02-04-2014, 06:03 PM
Would add one more thing to the very valid points raised earlier: the photographs that can be found (either through research or - when lucky - also direct in the award document) to go along with some of the Mongolian awards are often outstanding. It may sound a bit odd, but I find that the Mongolian faces depicted on these photographs really spark the imagination of what could be behind it in terms of the life these people lived, what they've done to be awarded the specific order or medal, etc. - it's the old "a picture can tell more than a thousand words" point, and only strengthens the patience for those of us who are long term Mongolia collectors and also willing to wait however long it may take to eventually get some research becoming available. Patience is required, but I've found collecting Mongolian awards to be very, very rewarding.
