06-19-2003, 08:09 AM
Estaban,
No one in the post said the hat was from 1969. Instead they said it was an M1969 hat. The M is for "model" and is used by collectors and analysts to refer to a generation of uniforms based on the year in which the regulations came into effect.
The M1969, or M69, regulations appeared in late 1969. The M1969 uniforms themsleves did not really make much appearance until 1970. While there were many small and several larger modifications to the uniform regulations (especially around 1975, 1980 and 1988), the M69 uniforms stayed in use until replaced by the Russian military with the M1993 uniforms (which took many years to actually come into use).
So you can call a uniform made in 1970, 1980 or 1988 an M69 uniform.
You raise an interesting point about dates. So far there does not seem to be any market price differentiation based on year of manufacture WITHIN a given uniform generation. Of course an M55 uniform is worth more than an M69 uniform, but a 1955 dated M55 is worth the same as a 1958 dated one and a 1970 dated M69 is worth the same as a 1988 dated one.
For the M69s this is a bit odd. Maybe the market will change one day. First, in my opinion one that was actually made in the Soviet era is worth more than an identical but post-Soviet one (Soviet M69 uniforms are still being made in Ukraine). Most modern "fake" M69s are not dated, but some are given fake dates. Maybe someday people will pay more for 1970s dated stuff than later stuff.
The other exception is WWII. M1943 uniforms were used from 1943 to dates raning from 1949 or even to 1969 depending on the uniform type. Unfortunately, most of the wartime and 1940s and 50s stuff is not date stamped, although some is. There is a huge difference in price between an M43 field gymnastiroka pull-over with late model pockets and fabric and 1960s dated buttons, vs. one that appears to be 1940s to early 50s manufacture and has blank-backed buttons vs one with a rare WII date stamp.
Shawn
No one in the post said the hat was from 1969. Instead they said it was an M1969 hat. The M is for "model" and is used by collectors and analysts to refer to a generation of uniforms based on the year in which the regulations came into effect.
The M1969, or M69, regulations appeared in late 1969. The M1969 uniforms themsleves did not really make much appearance until 1970. While there were many small and several larger modifications to the uniform regulations (especially around 1975, 1980 and 1988), the M69 uniforms stayed in use until replaced by the Russian military with the M1993 uniforms (which took many years to actually come into use).
So you can call a uniform made in 1970, 1980 or 1988 an M69 uniform.
You raise an interesting point about dates. So far there does not seem to be any market price differentiation based on year of manufacture WITHIN a given uniform generation. Of course an M55 uniform is worth more than an M69 uniform, but a 1955 dated M55 is worth the same as a 1958 dated one and a 1970 dated M69 is worth the same as a 1988 dated one.
For the M69s this is a bit odd. Maybe the market will change one day. First, in my opinion one that was actually made in the Soviet era is worth more than an identical but post-Soviet one (Soviet M69 uniforms are still being made in Ukraine). Most modern "fake" M69s are not dated, but some are given fake dates. Maybe someday people will pay more for 1970s dated stuff than later stuff.
The other exception is WWII. M1943 uniforms were used from 1943 to dates raning from 1949 or even to 1969 depending on the uniform type. Unfortunately, most of the wartime and 1940s and 50s stuff is not date stamped, although some is. There is a huge difference in price between an M43 field gymnastiroka pull-over with late model pockets and fabric and 1960s dated buttons, vs. one that appears to be 1940s to early 50s manufacture and has blank-backed buttons vs one with a rare WII date stamp.
Shawn
