11-24-2009, 02:00 PM
(This post was last modified: 11-24-2009, 02:07 PM by Greg Collins.)
Phil,
I hope this news will not disappoint... the first order you depict, and the one I gave you some background on, is not a Securitate award. It is the Order for the Defense of the Country, 2nd Class and is, in fact, an Armed Forces award. On the good side of things, it's a great award to have and, as I said before, in the configuration you have ("Romania" on the lower banner) is the rarest form of this particular award- the "bottom" fell out prior to more being made. It is, incidentally, the only award that changed the State seal four times as it was initially awarded in 1949. The Securitate award which most closely resembles this award- and is the Securitate "equivalent" award- is the Order for Distinguished Service in Defense of the Social Order and Country - 2nd class as awarded during the RPR period (RPR on the lower banner of the seal, 1958-1966) and then again in a "transitional" version with RSR on the banner from 1966-1968. After that, the award was totally redesigned and appears as the second award you picture.
I'm enclosing a very poor image of an RPR Order for Distinguished Service in Defense of the Social Order and Country - 2nd class. It is not in my collection. Though the image is bad, you can readily see the differences between it and the Order for the Defense of the Country, 2nd Class; larger seal and no star and swords in the background. Oh yeah, one more thing... these gizmos start at about $400 bucks (US) in Romania.
I hope this news will not disappoint... the first order you depict, and the one I gave you some background on, is not a Securitate award. It is the Order for the Defense of the Country, 2nd Class and is, in fact, an Armed Forces award. On the good side of things, it's a great award to have and, as I said before, in the configuration you have ("Romania" on the lower banner) is the rarest form of this particular award- the "bottom" fell out prior to more being made. It is, incidentally, the only award that changed the State seal four times as it was initially awarded in 1949. The Securitate award which most closely resembles this award- and is the Securitate "equivalent" award- is the Order for Distinguished Service in Defense of the Social Order and Country - 2nd class as awarded during the RPR period (RPR on the lower banner of the seal, 1958-1966) and then again in a "transitional" version with RSR on the banner from 1966-1968. After that, the award was totally redesigned and appears as the second award you picture.
I'm enclosing a very poor image of an RPR Order for Distinguished Service in Defense of the Social Order and Country - 2nd class. It is not in my collection. Though the image is bad, you can readily see the differences between it and the Order for the Defense of the Country, 2nd Class; larger seal and no star and swords in the background. Oh yeah, one more thing... these gizmos start at about $400 bucks (US) in Romania.
"We are Marching for the Victory of Communist Labour"
V.I. Ulyanov (Lenin)
V.I. Ulyanov (Lenin)
