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Soviet award serial number ranges
 Outliers: two Red Stars with consecutive serial numbers, yet awarded in September 1944 and May
1945. Their numbers are consecutive because they were issued simultaneously |
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The tables below are intended to help determine when a specific numbered Soviet award was probably
awarded. I want to stress, however, that this is not an exact science: a rough chronological order can be seen
in the serial numbers (they were issued roughly in numerical order), but many awards are outliers (this
mostly applies to wartime and immediate postwar decorations, but to a lesser extent to later awards as well). The
problem lies in the fact that awards could be issued (physically presented to the recipient) days or weeks after the
award date (the administrative act of conferring an award upon somebody), but also months, years, or even decades
later. Therefore, the relation between award date and serial number is a distorted one. The borders in the tables
below are not exact ones, but should be considered grey areas.
I have created these tables on the basis of my personal serial number database, which I have been
compiling over the last ten years, as well as Echoes of War: Researching Soviet Military Decorations by Paul
Schmitt.
For a breakdown into 'real' and long-service awards, please visit this page.
Jump to:
- Order of Lenin
- Order of the Red Banner
- Order of the Red Banner, 2nd award
- Order of the Red Banner, 3rd award
- Order of the Red Banner, 4th award
- Order of Alexander Nevsky
- Order of the Patriotic War, 1st Class
- Order of the Patriotic War, 2nd Class
- Order of the Red Star
- Order of Glory, 2nd Class
- Order of Glory, 3rd Class
- Medal for Courage
- Medal for Combat Merit
ORDER OF LENIN
Instituted on April 6, 1930 |
Serial number range |
Approximate award year |
≈ 1 – 800 |
1930–1934 |
≈ 800 – 1,500 |
1935 |
≈ 1,500 – 3,300 |
1936 |
≈ 3,300 – 3,600 |
1937 |
≈ 3,600 – 3,900 |
1938 |
≈ 3,900 – 5,100 |
1939 |
≈ 5,100 – 6,600 |
1940 |
≈ 6,600 – 7,400 |
1941 |
≈ 7,400 – 10,800 |
1942 |
≈ 10,800 – 15,800 |
1943 |
≈ 15,800 – 19,300 |
1944 |
≈ 19,300 – 58,000 |
1945 |
≈ 58,000 – 61,000 |
1946 |
≈ 61,000 – 70,000 |
1947 |
≈ 70,000 – 94,000 |
1948 |
≈ 94,000 – 120,000 |
1949 |
≈ 120,000 – 130,000 |
1950 |
≈ 130,000 – 200,000 |
1951 |
≈ 200,000 – 220,000 |
1952 |
≈ 220,000 – 260,000 |
1953 |
≈ 260,000 – 295,000 |
1954 |
≈ 295,000 – 310,000 |
1955 |
≈ 310,000 – 332,000 |
1956 |
≈ 332,000 – end (≈ 462,000) |
1957-1991 |
ORDER OF THE RED BANNER
Instituted on August 1, 1924 |
Serial number range |
Approximate award year |
≈ 1 – 390 |
1924–1935 |
≈ 390 – 750 |
1936 |
≈ 750 – 1,400 |
1937 |
≈ 1,400 – 2,300 |
1938 |
≈ 2,300 – 4,000 |
1939 |
≈ 4,000 – 5,900 |
1940 |
≈ 5,900 – 14,700 |
1st half of 1941 |
≈ 14,700 – 18,000 |
2nd half of 1941 |
≈ 18,000 – 29,000 |
1st half of 1942 |
≈ 29,000 – 44,000 |
2nd half of 1942 |
≈ 44,000 – 81,000 |
1st half of 1943 |
≈ 65,000 – 81,000 |
2nd half of 1943 |
≈ 81,000 – 111,000 |
1st half of 1944 |
≈ 111,000 – 181,000 |
2nd half of 1944 |
≈ 181,000 – 230,000 |
1st half of 1945 |
≈ 230,000 – 298,000 |
2nd half of 1945 |
≈ 298,000 – 300,000 |
1946 |
≈ 300,000 – 307,000 |
1947 |
≈ 307,000 – 309,000 |
1948 |
≈ 309,000 – 327,000 |
1949 |
≈ 327,000 – 350,000 |
1950 |
≈ 350,000 – 367,000 |
1951 |
≈ 367,000 – 386,000 |
1952 |
≈ 386,000 – 405,000 |
1953 |
≈ 405,000 – 450,000 |
1954 |
≈ 450,000 – 475,000 |
1955 |
≈ 475,000 – 530,000 |
1956 |
≈ 530,000 – end (567,288) |
Real awards, 1957-1991 |
ORDER OF THE RED BANNER, SECOND AWARD
Instituted on August 1, 1924 |
Serial number range |
Approximate award year |
≈ 1 – 500 |
1934-1940[1] |
≈ 500 – 700 |
1941 |
≈ 700 – 2,000 |
1942 |
≈ 2,000 – 4,000 |
1943 |
≈ 4,000 – 11,500 |
1944 |
≈ 11,500 – 12,000 |
1945-1946 |
≈ 12,000 – 14,000 |
1947 |
≈ 14,000 – 15,000 |
1948 |
≈ 15,000 – 16,000 |
1949 |
≈ 16,000 – 19,000 |
1950 |
≈ 19,000 – 21,500 |
1951 |
≈ 21,500 – 22,000 |
1952 |
≈ 22,000 – 22,500 |
1953 |
≈ 22,500 – 27,000 |
1954 |
≈ 27,000 – 28,000 |
1955 |
≈ 28,000 – 30,000 |
1956 |
≈ 30,000 – end (33,902) |
1957-1991 |
ORDER OF THE RED BANNER, THIRD AWARD
Instituted on August 1, 1924 |
Serial number range |
Approximate award year |
≈ 1 – 20 |
1934-1940[1] |
≈ 20 – 950 |
1941-1943 |
≈ 950 – 1,500 |
1944 |
≈ 1,500 – 1,600 |
1945-1946 |
≈ 1,600 – 2,200 |
1947 |
≈ 2,200 – 3,800 |
1948 |
≈ 3,800 – 5,400 |
1949 |
≈ 5,400 – 5,600 |
1950 |
≈ 5,600 – 7,900 |
1951 |
≈ 7,900 – 9,500 |
1952-1956 |
≈ 9,500 – end (12,733) |
1957-1991 |
ORDER OF THE PATRIOTIC WAR, 1ST CLASS
Instituted on May 20, 1942 |
Serial number range |
Approximate award year |
≈ 1 – 400 |
1942 |
≈ 400 – 9,000 |
1st half of 1943 |
≈ 9,000 – 20,000 |
2nd half of 1943 |
≈ 20,000 – 43,000 |
1st half of 1944 |
≈ 43,000 – 115,000 |
2nd half of 1944 |
≈ 115,000 – end (≈ 320,000) |
1945 |
Negligible |
1946-1991 |
ORDER OF THE PATRIOTIC WAR, 2ND CLASS
Instituted on May 20, 1942 |
Serial number range |
Approximate award year |
≈ 1 – 1,500 |
1942 |
≈ 1,500 – 16,000 |
1st half of 1943 |
≈ 16,000 – 67,000 |
2nd half of 1943 |
≈ 67,000 – 115,000 |
1st half of 1944 |
≈ 115,000 – 250,000 |
2nd half of 1944 |
≈ 250,000 – end (≈ 985,000) |
1945 |
Negligible |
1946-1991 |
ORDER OF THE RED STAR
Instituted on April 6, 1930 |
Serial number range |
Approximate award year |
≈ 1 – 450 |
1930-1934 |
≈ 450 – 750 |
1935 |
≈ 750 – 2,100 |
1936 |
≈ 2,100 – 3,200 |
1937 |
≈ 3,200 – 6,200 |
1938 |
≈ 6,200 – 6,650 |
1939 |
≈ 6,650 – 19,000 |
1940 |
≈ 19,000 – 20,000 |
1st half of 1941 |
≈ 20,000 – 27,000 |
2nd half of 1941 |
≈ 27,000 – 42,000 |
1st half of 1942 |
≈ 42,000 – 80,000 |
2nd half of 1942 |
≈ 80,000 – 200,000 |
1st half of 1943 |
≈ 200,000 – 440,000 |
2nd half of 1943 |
≈ 440,000 – 650,000 |
1st half of 1944 |
≈ 650,000 – 1,160,000 |
2nd half of 1944 |
≈ 1,160,000 – 1,400,000 |
1st half of 1945 |
≈ 1,400,000 – 2,700,000 |
2nd half of 1945 |
≈ 2,700,000 – 2,780,000 |
1946-1947 |
≈ 2,780,000 – 2,870,000 |
1948 |
≈ 2,870,000 – 2,900,000 |
1949 |
≈ 2,900,000 – 2,960,000 |
1950 |
≈ 2,960,000 – 3,054,000 |
1951 |
≈ 3,054,000 – 3,070,000 |
1952 |
≈ 3,070,000 – 3,147,000 |
1953 |
≈ 3,147,000 – 3,317,000 |
1954 |
≈ 3,317,000 – 3,378,000 |
1955 |
≈ 3,378,000 – 3,550,000 |
1956 |
≈ 3,550,000 – end (3,860,800) |
1957-1991 |
MEDAL FOR COURAGE
Instituted on October 17, 1938 |
Serial number range |
Approximate award year |
≈ 1 – 1,500 |
1938 |
≈ 1,500 – 4,300 |
1939 |
≈ 4,300 – 21,000 |
1940 |
≈ 21,000 – 22,000 |
1st half of 1941 |
≈ 22,000 – 26,000 |
2nd half of 1941 |
≈ 26,000 – 61,000 |
1st half of 1942 |
≈ 61,000 – 130,000 |
2nd half of 1942 |
≈ 130,000 – 265,000 |
1st half of 1943 |
≈ 265,000 – 740,000 |
2nd half of 1943 |
≈ 740,000 – 1,300,000 |
1st half of 1944 |
≈ 1,300,000 – 2,000,000 |
2nd half of 1944 |
≈ 2,000,000 – end (≈ 3,660,000) |
1945 |
Negligible |
1946-1948[3] |
MEDAL FOR COMBAT MERIT
Instituted on October 17, 1938 |
Serial number range |
Approximate award year |
≈ 1 – 1,600 |
1938 |
≈ 1,600 – 3,500 |
1939 |
≈ 3,500 – 18,000 |
1940 |
≈ 18,000 – 20,000 |
1st half of 1941 |
≈ 20,000 – 22,000 |
2nd half of 1941 |
≈ 22,000 – 75,000 |
1st half of 1942 |
≈ 75,000 – 160,000 |
2nd half of 1942 |
≈ 160,000 – 370,000 |
1st half of 1943 |
≈ 370,000 – 850,000 |
2nd half of 1943 |
≈ 850,000 – 1,100,000 |
1st half of 1944 |
≈ 1,100,000 – 1,900,000 |
2nd half of 1944 |
≈ 1,900,000 – 2,800,000 |
1st half of 1945 |
≈ 2,800,000 – 2,900,000 |
2nd half of 1945 |
≈ 2,900,000 – 3,100,000 |
1946 |
≈ 3,100,000 – end (≈ 3,210,000) |
1947-1948[3] |
_________________________
[1] The first Orders of the Red Banner second, third, and fourth award
were manufactured in 1934.
[2] Although the vast majority of all Orders of Alexander Nevsky was awarded during World War Two, a handful of them
were awarded in 1956 for actions during the Hungarian Uprising.
[3] On January 30, 1947 the Secretariat of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR officially decided that the
Soviet mints stop numbering the Medal for Courage and Combat Merit.
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