Medal "International Brigades Spain 1936-1939".

[Ed_Haynes]

Medal for Volunteers in the Spanish Civil War, 1936-39

Instituted on 28 May 1974 and awarded to Bulgarian and foreign citizens who participated in the struggle with the International Brigades with Spain’s Republican Army against Franco’s Nationalist. Bulgarian service was mainly in the Dajakovich Battalion of the CXXIX "Europa Central" International Brigade.

The obverse of the medal is 33 mm in diameter, circular in shape, and made from bronze. Pictured on the obverse is a map of Spain with the three-sided star of the internationalist fighter’s and an image of a clenched fist, which was the international communist salute. The legend abbreviates "Fighters Against Fascism and Capitalism."

On the reverse is the five-pointed star, the bust of the Bulgarian Prime Minister, George Dimitrov, with the words "Bulgarian International Brigades – Spain – 1936-1939" around the outer edge.

The medal is suspended from the usual five-sided ribbon mount with a multi-coloured ribbon in equal widths of red, yellow, violet, white, green, and red stripes, symbolising the national colours of Bulgaria and Spain.

And the certificate for the Medal for Volunteers in the Spanish Civil War, 1936-39.

The usual 70 x 100 mm hard-covered cardboard award booklet.

Unfortunately, I haven't yet gotten this fully deciphered. (Any Bulgarian speakers out there ... ? My wife's Bulgarian colleague is translating for me just now.) Awarded as # 462 on 6 March 1975.

I have not scanned an additional page of what -- if it follows Soviet patterns -- will be general directives on awards. Let me know if you want it.

[new world]

Ultra rare set: Bulgarian Medal "International Brigades in Spain 1936-1939" + Award Book + Award Box.

From the reference book:
"Instituted: On 28th May 1974
Awarded to: Bulgarian and foreign citizens who took participation in the struggle of international brigades in Spain against Franco’s regime. Mostly young communist volunteers. Form: Circle shape with 33 mm of diameter made of yellow metal. Obverse: the map of Spain with a three-angle star and a fist on it. Under them is written "Fighters against fascism and capitalism". Reverse: five-angle star with the face of George Dimitrov all over is written "Bulgarian Inter-brigades " Spain " 1936-1939". The ribbon of the medal is with five-angle shape, multi-colored with the red, yellow, violet, white, green and again red line, symbolizing the National colors of Bulgaria and Spain. "

[CtahhR]

Here is the Medal Booklet #017345 awarding Nikola Atanasov Konstantinov the Medal ''International Brigades In Spain 1936-1939'' on 6th March 1975.

[CtahhR]

Here's a Fake Medal "International Brigades Spain 1936-1939". These have been popping up in Spain and are supposed to be "Original" and "Real" and all the other things dealers promise when they are certain they are selling you fakes.

The real Medal is a nice addition to any Spanish Civil War/Bulgarian award collection and is a rare find with original document and the highlight of any collection as part of a documented group.

So here's a run down of some of the things that are wrong with the fake.

#1 Wrong metal (Brass not gold plated cupro-nickel)
#2 Cast (Rather than minted)
#3 Wrong suspension ring (Should have a single large ring not a small ring with a larger ring attached)
#4 Wrong suspension (These Bulgarian medals never had Spanish style "pins" and were always on 5 sided "kolodkas")
#5 Wrong ribbon (Real ribbon had the colours of both nations not just Spain)

I believe the Medal was only awarded to 462 people (living and posthumously) so finding it for pennies is definitely "too good to be true".
Additional copies of this Medal were struck by the mint (possibly to round the number to 500, possibly more) but these unawarded medals were left without a ribbon or suspension and can be found for sale today either "naked" or with a reproduction ribbon. These unawarded medals sell for a fraction of the awarded medals but still not for tiny amounts.

[Ruiz]

But there is a difference between the first 462 units and the rest?
The Medal Ed_Haynes is original and different from the others. It takes less gold bath.

Regards.

[CtahhR]

I think handling/wear has caused the gold wash to come away.

One a single batch was made with far more being produced than were needed. Many of these unissued Medals can now be found without suspension (or with a modern one added) for very little money.

If it doesn't come with the document, see it as an unawarded piece.

I will be presenting research on the full decree awarding this Medal this year (hopefully).

[Ruiz]

This medal is from my collection.

[CtahhR]

Here is an unissued example that someone has married to a rather crude "replacement" ribbon. Fortunately these unissued examples come for a severely reduced price.