of Gobi-Altai province. He was elected for two times as a member to the People´s Great Khural, was a member of the Central committee of the Party three times. He was awarded with Sukhbaatar order two times, order of Red labour banner two times, Honorary Labour medal, anniversary medals as well as numerous agricultural, youth and cultural organisations prizes.'
Type 1 -- 3 rivets – ~400 awarded -- In 1957, numbers 1-300 were ordered and in 1981 301-400 supplemented this -- observed serial number range Low = 4/High = 373 -- Battushig A3.1
Type 2 -- no rivets -- observed range is limited to one, 427 -- Battushig A3.2 -- the example shown is good (an "escapee"?), but the number is rather obviously faked (idiots!!!)
It came with Order of SB nr 561 which I unfortunately was not able to acquire. I am still keeping my fingers crossed to get document(s) related to the recipient.
I have a strong hunch the recipient is nr 140.82 in the big blue book of awardees (page 47) - Zavkhan province herder if not mistaken?
After having it in my hands for a while it became clear that the rivets were loose (not uncommon for this award) and I gently pried it open with my fingers, getting the entire front plate (with the blue enamel) off. Turned out that the recipient had glued it back together after the rivots had been broken and it appears he put a lot of effort into cleaning up the reverse causing it to be rather shiny.