Mongolian Khalkhin Gol Medal (aka Medal for the Battle at Khalkin Gol). GUARANTEED 100% ORIGINAL badge manufactured in the Soviet Union in 1946 and awarded to one of the participants of the 1939 battle this is not a replica or reissue! The badge is made in brass with silver plating and hot-baked enamels of typical high Soviet quality. Measures 38.2 mm in height from the bottom to the top of the 12 o’clock point of the banner (not including the flagpole finial), 37.3 mm in width; weighs 15.9 grams not including the screw plate. This is Sub-variation 1, featuring a relatively smooth ornamental edge. Fine quality of this badge is very characteristic of the Soviet Mint manufacture. The badge is in SUPERB, NEAR MINT CONDITION extremely unusual for Soviet or Mongolian badges of this vintage. The enamel is essentially flawless. There are a couple of microscopic contact marks that can be found under 10x magnifying glass, but they are completely invisible to the naked eye. The enamel shows magnificent original luster everywhere. The details of the cavalryman and his horse are perfect and extremely crisp, and all of the original silver plating is still completely intact. The silver finish on the reverse is likewise perfect. The screw post is full length, approx. 13.5 mm, and includes original screw plate with Soviet mint logo. To reiterate, we simply havent seen a better example of this badge in 25-odd years of doing business. The badge was awarded for participation in the series of battles against the Japanese Kwantung Army in Manchuria in 1939. In western press and Japan the campaign was referred to a Nomonhan Incident. Although its outcome greatly impacted the course of world events for years to come, it was soon largely forgotten due to the outbreak of WW2 later that year. The battle was the first engagement between two modern motorized forces on open terrain, both assisted by air forces. The Japanese aviation was initially more successful but was then inexplicably grounded possibly because the top Japanese leadership in Tokyo was lukewarm about the campaign to begin with, and basically allowed the increasingly uncontrollable Kwantung Army command to fail. The decisive Soviet victory cleared the road for Japan to make peace with the USSR and switch to the “southern advance” – thus setting it for the war with the US and eventual demise. In late 1941, this peace agreement allowed the Soviet Union to safely transfer troops from the Far East for the defense of Moscow at the most critical period of the war. The battle is also memorable for giving a meteoric rise to the career of Marshal Zhukov, the supreme commander of the Soviet forces at Khalkhin Gol. Many historians now consider the battle of Khalhin Gol the true starting point of WW2! The Khalkhin Gol Badge was awarded to both Mongolian and Soviet s who had participated in the battle. Some were awarded prior to the Patriotic War (Variation 1), while the flat-back version was issued after the war to those who had not received the badge earlier. The award was deemed so important that it was later upgraded in rank to be considered a medal. According to the research by Khuujii, all the Variation 2 Badges, 5504 in total, were manufactured in 1946. The item “WW2 Soviet Mongolia Khalkhin Gol Badge Medal 1939 Russian Battle vs Japan MINT” is in sale since Wednesday, August 16, 2017. This item is in the category “Collectibles\Militaria\Surplus\Medals, Pins & Ribbons”. The seller is “wwwcollectrussia” and is located in Tenafly, New Jersey. This item can be shipped to United States.
- Country: Mongolia
- Original or Reproduction: Original
- Category: Collectibles
- Region or Culture: Mongolian