Khalkhin Gol Medal (aka Badge for the Battle at Khalkin
Gol), Transitional Version, circa 1946.
Brass, silver plating, enamels. Measures 37.3 mm in height
not including the flagpole finial, 36.7 mm in width. The
badge is Variation 1 featuring relief reverse construction,
usually associated with the the Moscow Artists Cooperative
(MTKh) manufacture. The
details and enamelwork are also standard for Variation 1;
note in particular the darker shade of the azure enamel as
opposed to almost turquoise tone of enamel of the Variation
2.
The screw post is approx. 2.7 mm in diameter and 9 mm in
length. It is slightly thicker than the copper screw post
standard for Variation 1 badges that would accommodate a
wing nut with the "Moscow Artists Cooperative" logo. At the
same time, the screw post is noticeably thinner than the
typical screw post of the Variation 2. The "Monetnyi Dvor"
(State Mint) screw plate is of the kind normally found only
on Variation 2 Khalkhin Gol badges (incidentally, it is
also
exactly the same as screw plates used on Soviet Hero Stars,
except for being made in silver-plated brass rather than
gilded silver.) Its threads match the screw post perfectly,
and the screw plate appears to be of the same vintage as
the
badge itself, not a replacement. Likewise, the screw post
on
this specimen appears to be completely original: there are
no telltale signs of repair or alteration. We therefore
believe that this piece is an interesting transitional sub-
variation completed at the Mint after production had been
moved there utilizing an unfinished Moscow Artists badge
that was already been "in the pipeline". It would be
interesting to see if any other such examples may be found
eventually.
Note that the reference book "The Orders and
Medals of the Mongolian People's Republic (1924-1992)"
actually mentions that there were early attempts to
manufacture Khalkhin Gol Badges during the war at the
Krasnokamsk Mint, but very few had been actually completed
before 1946. This piece may well be from this early series.
/See "The Orders and Medals of the Mongolian People's
Republic (1924-1992)", Khuujii Urnukh, p. 181/
The badge is in excellent condition, absolutely outstanding
for the early issue. The red enamel on the banner
appears flawless to the unaided eye; close examination with
a magnifying glass reveals only a couple of microscopic
flakes at the upper edge of the banner - completely
invisible to the naked eye - and a few tiny contact marks.
The red scroll with inscription "Halhingol" has miniscule
flakes along the lower edge which are completely
undetectable to the naked eye and a scratch with a slightly
larger but still miniscule flake at the letter "L". The
azure enamel in the center and the green, gold and orange
enamels under the feet of the horse are pristine. The
silver
plating on the cavalryman and his horse is exceptionally
well preserved having just a tiny amount of wear on the
raised points. The details are perfect and crisp. The
silver
plating on the reverse of the badge is nearly pristine and
shows very attractive patina.
$550.00 