Mint mistakes and errors

[Tal Inbar]

As we all know, some medals have a stamped LMD on the reverse side of the ring. However, on the left picture you can see the BAM medal with the stamp on the FRONT side of the medal!

To much vodka in Monetny Dvor?
The wrong die?
The wrong metal?
No enamel?
No mint mark?
Double strike?

A major mint mistake was made with the medal for defence of Kiev. instead the standard back:

someone was totally wrong, and put the die for the medal "for capture of Vienna":

[Mozzabloke]

I can understand someone making the mistake. What amazes me is that quality control missed it and issued the medals!

Mark

[Nota Bene]

Gentlemen,

I have seen those mint errors with the wrong back, and I have no doubt that they were made with original dies, but it's a total mystery for me how this mistake could've happened. Errors like this almost never happen, and when they do they are usually detected by the mint quality control and destroyed. What it totally beyond me is how these medals actually left the mint and were awarded to people. Interestingly, many collectors in Russia consider these medals fakes, made by somebody at the mint.

Alexei

[Kim]

I have noticed a couple of Red stars that has the R filled in the beginning of the text. The numbers I have are 1188358 and 1189477. The serial numbers on other stars I have are 1154109 and 1372078. But I think those are to far from the mistake-stars numbers to say how many “bad stars” were made. I would like some help from the forum members to narrow the search for what numbers have errors. If you have a number close to the ones I posted and no “filled R”, please post it anyway!

Have anybody seen other mint errors on Red Stars?

[Pathill]

Hello, I was wondering if anyone knows about upside-down serial numbers on soviet orders. Here is a pic of a Order of the Red Banner. Is this common?

[EricFG]

Originally Posted by Pathill

Hello, I was wondering if anyone knows about upside-down serial numbers on soviet orders. Here is a pic of a Order of the Red Banner. Is this common?

I don't think it's upside down. I think the number is 491049

[desantnik]

Eric is right.

[EricFG]

Originally Posted by desantnik

Eric is right.

Ha! There's a first time for everything.
Incidently, that number is a probable long service award. At least it falls into a block that were awarded as such. That info from the very helpful 'Echoes Of War' book.

[Pathill]

Oops, how embarrassing, it is so obvious now, I thought I might have had something of value.

[USSR]

Hi y'all!

Are mistakes like these common? How tight was the control before medals were issued?