Order "Red Banner Of Labour".

[deValcourt]

So only the first emission orders had serial numbers? Do you have an idea of what the highest recorded number is?

Phillip

[CtahhR]

Only the first 2 variations of the first type of the Red Banner Of Labour were numbered. Some were numbered twice and some had digits upside down within the full number so obviously not a job given the most attention.

[Agresto]

Just got this. Let me know what you think. :D

[deValcourt]

Looks good to me and you have both award booklet (they didn't make them very flashy) and the awarding box.:thumbsup I'd like to see the reverse of the medal as well. Serial number?

Phillip

[CtahhR]

A Solid Type 2 Variation 2 ORBL, A nice start for a Bulgarian collection. Hope you didn't pay too much!

[Agresto]

I don't have the reverse yet, need my girlfriend to take the pictures since I don't have a camera. There is no serial number on the back which I thought was common for the Bulgarian awards.

I only paid about $20 which didn't seem too bad to me.

The weight surprised me most. I was expecting a Soviet weight but it seems much heavier. Then again I don't have the Soviet counterpart to compare. The case is also very nice. Much more solid compared to an American style box. There is a little damage on the order booklet but other then that the entire set looks wonderful.

[CtahhR]

$20 is fair enough, $25 (delivered) is about the top end. These Bulgarian awards could afford to be a little heavier because they were not made out of solid silver or gold but made out of alloys. There are 5 variations of the ORBL that I know of but the earlier ones (Specially the very first variation) you need three figures to purchase. You can pick up late ORLB without a case or paperwork for well under $10 any time. The early type of the Labour Banner is rarer than the Military Type but later Labour Banners are far more common than late (awarded) Military types.

[Ruiz]

Agresto , beautiful Order and nice price.

[CtahhR]

Here is an extremely rare "Red Banner Of Labour" Type 1 Variation 1. This variation has the heptagonal recess in the reverse for the nut holding the Order together. The later variant has a round recess. This Order is currently numbered 312 but it was originally numbered 11 as I have tried to show in the 3rd picture by playing with the photograph the "11" is deeper than the "312" and the 2 is over the second 1 in "11". The reason for this renumbered is unknown although it may have been retracted and reissued or officially renumbered to match a document. The renumbering has been done with the correct mint tools. The Order has also had a hole drilled though it. This hole may have been done during production or by the awardee to attach better to the uniform? The hole is not a recent "addition".

[CtahhR]

Here is the case for the first variation of the Order. The case is an old imperial case (of an unknown Order) with a "new" fabric label pasted over the imperial Order's name. Part of the new regime's using of surplus imperial items.