Order of the Red Banner of Labor Type 6 variations discussion

[Lapa]

Matthijs,

In Russian, it is referred to as "Childish Handwriting". It is found in the low 600000's.

Marc

[Greg Collins]

I've got to say something here regarding gold, silver and gold plated silver (a couple of posts ago). Now, I may not have as many years under my belt as a collector as some, but, at 22 years old, I was a journeyman metal finisher with AMF Incorporated and I do know something about that.

Gold, if in a respectable level of alloy, say 9K or above, will always appear as gold no matter how much it is handled or how many years pass. It does not tarnish. Silver, on the other hand, will tarnish fairly quickly whether it is handled or not. When silver is gold plated, it will generally appear gold for a time but, as the piece is handled and exposed to the elements, gaps occur in the plating which will allow the silver tarnish to overtake the gold plating. This can be slowed significantly if the item is stored properly and handled less.

I have an '85 issue 1st Class OPGW in my collection that really shows this well- the only way left to tell it's a 1st Class is to look at the back side (less exposed in the case). There you can see the gold plating.