A Circa 1949 Orders and Medals Sales Catalog of Lenard L. Babin

Lenard L. Babin was a noted dealer in coins and in militaria. He served in the Second World War and he had a long and respected career in the field of coin collecting, authoring books in that field as well as in the field of militaria. This sales catalog is undated, but inside he writes of the need for a “War Medal and Decoration Club”, something that indicates that the catalog was published before the creation of the Orders and Medals Society of America, which was founded in 1950. The catalog has card covers and it is comprised of 24 pages with line drawings of the medals, badges and orders being offered for sale, including numerous Third Reich medals and badges. Mr. Babin cites original wartime German sources for his identification of the medals. Offerings include a Third Reich Iron Cross First Class for $4.00, and a cased example for $5.00; a Rising Sun neck order for $20; a Third Reich U-boat badge for $5.00; and a choice of two British Waterloo Medals for $7 or for $10, depending upon the unit marking on the medal. Approximately 6 inches by 8-7/8 inches. The covers show age toning, but the catalog is complete, intact, and it makes for very nostalgic reading.