New Odessa Medal, help please...

[Robert P.]

Hi, all.

Yes, this is the other Soviet medal I received today. What do you guys think of it? I was sure surprised to see it in such fine condition.

Thanks

Robert

[Robert P.]

a few more shots...

[Robert P.]

a couple more of the same medal...

[HuliganRS]

Sorry to bear bad news but I believe it's a fake.

Minor details are off...

Rusty.

[Rick Research]

"Odessa" is the only "Defense" I don't have. (I try to get all the WW2s in documented groups... hope springs eternal!) but not only is this the best scans of one we've seen here, it's better than McDaniel's!

Looks just great to me! The details are sharply struck. The breakwater light is skinny, rather than the fakes' "inverted ice cream cone," and yet the "windows" show clearly. There is detailed water here rather than the fakes' "fogbank"... right down to the tiny whatever it is in the water directly below the light that looks as if it might be (but isn't) a tiny die maker's name. The "soft focus" fakes actually have NICER, more natural looking figures. But here is the original sailor's bottom of his pea coat flaring out wide behind his butt, as it should:

[Robert P.]

Thanks again, Rick.

Rusty, can you please be more descript?

Robert

[HuliganRS]

Robert,

Let's see...

The medal is sharply struck yet it's missing minor details in the water to the left and to the right of the soldiers. The detail under their feet is lacking as well.
The star in the bottom is wrong shape (too tall) The banner behind the star is wrong.

Should I go on?

Rusty.

[Robert P.]

Well, Rusty, we have a difference of opinions. Actually my medal (shown) has just as much detail to the water, maybe more than the example in McDaniel's Book. There is a little difference to the land detail under the soldiers feet. This could simply be another die that produced this piece, which would explain the small difference in detail to the one you are comparing mine to. As for the star, consider that all of the stars (3) are taller than should be. This is from vertical distortion from the camera lens. In reality, when looking at the stars through a 10X loop, they certainly appear 'square.' And I'm still not certain what you are referring to with the ribbon behind the star. It looks very much alike to the example in McDaniel's Book. I see good space between the ribbon and the edge of the medal at the bottom of the medal. Might you have a 'correct' piece to help illustrate these points I'm defending. That would be of vital importance. Even with another example one must realize that one medal produced from a said set of dies will resemble another medal from a different set of dies, but not be exactly alike. They will have minor differences. Please continue on...

Respects.
Robert