Patriotic War.

[USSR]

Gents, what would you make of this? Idd somebody mes with the serialnumber?

Can't find this light mirror reverse on the mondvor site with this serial number.

Sorry, Just looked a bit further... Is seems to be from the Leningrad mint but still leaves me with the scratches...

[Alfred]

I tend to like the engraving of the serial number. But all is possible.

best regards
Andreas

[Auke]

Seems to be a good one.

The MZPP piece has been sold at least twice on eBay in the last couple of months, both times for around $350. Either the buyers didn't pay or the seller was unhappy with the results, as it's now back as a $450 Buy It Now.

[Tommy]

Strange. It could be the seller shilling up the birs with to try and tempt a real buyer into bidding at a higher price. Or it could also be as you say, non-payers or a dodgy piece thats been returned.

Either way it would make me avoid it!

Tom

[Pravda]

So my wife is doing some shopping for me TODAY in one of my favorite corners of the former Soviet Union and she sent me a photo of orders they have.

Has anyone ever seen a Order of the Great Patriotic War II Class with the solid gold hammer and sickle upside down? Is this a mint error, or a bad repair job? If it is the previous, I will probably have her get it. If it is the latter, I will have to let it pass.

Thanks for your opinions!

And now for the photo...it is in the lower left amongst a whole lot of goodies.

This is a time sensitive issue, as I will have to tell her in the next 12 hours what to buy, so any help would be awesome!

[marsino]

Originally Posted by Pravda

Has anyone ever seen a Order of the Great Patriotic War II Class with the solid gold hammer and sickle upside down? Is this a mint error, or a bad repair job? If it is the previous, I will probably have her get it. If it is the latter, I will have to let it pass.

Simply, the hammer and sickle has loose rivets, and you can reposition in the right direction.

[Pravda]

Thanks for the quick response. Since it seemed like the rivets might not be tight, I told my wife to avoid it. I was hoping I had stumbled across some rare mint mistake.

I will be ok, if I just get a handful of Red Stars. :thumbsup

In the end, I didn't get any of these orders. My wife is s shrewd buyer and she noted that they were all either damaged or over priced. She did bring my back a Mongolian Order of the Polar Star and an early Order of Glory III though, so I am still a very lucky man!:thumbsup

I have a huge and burning question for the specialists out there!!!!!

I saw a 1985 Patriotic War for sale with the number ground off and a new number and a "D" engraved on the back. Could this be a real duplicate? Did they do this with 1985 versions for those who lost them after the earlier versions went out of production.

Cheers,

Will

[USSR]

As far as I know there are duplicates of the OPW 85 type. There is a letter Cyrillic "D" but not engraved but stamped. Attached you'll find two examples.

Hope this helps.

[CtahhR]

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.

[Pravda]

Gents,

I have acquired some 1985 OPWs...one for free, and I am looking to get some more information on the "dimple." Does the dimple signify a piece manufactured at the LMD?

Thanks!
Will