Jump to content
News Ticker
  • I am now accepting the following payment methods: Card Payments, Apple Pay, Google Pay and PayPal
  • Latest News

    Bulgarian medals and ribbon bars


    Recommended Posts

    So, I have a question. I have a very ugly, very worn homemade medal bar. The bar includes the 2nd, 3rd and 4th class crosses of the enlisted version of the Order for Bravery. These and his 1912-13 and 1915-18 medals are present. I have the documents for the service medals but no others. 2nd Class is marked 1915 and the others are marked 1879. Is this rare and worth restoring, or just neat but not rare?

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

    • Replies 103
    • Created
    • Last Reply

    Top Posters In This Topic

    THAT IS A GREAT BAR!!

    Please do not 'restore' it. It is magnificent as it is.

    May we see the documents?? Please?

    Where did you obtain it?

    In 25 years of collecting I have never seen an original WW1 enlisted soldier's bar. :beer::jumping::jumping::jumping:

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

    Ulsterman,

    I will not touch the ribbons, would it be OK to clean the crosses to remove the green? and what would be the best way.? I have had this for many years and feel that I must have gotten it at a show. I cannot remember from who or at what show. I have always thought he must have been a well decorated NCO who wore this for many years with pride. I will try to find the documents and post them.

    Dan Murphy

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

    The only problem I would have with cleaning the medals is the potential harm to any of the surrounding finish. It would be too much of a risk as once the damage is done, there is no going back.

    Your bar has seen a lot of use and exposure, yet it has a certain charm the way it is.

    Just my two cents.

    Paul

    Edited by Paul Reck
    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

    I don't think I'd touch it, certainly not take apart even to clean. To me, these home-made monstrosity's are one man's expression of pride in a very DIY way...... I'll bet you he proudly wore this bar every chance he could!

    As far as cleaning.......... not sure what to do other than check with the guys...... I confess to not ever cleaning a thing!

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

    • 2 months later...

    Hi gentlemen,

    Might anyone perchance be able to identify the 2 medals on the right of this photo ?

    IPB Image

    Now I suspect them not to be Bulgarian ; would they rather be Serbian or Romanian ?

    Photo is a cabinet card from Poruchik Stoikov probably early 1890s.

    He was serving in the Leib Gvard :

    IPB Image

    Thanks !

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

    Hello:

    Those are actually both from pre-unification Italy. The middle one I do not recall the name of off hand but it's definitely from an Italian principality (I want to say Parma but I could be wrong). I'll look it up if no one else finds it before me. The one on the far right is the Order of Francis I of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies. Yuri Yashnev's site has some good pics of this order here:

    http://www.netdialogue.com/yy/Europe/Italy...anzI/FranzI.htm.

    Hope this helps!

    Cheers.

    Eric

    Edited by Eric Schena
    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

    The one on the far right is a Ducal Saxe-Ernestine House Order (Herzoglich Sachsen-Ernestinischer Hausorden). Given the Bulgarian monarch's background, it would likely be from the Duchy of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha.

    Eric is right about the middle one though. It is the Order of Saint Louis (Ordine di San Luigi) from the Duchy of Parma. The Duchy ceased to exist as an independent state on Italian unification in 1859-60, but the order continues to this day as a house award of the House of Bourbon-Parma.

    And why would a Bulgarian officer have an award of a state that ceased to exist before Bulgaria was founded? Because the wife of Prince (later Tsar) Ferdinand I was Princess Marie Louise of Bourbon-Parma, daughter of Roberto I, the last Duke of Parma. The wedding occurred in 1893, so the card probably dates from right after that.

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

    • 11 months later...

    Hallo Gents, :beer:

    just obtained this from Jacky in Holland, a nice salty piece.

    A Silver cross of the Bulgarian Order of St. Alexander. :jumping:

    Can somebody give me some info on award criteria please,

    There appears to be a stamp / mark on the silver piece under the ball ribbon ring hanger (appears as a dark round spot in the picture).

    Kevin in Deva. :cheers:

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

    Create an account or sign in to comment

    You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

    Create an account

    Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

    Register a new account

    Sign in

    Already have an account? Sign in here.

    Sign In Now



    ×
    ×
    • Create New...

    Important Information

    We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.