orden_master

Be careful, a lot of fakes are turning around !

Yes it's a government in exile (King Peter II) instituted medal. I have written an article on this medal in the Serbian Numismatic society journal a couple of years ago. I have the article translated in english and I will look to get it published in the JOMSA somtime in tne near future.

Hello Stefan Hello Christian the medal was instituted in 1955 as the text says for "merits in fullfilling the duty and response which helps to establish friendly relationship in between the Federative National Republik Jugoslavia and other states" As the name of the Republich changed in 1963 so the inscription on the medal changed too and it from then on says "Socialist Federative Republic Jugoslavia". The medal was awarded from the beginning up to 1985 only 845 times mostly to administrativ-technical personel of foreign delegations visiting the country Your variant (badly for you) is the SFRJ version thus post 1963, the FNRJ is VERY VERY rare and hard to find, the price is also almost 10 times higher thus in the 400-500 EUR region. The medals have been made of tombac and then silvered and was made in Zagrb by IKOM. Best regards Milan

Hello have not found the time to take pictures of the medals too but if you are interested in some Serbian orders go and have a look at my website under My collection any feedback would be apreciated. Best regards from Switzerland Milan

I can only confirm what Dave gave us about the subordening to the police and the time of institution. During the Milosevic regime the unit was operating under the name of the "red Berets" this unit was dissolved and purified as some "dubious" persons have been involved in the formation of this unit. Te SAJ was the hereditor of the materiel and vehicels. The unit is pretty well trained and as Dave stated a very small unit with far less than 200. The have a wonderful training base at the entrance of Belgrade with all what you need, perfect shooting range, house cleaning training village, swimming pools etc. and the average age of the members is very low. I had the oportunity to meet some of the guys and to know the commanding officer and the only thing I can say that the guys are really "nice guys" and performing very well. Best regards Milan

Gentlemen sorry but this is not Slobodan Milosevic, on the medal is the bust of Boris Kidric who was a leading Slovenian communist of the "first" days. He has some similarities to SM but nothing more! Marko stated this in his description too ! Best regards Milan

Wow, thats incredible. I will have to contact a friend of mine who is dealing with that kind of militaria stuff here from Switzerland, if I remember well he tolde a couple of months ago that he can have those daggers for 160 US$. Happy you with your buy, I was sweating for my dagger at the officer academy a lot ! Best regards from Switzerland PS: by the way your name sounds "Swiss" do you have family frome here ?

Hi Eric I could get pics of mine, I was wearing it proudly for more than 15 years during my army time. What is the retail price for those "cheese knifes" as we call them in the corps. Best regards Milan

Hi folks back on the surfing line again ! Yes you are right, this is definitely a Yugoslavian "award". And Drugo is right with his date conclusion. This "order" is a non state order which was given in special occasions for public worker building up the countrys infrastructure like railwais , streets and industry. The inscription on the lower side is saying " for dedicated work" or "for self-sacrifice work", I had to look up the translation and can not decide myself which one to be the better one. For the awarding criteria I have to pass, tomorrow I will look in my library if I have something about it. Best regards Milan

Hello Christian, Hello Ed the times unfortunately already gone when the difference in price of "native" country and rest of the collectors world have been 30% or more. I think it's due to the speed and aibility of our electronical news systems that the information is spread in miliseconds all over the world. So the reactions of the markets are immediate all over the world. Thats why prices vary not much beetween different sllers. The only chance to get a cheap piece it's really to stumble over in in some very very old antiques shop where nobody absolutely has no idea of what it is representing Cheers and best regards Milan

I know that we missed by little but I was too tired and got to work the whole day. "queer" is a very diplomatic and polite version of how the discussions went on With the prices you could inderectly be right, as a stable parliment will hopefully and finally lead to a stable governmet which on his side will attract more investments and will bring improvments in standard and income to the country. Which again will raise the interest in cultural goods which again will also afect orders and medals. I have a tough day tomorrow, have to go and have a nap laku noc i puno pozdrava Milan

yes, it was this morning (night) that the vote took place. A friend of mine and me have been watching the debate until 0230 !!!

Dear Christian for the moment I have absolutely no idea where you could get one of those medals, but I will ask my friends from Belgrade if they know something more. Best regards PS: on the SND auction in the SFRJ part will be a order of the hero of socialist work with original box , starting bid is 3300 EUR plus the music

AS always my fault, sorry !! I thought that the pdf version of the auction catalogue is already online. But its in preparation should be on the net shortly, keep trying during the next days. You will find it under the menue point "aukcije". The Serbian numismatic society also publishes on a irregular basis the journal "orden" which only deals with phaleristic topics. In the main journal of the society there are usually one or two articles dealing with orders and medals. Nevertheless a very usefull source of knowledge. Regards Milan

Hi Ed yes I know the poeple personally its a father/son business. The father is the chief editor of all publications of the Serbian numismatic society and he was pretty busy in the last time finishing the latest issue of the "dinar" journal. And as far as Iknow the Junior has got some university exams to pass, maybe this was the reason. I will surely contact them the next couple of days by phone and ask the question. Meanwhile best regards Milan PS: a fantastic auction will be held on 3rd June this year in Belgrade catalogue is under Serbian numismatic society

Dear Ricardo there is only one thing to say "muy lindo" A wonderfully designed and programmed website. Did you done all the work by yourself ? And the pictures are perfect, I am always in fight with the reflexions on the enameled surfaces. I don't know what I have NOT tried out already. Maybe you can give me some hints. regards Milan

One more picture of the Rothe print of the inside of presentation box

Ricardo Rothe was one of the makers which has produced during quite a long period as the business was staying for several generations in "family" hands. Ulimately a couple of years ago the last two Rothe ladys sold the business in Vienna. At the end it was only a shop for ribbons and some loose parts of old orders and medals. A more complet history you would find in the Jacobs book "Jewelers of the World". I know another article on Rothe but unfortunately for you it's written in Serbian and I would definitely not having the time (at the moment) to make a translation. I know that this summer a new and very professionaly made book on Serbian orders will be published in Serbian, English and German language. And this book will contain a large section dealing with all important order-makers from Vienna. Sorry this was Now back to your question, I would locate the marks as seen on your or my pictures in the 1898 to 1914 period. Looking at my older Rothe items the punch marks have been different, befor it was a simple FR punch mark (for Friedrich Rothe). And my items starting at 1898 which I have with the according awarding documents have those marks as seen. Regards Milan PS: some more pictures on Serbian orders under www.orden.stojanovic.ch

Hello Yankee very nice medal bar with a very stunning combination of orders and medals My guess would be that this is a diplomats bar, maybe a military atachee or something like that, I will try to look up the Serbian medal for the Zealous Service if there are any notes on awardings to foreign persons. regards Milan

Hello Ricardo Looks like "C.F. ROTHE" to me. I just added a picture comming from a Serbian White Eagle order from the pre 1903 period with the Rothe makers mark on it. regards Milan

Dear friends here is a new link to the page of all orders of the RS http://www.predsjednikrs.net/ordeni.htm regards Milan

As far as I know the production has been stopped, maybe that some of the stock items have been awarded since. M

Dear Filip, Dear Christian I have got the oportunity to see and hold all of the Republika Srpska orders and medals in my hands. On the pictures the definitely look very nice, holding them in hands is a complete different story. The manufacturing is rather poor and "cheap". Nevertheless all of those items are a nice area of collection. The only thing as Christian already said is the astronomic price rising which occured during to the very limited pool of manufactured items. Another fact is that as far as I know there are no lists or numbers of awarded items present. Best regards Milan

Hello Filip the first medal you stated is correctly called "Medalja zasluga za narod", translated "Medal for merits towards the people" It's awarded in one class for merits achieved during fight against the enemy, for liberation of country and achievents in aprovment and building of the Republika Srpska. (taken and liberately translated from the institution document). Institution date is 25.april 1993. The medal is awarded to all army personel up to a grade of captain and civilians which aply to the other awarding criteria. On the avers of the medal is a fragment of the famous picture of Paja Jovanovic "Takovo uprising" showing the oberknez Milos Obrenovic as the leader of the uprising a monk as the representative of the serbin orthodox church and a farmer as the representative of the people. Milos holds in his hand a flag and is cerning his forces and will to protect the people. The other medals will follow shortly as I find a time window to write it down. Best regards Milan

Good morning Ed that sounds very very interesting, PLEASE PLEASE tell us more about the person he was ! Regards Milan