Yankee

Yankee,

I'm also not sure if your award is actually silver or just plated silver. Very often, Royal Bulgarian awards only came in solid silver for the top three classes only, the lower ones being made of tombac and are usually quite light in feel. Although, maybe on the earlier pieces they were silver. But if you don't find any mint marks maybe that would be why.

Hi DutchBoy

You raise an excellent question. I feel fairly certain that this one is solid silver, the weight is heavy for its size and the quality is there. I have handled other early ones and they are as you say light and made of tombac. However I do have another one that is French made also in silver and that one does have a hallmark.

Sincerely

Yankee

I guess many Bulgarian orders were manufactured by Firma Rothe in Vienna. Some pieces were also made by Johann Schwerdtner, also in Vienna.

Lukasz

Hi Lukasz

Thanks for the firms listed, I will try a 15 X loop and perhaps find a hallmark & maybe get lucky........

Hi Yankee,

Your piece could have been manufactured by several makers. It seems to be a pre-WW1 model because most of those had the date 1915 on the front and the 1879 on the reverse, while you just have the 1879 date on the reverse.

This narrows the makers down. When the award was first manufactured in 1880 it was done in Russia by the Keibel company. Between the 1880s and 1915 they were variously manufactured in Austro-Hungary, and France, so your piece is probably from one of those three countries. After 1915 they were manufactured in Austria, Germany, and later in Bulgaria itself.

Hope this helps,

(source: "Bulgarian Orders and Medals" byTodor Petrov (2005).

Hi DutchBoy

Thanks for the help, never thought possibility to be of Russian manufacture. Russia and Bulgaria had a special relationship that would explain why. Don't see too many Russian made pieces for other countries. I do have a French made one and it is very different then the one shown. So either Austro-Hungarian or Russian. Thanks

Hello

Hope not to complicate the ribbon issue, can add another to the list.

In the picture is an early bravery medal with the orginal St.George & St.Andrew ribbon. On the rim is a hallmark in cyrillic. Russians did participate in the war, surely awarded to a Russian. The medal itself is well executed.

Hello

Here is a 4th class Bulgarian military Bravery Order. This particular badge is made from sterling silver, silver runs below enamel & there seems to be a pineapple design with two balls on either side. Can anybody shed some light where the badge was manufactured & who the maker was. I don't think it is a Bulgarian made piece. Any thoughts would be most appreciative.

Thanks

Yankee

You have passed the test

What a wonderfull medal!

I like the black with blue of the ribbon,

but most of all, the fleur-de-lis on the reverse.

Was this queen of french origin??

Kind regards,

Jacky

Yes she was it fact her son was Czar Ferdinand l Bulgaria

Sincerely

Yankee

Hi Jacky

Thanks for being patient. Finally figured it out before felt so

The badge is well executed, I did see one that was not so well detailed, perhaps there are variations to this medal.

My apologies

for so many scans learning how to use software, I will send the reverse hopefully without so many this time.......

Hi Bretzen

Many thanks for all that great info. That is the date on my medal and the ribbon color as you describe. I can assume only a handful of gold ones were ever issued then. Was it an elite regiment ? I don't see any other official Bulgarian medals given out to other regiments. I wonder if other Bulgarian regiments were placed under the patronage of a royal person.

Sincerely

Yankee

hello Yankee,

may I can help a little:

the decoration was instituted on 22 May / 3 June 1899 by a Princely Rescript on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of Princess Clementine, the Mother of Bulgaria?s Ruling Monarch - Prince (later King) Ferdinand I. It came in three classes - Gold, Silver and Bronze, to be awarded to all officers, non-commissioned officers and enlisted men serving in the 9 th Infantry Plovdiv Regiment which was placed under the patronage of Princess Clementine. The Gold badge was bestowed upon senior officers, the Silver - upon junior officers (up to captain), the Bronze - upon non-commissioned officers and enlisted men, all serving in the Regiment, for long and loyal service.

The badge was worn on the left breast, suspended from a black ribbon with blue border stripes on both sides.

best wishes

Uwe (Bretzen)

Hi Bretzen

Many thanks for all that great info. That is the date on my medal and the ribbon color as you describe. I can assume only a handful of gold ones were ever issued then. Was it an elite regiment ? I don't see any other official Bulgarian medals given out to other regiments. I wonder if other Bulgarian regiments were placed under the patronage of a royal person.

Sincerely

Yankee

Thanks for the welcome. I apologize for not having the pictures already to you. I tried to send it out and was unable to. Know the problem pictures to large to be sent. Hopefully will figure out the HP foto imagery and reduce picture size. Terrible with computers reason for delay..... my sad excuse

Hi and Welcome to this club.

Many of us would like to help you with your thriving start,

but mind... You have gone on a slippery hill... the way just goes downwards, deeper in to the militaria!!

Good luck with it.

P.s

We love to see a picture of every medal we discuss.

Kind regards,

Jacky

Hello

I'm a new member and have to say a really fantastic site purchased a silver Queen Clementine medal, wanting to know just how many of the medals were issued? The obverse crowned with a "K" and reverse a fleur-de-lis. Any info on this medal would be appreciated. Thanks

Hi,

You can find some beauties on J?rg Kalies' website, idem with Andr? H?sken. Both are serious dealers

regards

Christophe

Hi Rod

If you are going to collect Imperial medals & orders there is a very helpful book that comes out of Germany by Jorg Nimmergut. Has all the States listed and prices as well. Pocket size book easy to carry around at shows. The dealers and auction houses all have ads listed with website address. I purchased my 2005/2006 copy from Helmut Weitze www.weitze.net Hope it helps

Sincerely

Yankee