Start with the award type
Begin by identifying what the award is. Orders and medals differ in construction, and the award name is the first thing to check against reference material. Some of the main wartime awards are:
- Order of the Patriotic War, 1st and 2nd class. Instituted on 20 May 1942.
- Order of the Red Star. Instituted on 6 April 1930.
- Medal for Courage. Instituted on 17 October 1938.
- Medal for Combat Merit. Instituted on 17 October 1938.
Earlier orders such as the Order of the Red Banner (1924) and the Order of Lenin (1930) were also in use during the war. Institution dates are a useful check, but they tell you only when an award was created, not when a particular example was made or given.
Read the reverse and the serial number
Many Soviet orders and some medals carry a serial number, usually on the reverse, often near an edge. Check that the number is clearly stamped, that it sits in a consistent place for the award type, and that it looks like the rest of the piece. Numbers that look added, unevenly struck or out of place are worth noting.
If the item has a documented group or an award book, check that the numbers match. A match is helpful, but a document can also be copied or added, so treat it as one piece of evidence.
Serial numbers and award dates
Serial numbers can suggest when an award was made, because numbers were broadly issued in order. The link to the award date is loose, though. Awards were often presented days, weeks or years after the decision to make them, and some were given long after the war. The windows that collectors publish are therefore approximate, and outliers are common, especially for wartime and immediate postwar awards.
Published tables from researchers are the usual reference. Use them to test whether a number is plausible for the award type, not to fix an exact date. One useful point: the Medal for Courage and the Medal for Combat Merit stopped being numbered in January 1947, so a numbered example of either is consistent with the earlier period.
Materials and construction
Look at the metal, the finish and the construction:
- Struck or cast. Well-struck medals usually show crisp detail. Soft, blurred or grainy detail can point to a casting or a later copy, though wear also softens detail.
- Weight and alloy. Compare the weight and colour with known examples. Many Soviet medals were struck from brass-based alloys, and the finish changes with age.
- Enamel. Check enamel for chips, crazing and colour that does not match the period.
- Attachments. Compare the pin, screw post or nut with documented examples. Replaced or mismatched fittings are common.
Fakes and reproductions
Soviet awards have been widely reproduced, so take care with any item that looks unusually good for its price. Common warning signs include:
- Serial numbers that do not match the award type or the expected style.
- Details that look too sharp for their wear, or wear that looks applied rather than worn in.
- Modern finishes, fixings or fonts.
- A group that combines awards with different histories and no supporting document.
When in doubt, get a second opinion from an experienced collector or a specialist before you buy. The general checks in how to tell if a military medal is original or a replica apply to Soviet awards too.
Ribbons and documents
Ribbons can be replaced, so do not treat a ribbon as proof of an award. Award documents, where they survive, are useful, but they can be copied. A documented group is generally more useful than an undocumented one, provided the document clearly belongs to the item in question. Documentation also affects price, as explained in military medal values.
Recording what you find
Photograph both sides at a sharp angle and in even light. Note the award type, the serial number, the attachment and any markings. Keep the record with the item, so future owners and researchers can check your findings. For the uniforms these awards were worn with, see Soviet WWII uniforms and insignia, and for winter headgear, see Soviet ushankas and winter headgear of WWII.