Patriotic War.

[Dreads]

Hi,

Here is a OPW first Class, Can anyone tell me what the other awards are listed in the book please?
Cheers

[Lapa]

Dreads,

OPW 1st class #4100
ORS #649715
Medal for Combat Services
ORS #3371836
ORS #3673927

Marc

[Kirchgoens]

I picked this one up a couple months ago, and finally got around to photographing it. I understand it's a valid variation. I figured I'd post it for others to see. I'm also told there is a thread here about this, but I couldn't find it. Maybe a moderator might move this post to the right spot? :-)

...Brian

[desantnik]

Damn, I love your photos!

[Art]

Me too...Brian, I know you mentioned the name of the camera to me before, but can you tell us the name of it again? I'm dying for an excuse to buy a new digital camera..

[Kirchgoens]

I'm on leave in Turkey, but just jumped onto the internet - I apologize for the late reply...

I'm using a Canon 20D (the two-years ago version of today's 40D) with a 60mm EF-S macro lens and a good tripod/ballhead combo in existing indoor room light with slightly longer exposures (using a wired remote to take the shot). I then pull the images into Photoshop CS3, tweak the contrast and color, convert them to 600dpi (per a forum comment I read here), resize them to roughly 600 pixels on the long axis, and web-optimize them to fit in as close to the allowed limit as I can. It seems to work! :)

Remember that the tripod is the critical link, along with a good lens. There are good point/shoots that could also do this with tripod and trial/error.

Having said that, it did take me some bucks to buy my gear (but I love photography), and the Photoshop learning curve was steep. Still, I could teach someone to do it fairly quickly (I had to learn on my own with no help).

[Greg Collins]

There's a New York dealer (last name begins with "A") currently running a special on the 85's- two 2nd Classes (one with and one without dimple) and two 1st Classes (again, one with and one without dimple) for $78.00... breaks down to less than $20 per. I agree that, as the war time and immediate post war time units are "swallowed up", the 85's will escalate in price due to demand. Look at all the other stuff. Badges I bought for $40 bucks a year ago are now going for nearly $300; pins I bought for a song a year ago are going for $50-$80; medals have doubled and tripled in price over the same time. The genuine article is finite in number; no more are being made. What's not rare today may well be rare tomorrow. I enjoy collecting as we all do but, beyond that, this is an investment which, I believe, will continue to grow. Best advice I can give (and I'm certainly NOT as experienced as many here) is to read, study, choose the items carefully and choose the items that appeal to you and give you the pleasure of ownership realizing that, if they're the "real thing", they will only appreciate with time.

[Sergei]

... choose the items carefully and choose the items that appeal to you and give you the pleasure of ownership realizing that, if they're the "real thing", they will only appreciate with time.

Greg,
This is probably the best advice one could give to a new collector.:thumbsup
Sergei

[Yeti]

I have an Order of the great patriotic war 2nd cl that has a low number for its variation. The number was altered ,but not completely ruined, so I am about 95% sertain that the number is 255287. On the soviet-screwbacks site the number range for LMD T2 V4.2.1.2 orders is 255738-339759.
It would be great to hear what other people think. Could it be an order of this variation?

/Erik

[Yeti]

Maybe I should have said that the known serial number range is 255738-339759 for this variation but that the LMD range is 250501-340500.
I have made up my mind after close examination of the order. Its number is 255287 and LMD T2 V4.2.1.2.

But if anyone have any opinions please post. I'm quite new to Patriotic war orders and it would be good to know if I'm wrong.

/Erik