06-28-2014, 01:45 PM
According to the Russian State Television Documentary Series "The Liberators" Episode 6 "The Artillery" this Order was the only state award that was allowed to remain with the family (or next of kin) of the recipient after they had died until the reforms of 1977. This may explain why there are so many poor condition ones out there. If someone received one in 1943 and was dead by 1945 there was a lot of time for them to be "played" with.
"Signed with his own rubber stamp"












