pluribus Posted February 28, 2011 Share Posted February 28, 2011 (edited) Hi, How did the medal look like? Is it possible to find an original medal these days? Edited February 28, 2011 by pluribus Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jef Posted February 28, 2011 Share Posted February 28, 2011 Hi, How did the medal look like? Is it possible to find an original medal these days? Hello Pluribus, I think it's the left medal with the right ribbon. The right medal is the more modern, post WWII version. Hope other members will assume. kind regards fron Flanders, Jef Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pluribus Posted February 28, 2011 Author Share Posted February 28, 2011 Jef, Thank you for the response. Very nice medal. Is it possible to find an authentic pre-WWII medal on market? Best regards pluribus Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jef Posted February 28, 2011 Share Posted February 28, 2011 Jef, Thank you for the response. Very nice medal. Is it possible to find an authentic pre-WWII medal on market? Best regards pluribus Hello again, I have seen some RC medals on dealers websites, but before you buy a medal wait for a second or third opinion. Suppose I'm wrong. This is a Belgian non-official medal and there is not much info nor documentation on non-official medals. I have two RC medals ( medal for 40 blood donation with bar 60 and bar for 80 and since a short time a medal for 100 donations) When I got my last medal I have asked the Red Cross Belgium for regulations and awardmodalities. They only sent the last regulations, post WW II. So concerning the earlier medals I'm not quite sure. So If I'm wrong, sorry. kind regards, Jef Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
love4history Posted March 1, 2011 Share Posted March 1, 2011 Hi Jef I didn't know they still awarded the medals, thought they had switched to modern "pin-style" trinkets? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jef Posted March 1, 2011 Share Posted March 1, 2011 Hi Jef I didn't know they still awarded the medals, thought they had switched to modern "pin-style" trinkets? Hello Roel, The RC still award medals and since about a year and a half they also give those " pin-style" trinkets like you call it. So when i asked for info (as told in my post of yesterday) they send me all the pins from 1 to 75. When I donated the 100th time I got the 100th pin. As far as I'm concerned, nothing very special, they are all alike. The pins are in a plastic box wrapped in a piece of cardboard. Enclosed is a scan of the cardboards and two pins 1 and 100. I prefer the medal itself. Kind regards, Jef Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gldank Posted March 5, 2011 Share Posted March 5, 2011 Here is from my collection. I have many others but I put these together to help answer questions. I have a small guide on Belgian Red Cross Medals. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gldank Posted March 5, 2011 Share Posted March 5, 2011 Here is the Blood Givers... There are also table medals for lesser pint donation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pluribus Posted March 5, 2011 Author Share Posted March 5, 2011 James, very nice! Thank you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jef Posted March 5, 2011 Share Posted March 5, 2011 Here is the Blood Givers... There are also table medals for lesser pint donation. Hello Gldank, I must say you are well informed, never saw that RC booklet before. Here an update for you. The round pins, silver and Gilt pelicans are changed almost 15-20 years into newstyle bars. Still silver ans gilt pelicans. kind regards, Jef Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gldank Posted March 5, 2011 Share Posted March 5, 2011 (edited) Hello Jeff. Yes, I just did not have a chance to include them. The silver and gold disks were replaced by bars but the bronze disks are still used. I will also scan the pages out of my Belgian Red Cross Guide. It is hard to see but the bar on the medal ribbon has a gold pelican and the others are silver. Edited March 5, 2011 by Gldank Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gldank Posted March 5, 2011 Share Posted March 5, 2011 A page out of my Belgian Red Cross Book. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gldank Posted March 5, 2011 Share Posted March 5, 2011 There are different bars too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jef Posted March 5, 2011 Share Posted March 5, 2011 A page out of my Belgian Red Cross Book. Nice book, James. Wonder where you found it.When I asked the Belgian RC info about its medals they sent me a list with names, no pics at all. The bars I have are made the american way. With a pin and two catches. Kind regards, Jef Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gldank Posted March 5, 2011 Share Posted March 5, 2011 (edited) Jeff, I actually have a copy of a guide that was passed out at a Belgian Numismatic Society Conference due to the 25 Pint Bloodgiver Coin/Table Medals. Interesting to see the bars with American style pins. Many of my older ribbon pelican disks have pins too. Edited March 5, 2011 by Gldank Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gldank Posted March 5, 2011 Share Posted March 5, 2011 Here are some of the 25 Pint Bloodgiver medals. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gldank Posted March 5, 2011 Share Posted March 5, 2011 Here is a better scan out of my guide. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TacHel Posted October 13, 2011 Share Posted October 13, 2011 Sorry but I'm confused here... Post #8 are for blood givers. Post #7... Merit awards? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gldank Posted October 13, 2011 Share Posted October 13, 2011 Yes, a blood giver award is a type of merit award... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TacHel Posted October 13, 2011 Share Posted October 13, 2011 (edited) I think I wasn't clear in my question... The awards in posts 7 & 13, are they also for blood donours and merely older models of the ones in post 8 & 11? Or are they for Red Cross workers? Edited October 13, 2011 by TacHel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gldank Posted October 13, 2011 Share Posted October 13, 2011 OK, I understand your question now, sorry for the misunderstanding. From what I can conclude the merit medals displayed in post 7 are given out to Red Cross workers for acts of merit and distinguished service. The newer style (merit medal) has also been given out as a blood givers medal. The reason I know this is because I have a group of Belgian blood giver medals presented to one man over many years donating blood. All his medals (awards) were individually marked based on the amount of blood he gave. Post 8 are pictures of some of those medals based on the amounts marked on the medal back with an old typed tag. I was surprised to see that the 160 Pint Blood Donation (post 8) was also a merit medal depicted in post 7. Post 13 is the older style of merit medals awarded before the end of WWII. My opinion is that the pre-WWII merit medals were not given out for acts of donating blood. But you never know, a Red Cross worker who gave their own blood to save soldiers on the battlefield or in an aid station during the war rates a merit medal in my book! A friend of mine in Belgium attended a Numismatic Society meeting in Brussels, Belgium during the 1980s. At this meeting, a guest speaker talked about Belgian Red Cross table medals. In some of my post here you see some of the pages from a pamphlet (cover page below) handed out at that meeting. I do not have any definitive guidelines for the awarding of Belgian Merit Medals. Even Andre Borne in his book Distinctions Honorifiques de La Belgique 1830-1985 does not define all the guidelines for the merit medal. So, I will concede and let others here on the forum jump in. Thank you for the question TacHel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TacHel Posted October 14, 2011 Share Posted October 14, 2011 So... The one I recently purchased with the swan disc would be wrong then? (Still a bit confused...) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gldank Posted October 14, 2011 Share Posted October 14, 2011 TacHel, that disk does not belong on that medal. I am pretty sure! Only bars were authorized on the Second Class Merit Medal Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TacHel Posted October 14, 2011 Share Posted October 14, 2011 TacHel, that disk does not belong on that medal. I am pretty sure! Only bars were authorized on the Second Class Merit Medal That's what I figured based on your previous explanations. Many thanks! :cheers: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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