Soviet WW2 Medal for the Defense ofStalingrad.
Thisis a GUARANTEED ORIGINAL WW2 issue Soviet medal, NOT a reproduction or post-warreissue.
Themedallion is made in brass and measures 37.1 mm in height including the eyelet,32.1 mm wide; weighs 16.2 grams not including the suspension and connectinglink. The front has a Russian inscription “For the Defense of Stalingrad” and aline of Red Army soldiers on the forefront with an unfurled Soviet banner, andairplanes and tanks in the background. On the reverse is the motto “For OurSoviet Motherland!”
Issuedto one of the Soviet participants of what was probably the bloodiest singlebattle in all history and certainly the most important turning point in WW2.Hitler was singularly obsessed with capturing the "City of Stalin",and Stalin was equally determined not to let that happen.
Thetitanic struggle went on from mid-summer of 1942 through early February 1943ending in a catastrophe for the German war machine – the biggest defeat it hadever suffered up to that point. The Wehrmacht lost an entire army in thehellish cauldron of the frozen and completely destroyed city on the VolgaRiver, and had a Field Marshal ignominiously surrender - the first in modernGerman history. The Soviet casualties, well over a million in most estimates,were even more appalling, but unlike Germany, the Soviet Union could affordthem. With the defeat at Stalingrad, any chances of German victory in the Eastwere finally and irrevocably put to rest.
Themedal is in OUTSTANDING CONDITION, uncommon for an Original WW2 era soldier'saward (many Russian soldiers wore their medals even in battle!) Beside sometiny dings to the raised edge and some minuscule contact marks on the reverse,there is no wear visible to the naked eye. The medallion is completely free ofnicks, edge bumps, major scratches, or any other significant damage. Thedetails of the artwork and lettering on the obverse are exceptionally crisp,nearly pristine. The original “gilt” mint luster is still visible in recessedareas on the obverse. There is attractive even toning to the brass throughoutwithout significant blemishes or oxidation.
Themedal comes on an ORIGINAL WW2-era suspension device, a two-layer model inbrass with a self-locking pin. The ribbon is well-preserved, clean and sound,but does show age and light wear (it is more recent than the medal itself,which is normal: Soviet WW2 veterans wore their medals frequently, and theribbons were routinely changed as needed.) The connecting link between themedal and suspension appears to be original, and its ends are still joined withsolder.
Overall,this is a truly superb example of the WW2 Defense of Stalingrad Medal, free ofnoticeable flaws while showing character.
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