08-21-2012, 01:41 PM
Lapa Wrote:Guys,
Most likely a rather uneducated-sounding question, but how do you differenciate the classes/grades on those? (that is, other than "because the dealer told me so" type of reason :D)
Marc
A very good and reasonable question. It is as complex as the imperial Chinese orders (on which I suspect it was patterned). The differences in so far as we know them are detailed in Battushig's book (pp. 41-43) and in Bold (pp. 5-10 - if you can read it) (while it falls outside Urnukh's time period, he briefly discusses it pp. 12-13); since that, I have gotten some documents from the archives in UB. In tentative summary:
Type 1 (1913-24)
Type 1.1 (First Class) - yellow ribbon (when ribboned) - distinguishing these (and specimens are super-rare) requires, I think, reading the reverse legend
Type 1.1.1 (First Class, First Grade) - red stones at center and top - also seen referred to as the "Order of Chengis Khan" (distinct from the current order)
Type 1.1.2 (First Class, Second Grade) - red stones at center and top - also seen referred to as the "Order of Abtain Sain Khan"
Type 1.1.3 (First Class, Third Grade) - coral at center and top - also seen referred to as the "Order of Undur Gegeen"
Type 1.2 (Second Class) - red ribbon
Type 1.2.1 (Second Class, First Grade) - red stone at center and light blue stone at top
Type 1.2.2 (Second Class, Second Grade) - red stone at center and dark blue stone (lapis?) at top
Type 1.2.3 (Second Class, Third Grade) - coral at center
Type 1.2.4 (Second Class, Fourth Grade) - ??? at center
Type 1.3 (Third Class) - blue/gray ribbon
Type 1.3.1 (Third Class, First Grade) - blue stone (lapis?) at center and coral at top
Type 1.3.2 (Third Class, Second Grade) - coral at center
Type 1.3.3 (Third Class, Third Grade) - moonstone at center
Type 1.3.4 (Third Class, Fourth Grade) - lapis at center
Type 1.3.5 (Third Class, Fifth Grade) - white stone (enamel?) at center
Interestingly, it briefly survived the 1921 revolution.
Type 2 (1991—)
Type 2.1 (First Grade)
Type 2.1.1 (First Grade – cloth ribbon) - 1 known to have been awarded
Type 2.1.2 (First Grade – enameled ribbon) - 1 known to have been awarded
Type 2.2 (Second Grade) - 2 known to have been awarded
Type 2.3 (Third Grade) - not yet awarded ?
The numbers of awards for the Type 2 may need updating. I am still trying to find out if Hillary Clinton got one during her recent visit.
Urnukh?
