Medal "Veteran Of The Armed Forces Of The U.S.S.R.".

[Tal Inbar]

Hi

I know that there are speculations about this medal, that claims it was awarded to generals. Other say it's a fake - just dold plating on a common medal. what will you think?

[Art]

Tal,

McDaniel acknowledges that specimens of campaign medals have been observed with gold plating and they were most likely awarded to generals. Mahdi Bseiso has one of these in his collection and was nice enough to allow me to use it on my website. Go to the main page of the site, and click on "Armed Forces Veteran USSR"

[Timmey]

I have one without the gold plating, I have seen extensive reference material and have never seen one in gold plating. If it is indeed gold plating I doubt anyone would go to that trouble in making that a fake- there is no huge market for it! I will double check my soviet medal books. :D :D :D

[Mahdi]

I have one in my collection, obtained through a military official in Russia, a friend of mine. I have seen a couple of them in Russia. Very easy to fake, I suppose.

[Art]

Faking would be easy..Selling them on EBay would be easier ;)

[Tal Inbar]

A "gold wash" is all that required. The books are not conclusive about the issue, but I spoke with reliable people in Russia and they told me that the gold plated version is not an official version of the medal (and if you tell the story of a "genearl's medal" you could make a profit....)

Tal

[Mahdi]

Tal,

This is very interesting, as the one I got came not from a dealer or collector, but rather the actual person who got it, and that was they way they were awarded it - gold plated, which makes me believe that it was an official award. Maybe it was official for a short while and then they stopped? What other thoughts do you fellow collectors have?

[Timmey]

I could not find anything further on the gold plating in my reference material, but I will say that after 17 years of collecting the soviets were not real concerned with consistency!!
So it would not suprise me if someone was awarded one like that!!:D :D

Are you going to pull them pistols or are you just going to whistle dixie

[Art]

Early Nakhimov medals also had a thin wash of gold, which I never knew. I just had an early Nakhimov medal authenticated by McDaniel and he mentions this in his appraisal.

Art

[Nota Bene]

Hello All,

I tried to get some information about this variation, after seen one with moderate wear and partially worn off gold plating. I don't believe such information was ever released otherwise somebody would've known something. It is believed that these medals were given to senior officers, and less than 1000 pieces were ever made. Collectors in Russia have no doubt that this piece is legit.

Also it would be very hard to fake, because the enamel was applied after gold plating, and gold gives the enamel slightly pinkish color.