Soviet Order of the Red Star DUPLICATE official issue #1466914 RARE USSR Medal

Description

Soviet Order of the Red Star, official Duplicate issue by the Soviet Mint, #1466914.
THIS IS GUARANTEED 100% ORIGINAL military decoration from the Soviet era, not a replica or a post-Soviet re-issue!
The order is of beautiful quality standard for the high Soviet decorations. The star is in STERLING SILVER (925 parts of pure silver out of 1000) and high quality “hot baked” enamel. It weighs 29.8 g not including the screw plate and measures 45.7 mm tall, 48.3 mm wide The center medallion with the Soviet soldier holding a rifle is a separate part soldered to the star base.
The serial number is stamped immediately below the screw post, in font standard for the Soviet duplicate awards. Like most other duplicate awards taken out of existing pre-numbered stock, the original serial number has been carefully removed. The manner in which the new number was stamped makes it certain that this award is a legitimate Duplicate issue - not a counterfeit (we’ve seen some phony “duplicates” on the market lately – those are usually given away by incorrect font of the serial number, sloppy serial number alteration, and sometimes also by the fact that they are made out of the version never used for duplicates).
Considering the characteristics of the order (toe of the left boot pointing left, approx. 9 mm wide mint mark, medallion measuring 20.5 mm in width) it was probably manufactured in 1952-57. The replacement could be done at any point afterwards. Judging by the serial number, the order was originally bestowed in spring 1945.
The order is in GREAT condition. There are some scratches to enamel, mostly on the upper left arm, but none of them are very noticeable. The enamel on this piece is completely original, has not been repaired, and it retains beautiful original luster. There are no chips or significant flaking. The center medallion has minor scratches (probably from cleaning) but its details are well preserved. The reverse is practically pristine, with no wear visible. The screw post is of full length, nearly 13 mm, and includes original screw plate. Overall, a very attractive piece!
Soviet Duplicate awards are scarce because they were issued very sparingly. Typically, a mint replacement was only permitted when the recipient could prove that the original award had been damaged beyond repair, lost or stolen – and it didn’t happen because of neglect! The threshold was set very high, the amount of paperwork was monumental, so not many veterans were able to complete the process and get a new award issued in exchange for the old. In fact, a special act of government (Supreme Soviet of the USSR) was required to authorize any duplicate Soviet state decoration, regardless of its rank. This is why
original
Duplicate orders very rarely appear on the market.
(Examples of Soviet duplicate awards and information about them can be found on pages 377-382 of "The Comprehensive Guide to Soviet Orders and Medals" by McDaniel and Schmitt .)
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