Medal "For Victory Over Germany In The Great Patriotic War 1941-1945".

[Kjetil Kvist]

Hi all!

I just want to give you some information about an unpublished rare norwegian made miniature of the Medal for the Victory over Germany.

Those of you who know your books will remember that Norway was attaced by german forces on April 9, 1940. The country was quickly overrun by the superior forces and our king and government fled to exile in London. Before the occupation was ended on May 8, 1945 the northern part of Norway was liberated by soviet forces. (They later withdrew and in 1949 Norway became a member of Nato). This and other factors is the reason that a few norwegian sivilians, sailors and military personell was decorated with various soviet orders and medals. One of these was of course the Victory medal.

For many years I have heard about a dress miniature of this medal being manufactured by the engraver H. Rui jr. Now I have researched his arcives and studied a large collection of his medals and can publish some facts about the medal as well as a picture of it.

The dies was engraved by H. Rui jr The firm H. Rui was started by his father in 1898. Quickly after Norway became a independent kingdom in 1905 H. Rui sr was engaged in engraving dies for the Order of St. Olaf. These dies was made for another important norwegian firm; that of the jeweller J. Tostrup. Tostrup was the official maker of orders and medals, and was the natural place for decorated norwegian to place their orders for dress miniatures. In the period 1905 to 1940 most of the dies for these dress miniatures was engraved by H. Rui sr or H. Rui jr. Many important medals and miniatures of them continued to be engraved by H. Rui jr in the years from his fathers death in 1941 until the company closed in 1978. Some of these miniatures was manufactured on demand from decorated norwegians.

It was probably private demand that secured the engraving of this medal. The arcives states that the dies was ordered by J. Tostrup on december 5, 1950. H. Rui delivered the dies shortly after that. It is possible that the dies was machine-engraved, but it is also possible that the dies was engraved by hand. It is difficult to determine.

I have never seen this miniature mounted with ring and ribbon. The specimen I have studied was minted bu Rui himself in copper - 15 mm in diameter. It is covered in fingerprints. Only 2 specimens are known at the present time. Probably there was minted a few more by Rui - I would guess up to five in copper and a few in pewter or lead.

It is not uncommon to manufacture dress miniatures of medals like this. I have not been able to find any information about official use of this dress miniature, and as I have said it is rare.

Now I hope to hear from you other researchers and collectors of soviet orders and medals. Are there other examples of dress miniatures of these orders and medals? Have you examples of official use?

Take care!