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    Elmar Lang

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    Posts posted by Elmar Lang

    1. Hello,

      during my cataloguing works, I've encountered a piece, about which I cannot find any info, although I think I've seen it already, somewhere...

      Material: silver, with nielloed black details (in the Caucasian style?); diameter 5,5 cm.

      Attached, the pictures of the obverse and reverse.

      If it's a very well known decoration, please don't laugh too loud at me...

      Thank you very much in advance,

      Enzo

      Obverse face:

    2. Actually, I would like to know more about this aspect of Jugoslavian phaleristic: if the federative republics would have been allowed to award their own decorations; in other words, if there existed "Federal" and "Federative" awards.

      Where the work of cataloguing for auction ends, my cultural research and study continues...

      Best wishes,

      Enzo

    3. Oh, I see I've wrongly transliterated the motto: I've written "IDIN DEN 1903", but it should have been correctly written "ILIN DEN 1903".

      The piece I've observed, bears the number "102"; there are no silver or manufacteurer's marks, besides the "IKOM ZAGREB on the screw's nut.

      Thank you again for the further, important information,

      Best wishes,

      Enzo

    4. Hello,

      in these days I'm describing a collection of Orders & Decorations from the former Socialist Countries: of course, Yugoslavia is very well represented.

      Among the various pieces, there is one I've already seen, but I cannot remember what would it be: it's a silver-gilt 4-pointed star (6,2 x 6,2 cm.) with a superimposed centre medallion in silver, representing a partizan (?) within a laurel wreath, armed with dagger and bandoleers, holding a flag on a background of attacking men and women; below, a scroll with the (cyrillic) inscription "IDIN DEN 1903" the reverse is plain, struck with a serial (or award) number "102", scew and nut (this, marked "IKOM ZAGREB").

      Any help would be most appreciated.

      Thank you in advance,

      Elmar Lang

    5. Thank you Jens, I've had a chance to see a group of orders and decorations belonged to members of the Anrep and Anrep-Elmpt family (they had high ranking officers serving in the Russian army in the late 18th Century and during the napoleonic wars; other members (but I'm not sure if descendants of female members, so with other surname), served in Germany and Imperial Austria. Among other pieces there is a EK2-1870, so I've asked for info and try to attribute that Iron Cross.

      Best wishes,

      Enzo

    6. Hello,

      Your sword is what remains of a State Official's side-arm.

      The "Viribus Unitis" words are not referring to the famous Austrian warship but they are the motto (Wahlspruch) of emperor Franz Joseph I.

      Best wishes,

      Enzo

    7. Hi Christer,

      your piece is original and having it in the original case (also with manufacturer's mark of Souval?) is a plus.

      The Merit Order awarded from the government of the Austrian 1st Republic was made by Rothe; Reitterer and Souval.

      During WW1, Souval was also the maker of the (original) Milit?rverdienstkreuz 1st Class.

      Best wishes,

      Enzo

    8. Hello,

      a friend of mine has this badge, but I cannot understand when was it distributed. The motto on the Red Banner means "Liberty or Death" and the text below means something related to merits etc. towards the Makedonian Motherland. The other words, "...КЪМЪ ПОРОБЕНАТА..." sound not Russian to me (Bulgarian? Serbian?); the abbreviation "ВМРО" sounds also unknown to me.

      The fastening is the typical screwback with circular nut.

      Any idea about date and a possible identification?

    9. Hello,

      back to the Albanian Orders awarded under the Italian rule, I need to remember that their position in the Royal Italian system of honour is completely different from that of France and its "Ordres Coloniaux". Albania was not a colony, but a kingdom with the same ruler as Italy. Victor Emanuel III's title began like this:

      "...Kingdom of Italy and Albania; Emperor of Ethiopia; (...)".

      Our colonial possessions (besides small "bureaus" and islands from Greece to China) actually were Somalia and Erithrea only, since Lybia, after WW1 had the status of a region of Italy, with a governor, because of the Mediterranean dividing it from the Continent and Ethiopia, remained with its status of Empire, but under Italian rule.

      The only state, maintaining a proper system of honour was Albania and, all Albanian Orders were awarded from Victor Emanuel as "King of Albania", in no way as Italian "colonial" awards.

      Maybe, papers and statistics could still be preserved somewhere at our State Archive in Rome. It's an enormous site and part of it is organized as huge vaults: surprises can happen, because more or less 8 years ago in one of the safes, a group of orders belonged to Mussolini was found. This group was considered as lost since 1943. Among them, the German Eagle with brilliants and a Grand Cross of the Besa, also with brilliants.

      Best wishes,

      Elmar Lang

    10. Hello Holger,

      Italy occupied Albania in 1939 and Victor Emanuel III took also the title of "King of Albania", besides "King of Italy and Emperor of Ethiopia". From that date, the already existing orders of Skanderbeg and Besa, were slightly modified from the model awarded in King Zog's time, adding the Savoy's motto "FERT"", the Fasces, etc.

      The orders, from then on, were awarded as national Albanian awards, of course, from the ruler, who was in the same time King of Italy and of Albania.

      The two orders, in the Italian, form were awarded until 1943 but until now I don't know how many pieces have been awarded in the various classes.

      I know that a deep study on the subject is now in progress in Albania: let's hope that it would became a book soon.

      Best wishes,

      Elmar Lang

    11. Okay, it does have three stripes. In "The Emperor's Coat" the generals tunic's has three and the field officer's have two. I've been taught to look for this trait. Now I have a major that have three stripes but not the 2.6cm length of generals scarlet/red cloth at the rear. Looking at period photos all generals have the 2.6cm section of cloth.

      My world is upside down. :wacky:

      An interesting observation indeed. There are two possibilities, and in both cases the tailor wasn't paying attention to regulations...

      1) a Generalmajor with too a short red cloth collar patch (correct Generalsborte, wrong collar patch);

      2) a Major where the Generalsborte was used (wrong Borte, correct collar patch).

      Is there any label sewn inside the inner pocket? From that, one could have an idea about the original owner's rank...

      Best wishes,

      Enzo

    12. Hello,

      I remember that during the Cold War, the Italian Military Intelligence Service, printed a fine book, fully illustrated with colour plates, depicting the uniforms of the Warsaw Pact and other Socialist/Communist Armed Forces. As soon as I'll visit my parents, since the book belongs to my dad (a retired Army Officer), I'll see if Albania would have also been illustrated, hopefully with the old-fashioned uniforms.

      Best wishes,

      Enzo

    13. Hello,

      the Merit Medal for Long Command in silver is of the type awarded to the "Guardia di Finanza": the corps whose duty are the borders control and duties of administrative police. The type for common Army, on the reverse has a vertical roman sword surrounded by a laurel wreath: the empty field is used to engrave the recipient's name.

      The official type has the "Z" mint's mark on the obverse. It happened that non-mint pieces have been officially awarded due to shortage of medals made at the mint. In these later years, with the exception of the medals for Military Valour, the State gives out the award documents only; the medal have to be privately purchased at the recipients' expenses.

      Best wishes,

      Enzo

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