Capture of Berlin medal

[avenger]

Here's my early medal commemorating the capture of Berlin. If I did my research right, the type of pin and the brass frame, combined with the proper rounded ring on the top of the medal vs. a flat cast ring, would put this variant around a 1946 issue. Oddly, this strikes me as such a plain medal for such a costly and monumental event.

Now I just need to find a document dated 1946 to go with it.

[Adrian Stevenson]

Looks fine.

Cheers, Ade.

[Gunny Hartmann]

I've got one lurking around the house somewhere minus the ribbon, i always thought it was a cast fake. Cheers Ade!....

[Watchdog]

Yep, looks good to me too. A type 1 (there is only one type) variation 1 (earliest of 3) with the earlier brass rather than aluminium 5 side suspension. These are faked but it's hard to think why when over a million were awarded. The ribbon is highly unlikely to be original to the medal but this is perfectly fine as the one it was issued with will have just fallen apart because these are worn by the vets at every opportunity even daily in some cases unlike in the West but I am not aware of the existance of reproductions of this very plentiful wartime ribbon.

These medals all do look fairly crude but that is part of the Soviet industrial charm perhaps

The soviet WWII campaign medals fall into three groups; defense of, liberation of and capture of significant cities / locations. The capture medals were for Budapest, Koenigsberg, Vienna and Belrin plus the two victory medals for Germany and Japan.

Here is a group shot of the "full set" as it were!

I hope this helps

Mark
PS I know the Vienna medal ribbon colours have run and I have a replacement, it just has never got to the top of the "round twit" list yet

[avenger]

Hi Mark. Thanks for the info.

Do you believe the ribbon is replaced because you see something odd about it or how it's wrapped, or is it just assumed because that's typically the case?

[Leaftree]

Do you believe the ribbon is replaced because you see something odd about it or how it's wrapped, or is it just assumed because that's typically the case?

The ribbon is in too good of shape in my opinion to be original. If you look at the medal it shows wear and tear, it looks it's age, the ribbon looks clean and new.

Regards,

[avenger]

Hmm. Yeah, I think you guys are right. The part of the back that holds the ribbon down on at the top rear does look to have been tampered with as it's a slight wavy, and some staining runs under the part of the ribbon that crosses over on the front, which doesn't make a lot of sense unless it was stained before being put on. Oh well, sounds like it's not a big deal on this medal though.

I've been told on the Russian medals, they're a lot less particular compared to German medals, where a replacement ribbon might really hurt the value of something like this. I guess the original owner may have even done it. The parts of the brass frame that are under the ribbon on the back are not as tarnished, so makes me think it was probably replaced some time ago.

[Watchdog]

The ribbon is in too good of shape in my opinion to be original. If you look at the medal it shows wear and tear, it looks it's age, the ribbon looks clean and new.

Regards,

Exactly right, old medal with new ribbon but the point is this really makes little difference except to someone who is looking for the total untouched "patina of age". As I said, vets have worn these in some cases every day since the war. You wouldn't expect to see a 1945 automobile still running on the original tyres would you? The difference there is the car would have newly made tyres whereas these medals have replaced but period ribbons. Those ribbons that are not actually period are identical as they are / were made in the same factories with the same material on the same machines and in some cases by the same people!! This is not the case in western nations where the old stock is exhausted in most (though not all as there is a lot of WWII stock left for some medals) cases and new ribbons are made that are just not the same. It really comes down to the actual use these medals have had versus western medals that are worn only on veterans / remembrance day!

Regards

Mark

[Adrian Stevenson]

Here are mine:

The Capture of Berlin Medal