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The article addresses the methods used by traditional forensic examinations to study objects of phaleristics (orders and medals). The author justifies the necessity of a complex study of objects of phaleristics to ensure the completeness and validity of expert conclusions. Based on the examples from expert practice, the author also demonstrates the sequence of the actions of experts from different specialties in a complex investigation.Finally, the article provides the procedural characteristic of a comprehensive expert study.

The article substantiates the need for a comprehensive forensic examination of phaleristic items – orders, medals, and other badges of distinction involved in the sphere of legal proceedings on criminal, civil, arbitration cases, and cases of administrative offenses. The article notes the features of forensic research of state awards of the RSFSR, the USSR, and the Russian Federation, which result from their specific legal status and normatively fixed manufacturing enterprises.The legitimacy of using the concept of “authenticity” in forensic experts’ conclusions concerning state awards and other subjects of phaleristics has been substantiated. The question of authenticity is crucial and, at the same time, one of the most challenging questions in the research of phaleristic items. Its solution requires assessing all the item’s basic properties and, in many cases, the study of a significant amount of reference and historical material.The features of the use of specialized knowledge of history, forensic traceology, forensic examination of materials, substances, and products, forensic merchandising examination, forensic technical examination of documents in the course of phaleristic objects’ forensic study are analyzed. The author provides methodological recommendations for determining the sequence of conducting various types of research, formulating conclusions based on the results of a comprehensive study, and drawing up expert opinions.

Collecting phaleristics is quite a common hobby in all countries. The cost of awards, medals, and other items of phaleristics is determined by their rarity, condition, manufacturing complexity, presence of precious metals and stones.Forensic research of phaleristics for estimation differs from their appraisal by collectors themselves, appraisers of antique trade organizations, pawnshops, and auctioneers in the legal significance of the costing for interested parties. It is conducted according to the methodology of forensic commodity research to determine the market value of objects of various product groups; besides, there is a need to establish authenticity for certain types of products.The article presents an algorithm for forensic appraisal of phaleristic objects. It is shown that state awards of the USSR, RSFSR, and the Russian Federation do not have market cost according to the current Russian legislation as they are removed from the civil circulation. For these items, only the cost of the precious metals used in their production can be established. This cost is determined according to the methodology approved by the Russian Ministry of Finance.