Medal for Bravery

[Stinkpotpete]

What are your thoughts on this medal? I'm thinking that the hanger was replaced post war, the number is in the low 3 mil, would that place it as a wartime award? Thank you for your help.
Paul

[Auke]

The medal is original and wartime (probably a spring 1945 award). The suspension seems to be original too (and it seems that the silver connecting link is still soldered closed), but the ribbon was most likely replaced at a later date.

[Stinkpotpete]

Thank you very much for your help. Now I know where to look to see if the hanger was replaced, I didn't know about the solder, I thought it was the ring. I'm off to put in a bid. Thank you again.
Paul

[Auke]

The ring is always a useful thing to check. When the suspension was replaced they usually cut open the ring, but never bothered to resolder it

[Malko]

Hello
Auke sorry to ask but the Serial Number isn't it little big (over 3 millions) to be awarded during wartime ?

[Auke]

No, practically all numbered BMs were awarded during the war. A handful of numbered BMs were awarded for wounds in 1947, but other than that they are all wartime awards.

[Bruno]

No, practically all numbered BMs were awarded during the war

That is not correct.
Numbers up to circa 2 500 000 are the latest that may belong to 2WW era - bigger numbers (3 000 000 for sure) belongs to postwar time.

This particular medal with number above 3 000 000 has to be from somewhen at the end of 40-ties.

And generally it is hard to say, when exactly Soviets lost the number system for this medal - most probably somewhen between 40/50-ties.

[Dimas]

For the wartime period was more than 4 300 000 men awarded with this medal, numbers on them was discontiued by Paragraph 8 of the order #176 by Secretariat of Presidium of the Headquarter of USSR issued in January. 30th, 1947 " all the medals of the USSR, made in future, with the exeption of Medal of the Hero of USSR and Hero of the Labour of USSR- will be made without numbers"

Source:
Medal for Bravery

[Bruno]

My point was that only about 2,5 million men were awarded with this medal before the end of war - this applies to the numbers backside the medals as well.

Bigger numbers belongs to the medals that were handed over after the war (doesn´t matter for what) - for wartime heroism or killing the national partisans in Baltics for example...

[Auke]

I was talking about when they were awarded, i.e. the official (administrative) act of conferring the award - issuing (giving) them is something entirely different. Practically all serial numbered medals were awarded during the war, but of course many were issued shortly afterwards.