North Korea orders and decorations: a weird sideline

[Manzikert]

Some time ago I came across the first image below and just couldn't believe the array of awards each of these North Korean Marshals was plastered with, and it soon became obvious that the image had been photoshopped.

I then found the second image, which was the original, and it is still amazing what they are wearing.

Then I found one of the orders on Ebay and I was hooked, with the result that I now have over 50 examples of the various awards. The older ones were made in Russia and follow the Russian style of being substantial screw-backed silver, gilt and enamel badges. Over time the source shifted to an uncertain country (possibly Czechoslovakia) and then to North Korea itself. The quality has declined a lot (they are mostly silvered copper or brass and the 'enamel' on the most recent ones is plastic, but they still follow the same designs.

As an example I show two badges, the first class of the Order of the National Flag, instituted in 1948 (this badge is probably late 1960's), 46 gm, 61x58 mm (some of the Marshals wear 5 or 6 of these), and the Cholima Honour Badge, instituted in 1968 and abolished in the late 1970's (25 gm, 48x40 mm)

This collecting obsession can take us to some strange places!

Alan

[gerard974]

hello
i want on same for to make an Christmas tree
best regards  gerard

[Figleaf]

Wonderfully weird, Manzikert. I understand your fascination. Reminds me of the days you could put a complete (including stuff that could go BANG) red army uniform together by shopping on the street markets of Berlin and Prague. I wonder how the decorations escape the country. Perhaps those select few who have the right to make trips into China sell off what little they can sell to buy luxury items such as garlic?

Peter

[capnbirdseye]

It's quite clear they copied the idea from american boy scouts 

[malj1]

Isn't the fat guy on the end the one that was shot? ...If so there will be a few spares laying around. 

[capnbirdseye]

Isn't the fat guy on the end the one that was shot? ...If so there will be a few spares laying around. 

He doesn't look inportant enough, only 2 microphones intead of 4