Badge "Long Live The Democratic Republic".

[Chuck In Oregon]

This medal came in a small group from a family in Tbilisi. The group itself consists of a 5 Nov. 1914 wedding platter to a military doctor and his Sisters of Mercy bride, from the doctors, officers and Sisters of Mercy of the 106th Field Reserve Hospital, her Sisters of Mercy jeton, a small early Soviet Ready for Sanitary Defense rhomb ... and this odd medal.

The central figure on the medal is very reminiscent of France's Lady Liberty. I can read on the obverse "Long Life", "Russian Democratic Republic" and "Free Russia". On the left seems to be a laborer, in the typical glorified Soviet style. On the right are the symbols -- cross, anchor and heart -- that I associate with the Imperial Russian Society for Faith, Hope and Love (or something like that) that treated wounded veterans.

My references are not as good as they should be and I can't find anything like this medal anywhere. Can anyone help me? I know this isn't exactly a Soviet medal, but I don't think "Free Russia" can be associated with Imperial Russia either. I know that the Russian Democratic Republic is what Lenin called the nation before it became the USSR, right? But this isn't one of the few very early medals that I have read about. Maybe it is a society medal rather than a government medal?

Thanks for any help you can give.

Chuck In Oregon

[Christophe]

Hi Chuck,

I don't know if this could be of help, but just have a look at Yuri Yashnev's site :

http://www.netdialogue.com/yy/Russia.../LLDR/LLDR.htm

This badge (Jeton) is presented as issued by the "Russian Empire (Provisional Government)", and as being the "Long Live Democratic Republic" badge.

No more details, but excellent pics of the badge.

Hope this helps.

Ch.

[Chuck In Oregon]

Unbelieveable!!! Thanks a lot, Christophe. How in the world did you come across that medal/jeton? I tried Google and the sites I normally frequent and didn't find a thing. Obviously, I was looking in the wrong places.

I wonder what the mintage/issuance was. My Russian is horrid, but I translate the accompanying statement as "Exact date and details of establishment (issuance?) unknown." It could be that I lucked on to a rare piece. I can hope, anyway.

Has anyone else seen one of these?

One thing, though. Yuri calls this a badge. Actually, he calls everything on his site from the provisional government a badge. By what criteria, I wonder. Seems like a medal to me. I think my ribbon is original, but I have nothing to compare it to.

Chuck In Oregon

[Christophe]

Originally Posted by Chuck In Oregon

(...) I wonder what the mintage/issuance was. (...)
Chuck In Oregon

Chuck,

Happy you find this post of help. ;)

Just look at the bottom of the reverse, there are some words engraved. I suspect the last one to be linked to "Moscow", but the pic is not clear enough and I prefer not to make any comment about my Russian... :D With the real medal you should be able to check the significance of these words.

Cheers.

Ch.

[desantnik]

Originally Posted by Christophe

Chuck,

Happy you find this post of help. ;)

Just look at the bottom of the reverse, there are some words engraved. I suspect the last one to be linked to "Moscow", but the pic is not clear enough and I prefer not to make any comment about my Russian... :D With the real medal you should be able to check the significance of these words.

Cheers.

Ch.

I can't see the picture clearly, but the first three letters appear to be "FAB" or "factory" and the last word is "MOSKVA" or Moscow.

[Pobeda45]

The inscription on the bottom says Kuchkin Factory, Moscow. I seek out these Kuchkin jettons, they are getting harder to find all the time. Here's another brass one..

[Pobeda45]

..and a silver one. This type isn't in Avers 8, but there were many varieties of these revolutionary jettons in general.