I'm answering here in the hope that it will be helpful to others as well.
a. Shims are used to ensure that the front and rear groups are as correctly spaced as possible. So technically, it should not matter whether they are placed at the.front or the rear.
b. The Copal 1 shutter has a front thread of M40x0.75 and a rear thread of M36x0.75. The design of the shutter does not allow shims to be easily placed at the rear, and they are usually placed at the front.
c. In any case, the diameter of the shim should give the repairer a clue, and he really shouldn't be asking this question.
Kumar