Stalingrad group

[pavelhyde]

I am interested in this group being sold for 210 euro. I am new to collecting WW2 awards so I don't feel confident in spotting fakes and "bad groups" (Where medals and documents have been put together from different people to look like a group from 1 person). I am using different reference websites and books but it's still quite hard to spot the differences.. What is your opinion on this one? I was wondering why there is no "Victory over Germany medal" but maybe they use to replace it with the anniversary medal?

Stalingrad medal bar to a sergeant in the Guards artillery, with the award document to the Stalingrad medal and award booklet.

[Auke]

That group has already been discussed on the forum:

Assorted Soviet Documents
Soviet Medal Group

[pavelhyde]

Ah, I tried to search the forum but did not find that one. Thanks Auke! So seems like the photo in this group has been added since Totenhead had it...

Amazing to see this group was in USA just about a year ago, then England and now it's in South Africa! And obviously it's possible that it has been in other places as well... I bought my first medal about 6 years ago on a trip to Germany and I still have it in my collection. I don't understand people buying just to sell it a few weeks/months later. Do you think there is anything wrong with it since people keep passing it around?

Thinking of buying it so I can put it to rest in dignity in my award collection. 210 euro seems a little high though but what do I know.

Was the following text regarding this group? All the posts in the 2 difference threads with missing photos confused me..


"The OG3 was awarded for displaying exceptional bravery; he crossed a river with the very first infantry units, and when the gun commander was put out of action he assumed command. His gun killed 10 Germans and suppressed a mounted machine gun.

The MC was awarded for repairing two breaks in a telephone line under heavy artillery and mortar fire, enabling his battalion to keep firing and repel an attack."

"All that's missing is the document for his 20th Anniversary of Victory Medal (and possibly also a Victory over Germany Medal with document). I looked up his citations online and he enlisted in the Georgian capital of Tbilisi, served as a Private in a howitzer regiment and later as a Sergeant in a 76-mm gun battery of an infantry regiment. The recipient's name is Georgy Levonovich (Leonovich) Mudzharashvili / Mudzhirishvili / Mudzhirashvili / Mudereshvili. Four different documents and four different ways to write his name... The Soviets definitely had trouble transcribing Caucasian names."

[Auke]

True, the threads are a bit confusing, but those two quotes do indeed pertain to this set. 210 EUR seems fair, in my opinion. The two documents make this is a really nice group. The only downside is that the document for the 20 Years of Victory Medal is missing (assuming the medal is actually his and not added by some dealer or collector). The guy on the photo is probably not him, but even without the photo this is a nice set.

For some reason many medals and medal groups change hands frequently. I have never understood this. A few years ago I was chasing a Red Star I wanted to have, since I already owned two other orders belonging to the same recipient. It took me a while, but I finally traced down the collector who had the Red Star and I was able to buy it from him. It had originally been sold in the Netherlands and via various collectors all around the world it had ended up in Belgium within just a few months' time. Nevertheless, it was (and still is) a beautiful piece.