Medal For Courage in a Fire opinions

[rt77]

Hi guys!

I recently acquired this Medal For Courage in a Fire and would like to know if you think it is genuine or not? I've studied all the photos I can find online and comparing them I think it looks good. But with it being a rarer medal and the first one I have seen in person, I am not 100% sure. The medal details are very crisp, the connection ring is uncut and the ribbon and medal show some wear and age. The ring is a little thicker than the other examples I have found. The medal weighs approximately 18g (not including suspension). Looking forward to hearing your opinions!

Thanks! David.

[Thedutchjelle]

Overall it looks good. The only thing that concerns me is the detail on the firefighter's helmet. The "beads" on his cap seems lacking compared to examples I can see on Matthijs' website:
https://sovietorders.com/wp-content/...8/10/16-12.jpg
https://sovietorders.com/wp-content/...2019/05/16.jpg
https://sovietorders.com/wp-content/...18/10/4-47.jpg

In each these examples there's 8 of these beads on the cap, whereas yours has only 7. This could be due to wear though. I wonder what the others think.

[rt77]

Thanks for taking a look! I hadn’t noticed that about the helmet beads. I’ve taken another look using a loupe and tried to take a close up of the helmet details (my close up photography skills aren’t as good as Matts). The photo shows there’s an 8th bead there but not quite as defined as the other 7 - maybe due to wear like you said. Hope the extra photo helps.
Thanks again, David.

[Leaftree]

I have my doubts about this medal.
- Type 2 variations I've seen have pebbling in both windows.
- Thumb of firefighter (his left hand) usually has a bit of an uplift at the tip, this one looks straight.

More info:

Medal for Valor During a Fire - Russia: Soviet Orders, Medals & Decorations - Gentleman's Military Interest Club

Anyone else?

Regards,

[rt77]

Thanks for those points Leaftree! I can confirm on my medal that pebbling is present in all 3 windows.



As for the Firefighters left thumb I have taken some close up photos. On a plus note you can see his thumbnail in the photo which is almost impossible to see with the naked eye.






Also a comparison of my medal on the left and one on Matts website on the right. I actually think they look very similar if not the same?



Thanks! David.