Silver, 14 K gold (hammer and sickle emblem), enamels; measures 47.2 mm in height, 45.2 mm in width; weighs 23.7 g without the screw plate. This Leningrad Mint variation has a distinctive "deep dish" concave shape - often referred to as "Crab" by Russian-speaking collectors - and is somewhat larger than most other varieties. This specimen features a rudimentary ray under the blade of the saber near the hilt; it is from the first series of the Type 2 produced by the Leningrad Mint. Note the low serial number and relatively large, widely spaced numerals of the engraving as typica

Silver, 14 K gold (hammer and sickle emblem), enamels; measures 47.2 mm in height, 45.2 mm in width; weighs 23.7 g without the screw plate. This Leningrad Mint variation has a distinctive "deep dish" concave shape - often referred to as "Crab" by Russian-speaking collectors - and is somewhat larger than most other varieties. This specimen features a rudimentary ray under the blade of the saber near the hilt; it is from the first series of the Type 2 produced by the Leningrad Mint. Note the low serial number and relatively large, widely spaced numerals of the engraving as typical of the early Leningrad Mint issues. The most unusual feature of this particular piece is the absence of a mint mark. A few dozen of such Leningrad Mint specimens are known to exist, and they are classified as Leningrad Mint Var. 1 Sub-var. 3a on the Mondvor.narod.ru website. Although found in a pretty wide range from 100001 - 316098, most of them are from the first Leningrad Mint series with the numbers just above 100000 - not surprisingly, since the omission of the mint mark was really an oversight of the mint and therefore far more typical to occur among the very first specimens.

In very fine condition. The enamel is free of chips or other significant damage. There are some small scratches and tiny surface flakes to the enamel throughout, none of them glaring or very detractive. There is no significant rubbing however, and the enamel shows a nice luster. The golden hammer & sickle shows minor scratches and dings, but is overall well-preserved. The silver starburst is perfect and exhibits a nice even patina; there is a matching attractive patina to the reverse. The characteristically long, 17-mm screw post has not been shortened. Comes with the original silver screw plate with the very peculiar raised lines specific to wartime screw plates in silver for the orders of the Patriotic War produced by the Leningrad Mint.

Oganes Ambartsumyan was born in 1921 to an ethnic Armenian family in Georgia. Drafted into the Red Army in May 1941, just before the German invasion, he took part in combat from the first day of the war on 22 June. As of early 1944, he had the rank of corporal and served as a gun layer with the 44th Artillery Regiment, 33rd Rifle Division, 22nd Army, 2nd Belorussian Front. In early February, he took part in the 2nd Belorussian Front's offensive in the area west of Novosokolniki, south of Narva, Pskov Region. The offensive was a part of the larger Soviet Leningrad - Novgorod Strategic Operation that drove the Germans away from Leningrad and inflicted serious losses on Army Group North. During the period of 2 - 8 February, while the 22nd Army made several unsuccessful attempts to break the defenses of the German 16th Army, Ambatsumyan showed excellent skills as a gun layer. He and his gun crew were credited with the destruction of 3 enemy heavy machine guns, 2 horse-drawn wagons, 2 mortars, and up to 20 German soldiers. On 18 February 1944, Corp. Ambartsumyan was awarded with his first decoration of the war, the Medal for Valor.

In May 1944, Ambatsumyan was lightly wounded but was soon back in action. In July of that year, by then already a junior sergeant but still in the capacity of a gun layer in the same unit, he distinguished himself in battles on the western bank of the Velikaya River (in Pskov Region of western Russia close to the Latvian border). On 16 July, his gun crew wiped out an enemy machine gun with its crew as well as 10 submachine gunners that took position on the outskirts of the village of Goremyki-Severnyye, south of the town of Ostrov. On 21 July, his crew destroyed two light machine guns and silenced a battery of three German 105-mm guns that was soon thereafter captured by his division's infantry. On the following day, Ambartsumyan's skills as a gun layer resulted in the suppression of a heavy machine gun, destruction of a heavy mortar (referred to a "119-mm mortar" in the subsequent award commendation, it was likely a 12-cm Granatwerfer 42), and elimination of 10 enemy soldiers.

On 17 August 1944, Jr. Sgt. Ambartsumyan was awarded with the Order of the Patriotic War, 2nd cl. which turned out to be his final decoration of the war. He was discharged from the military in March 1945, less than two months short of the end of the war - most likely a result of another combat injury or severe illness. As of 1946, he was working as a collective farm foreman in his native village of Sarzeli in Georgia.

Research Materials: photocopy of the award record card, award commendation for the Order of the Patriotic War 2nd cl., and excerpt of the award decree for the Valor Medal containing a brief citation.
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