Lenin's Centenary Medal, Variation 3 (issue to a foreigner), with original fitted case of issue.
In brass; medallion measures 32.1 mm wide, approx. 3.2 mm thick at the edge; weighs 17.8 g not including the suspension and connecting link. Unlike the common issues to Soviet citizens, the writing on the reverse does not specify whether it is for military achievements or valiant labor. Maker marked suspension device. The case is in red plastic with a nest for the medal and translucent cover.
The medal is in excellent condition. Both sides show no wear visible to the naked eye with the exception of a couple of tiny dings to the edge; the details of the bas-relief portrait a
In brass; medallion measures 32.1 mm wide, approx. 3.2 mm thick at the edge; weighs 17.8 g not including the suspension and connecting link. Unlike the common issues to Soviet citizens, the writing on the reverse does not specify whether it is for military achievements or valiant labor. Maker marked suspension device. The case is in red plastic with a nest for the medal and translucent cover.
The medal is in excellent condition. Both sides show no wear visible to the naked eye with the exception of a couple of tiny dings to the edge; the details of the bas-relief portrait are perfect and crisp. The finish is bright, having only very mild patina adding character, no blemishes or oxidation spots.
The case is likewise excellent, completely sound and very presentable. The translucent lid is free of the usual hairline cracks and has only minimal cuffs.
A relatively small number of these medals, 10000 in total, were manufactured. Just a fraction of this total - exactly 4347 according to the
recently published Soviet archival records - were issued to foreign WW 2 veterans and Communist leaders. Most were awarded to those who
attended Lenin's 100th anniversary celebration in Moscow in 1970, but the awards to VIP foreigners continued until as late as 1975 (case in
point is the Communist Party USA activist Angela Davis who received the award in 1972 during one of her visits to the USSR). We would guess
that unlike some of the "leftover" awards remaining after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, the unissued surplus "foreign issue"
Lenin Centenary Medals were probably melted down in the later part of the 70s.
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