09-25-2002, 04:42 AM
New World,
I am only going to comment on behalf of the Kutuzov order as I have an excellent version in my collection that has been authenticated by Paul. While looking at pictures is often what we have to compare pieces, there is just no substitute for holding the actual object and scrutinizing its details. Your scans are excellent for comparing (something i need to work on)
Anyway, here are my comments. The detailing on the Kutuzov just doesn't begin to compare with an original in my mind. The obverse lacks the details that mine has. For example, the 3rd class Kutuzov exhibits very fine horizontal "grooves" under the bust of Kutuzov. Surprisingly this differs on the 2nd class version (I'm not sure about the first class as I haven't yet gotten mine yet...) The one in the above pics don't look nearly as detailed and I can't imagine that this would come from just wear. Secondly the lettering looks way too sloppy. For instance look at the "hole" in the "A". The hole should be triangular in shape where as the one above looks more like a slit. Basically the details just look way to crude.
When looking at the reverse the mint mark struck me as looking different then mine, so I looked ath McDaniel's book and page 108 the bottom right picture shows a similar mint mark to the one you show. If I can quote mcdaniel on 107-108 in reference to this picture "Take a special note of the stamped mint mark. Mint marks were never struck in this fashion, with the letters spread out, and all orders that exhibit this are fakes." Anyway when comparing it to mine I notice that the letters my order are much closer together than the order in question as seen in the example on page 106.
Anyway I hope this helps.
Brian
I am only going to comment on behalf of the Kutuzov order as I have an excellent version in my collection that has been authenticated by Paul. While looking at pictures is often what we have to compare pieces, there is just no substitute for holding the actual object and scrutinizing its details. Your scans are excellent for comparing (something i need to work on)
Anyway, here are my comments. The detailing on the Kutuzov just doesn't begin to compare with an original in my mind. The obverse lacks the details that mine has. For example, the 3rd class Kutuzov exhibits very fine horizontal "grooves" under the bust of Kutuzov. Surprisingly this differs on the 2nd class version (I'm not sure about the first class as I haven't yet gotten mine yet...) The one in the above pics don't look nearly as detailed and I can't imagine that this would come from just wear. Secondly the lettering looks way too sloppy. For instance look at the "hole" in the "A". The hole should be triangular in shape where as the one above looks more like a slit. Basically the details just look way to crude.
When looking at the reverse the mint mark struck me as looking different then mine, so I looked ath McDaniel's book and page 108 the bottom right picture shows a similar mint mark to the one you show. If I can quote mcdaniel on 107-108 in reference to this picture "Take a special note of the stamped mint mark. Mint marks were never struck in this fashion, with the letters spread out, and all orders that exhibit this are fakes." Anyway when comparing it to mine I notice that the letters my order are much closer together than the order in question as seen in the example on page 106.
Anyway I hope this helps.
Brian
