Carol I

Thanks. Do you have similar images of the 1916 model of the order?

Can you post an image of the reverse as well as higher resolution images of both sides? Thanks.

Here are the images. Click on the thumbnails for better resolution.

Can you help me with an estimation of the value of a knight's cross of the Serbian Order of St. Sava? I guess it's a type II (red robes and year on the reverse). One of the eagles between the arms of the cross is missing. I will post some photos later today.

An interesting thing about this medal is that so many of these were awarded to Romanians that it was included in the Romanian system of decorations.

Thanks, Dave, for the reply and for the images. It is interesting to see examples of the higher classes of the orders.

Where are these displayed, Dave? Do you have close-ups for each and every badge?

I see, David. As I said before, the book lists all the recipients, Swedish and foreign. I remember that there were only a handful for which the armorial plates were not available either because they were lost or never painted. However, I do not have the book myself to check the details of Graf Perponcher-Sedlnitzky, but if he had received the order, the date of award must be written in the book.

What do you mean by "foreign dates"?

In 1941 there was another restructuring of the ranking of the war medals which brought back the two old medals overlooked in 1938. Military Virtue Medal Sanitary Merit Cross Medal for Valour and Faith Navy Virtue Medal Aeronautical Virtue Medal Faithful Service Cross Faithful Service Medal

To continue the evolution of the rank list of the Romanian medals and on topic in this thread, the establishment of the Medal of Ferdinand I in 1930 changed again the order of precedence as the Medal of Ferdinand I became the highest ranking medal. Then, in 1938 the ranking of the medals for war merits was: Cross of Honour for Merit Cross of the Ruling House Medal of the Ruling House Sanitary Merit Cross Navy Virtue Medal Aeronautical Virtue Medal Faithful Service Cross Faithful Service Medal ... * * It should be noted that the list did not include the Military Virtue Medal and the Medal for Valour and Faith.

Sorry IVB for the delay. My main interest lies in orders, so I do not have at hand the information on medals. However, here is something I could find. 1884: Military Virtue Medal * Order of the Star of Romania Order of the Crown of Romania Bene Merenti Medal Crossing of the Danube Cross Defenders of the Independence Medal Faithful Service Medal Long Service Honour Signs * Until the appearance of the Order of Michael the Brave in 1916, the Military Virtue was the topmost war decoration. 1906: Military Virtue Medal Carol I Jubilee Medal Bene Merenti Medal Faithful Service Cross Faithful Service Medal ... * * It is said that the other crosses and medals are to be worn after the Faithful Service cross and medal, but without a precise ranking.

1941-1944 1. Order of Carol I 2. Order of Ferdinand I 3. Order of Michael the Brave 4. Order of the Star of Romania 9. Order of the Crown of Romania 5. Order of Aeronautical Virtue 6. Cross of Queen Maria Order 7. Order for Cultural Merit 8. Order for Agricultural Merit 1944-1947 1. Order of Carol I 2. Order of Ferdinand I 3. Order of Michael the Brave with Swords * 4. Order of the Star of Romania 9. Order of the Crown of Romania 5. Order of Aeronautical Virtue 6. Cross of Queen Maria Order 7. Order for Cultural Merit 8. Order for Agricultural Merit * The Order of Michael the Brave with Swords replaced the Order of Michael the Brave closed in the autumn of 1944.

1931-1940 1. Order of Carol I 2. Order of Ferdinand I 3. Order of Michael the Brave 4. Order for Merit * 5. Order of the Ruling House * 6. Bene Merenti Order of the Ruling House * 7. Order for Faithful Service 8. Order of the Star of Romania 9. Order of the Crown of Romania 10. Order of Aeronautical Virtue 11. Cross of Queen Maria Order 12. Order for Cultural Merit 13. Order for Agricultural Merit * These were dynastic orders included in the national system of orders in 1937. 1940 1. Order of Carol I 2. Order of Ferdinand I 3. Order of Michael the Brave 4. Order for Merit 5. Order of the Ruling House 6. Order of St. George * 7. Order for Faithful Service 8. Order of the Star of Romania 9. Order of the Crown of Romania 10. Order of Aeronautical Virtue 11. Cross of Queen Maria Order 12. Order for Cultural Merit 13. Order for Agricultural Merit * The Order of St. George replaced the Bene Merenti Order of the Ruling House.

Hi IVB! Here it is until 1930. For the period 1930-1947 I'll have to check some references. 1877-1906 1. Order of the Star of Romania 2. Order of the Crown of Romania 1906-1916 1. Order of Carol I 2. Order of the Star of Romania 3. Order of the Crown of Romania 1916-1927 1. Order of Carol I 2. Order of Michael the Brave 3. Order of the Star of Romania 4. Order of the Crown of Romania 5. Cross of Queen Maria Order 1927-1930 1. Order of Carol I * 2. Order of Ferdinand I * 3. Order of Michael the Brave 4. Order of Aeronautical Virtue 5. Order of the Star of Romania 6. Order of the Crown of Romania 7. Cross of Queen Maria Order * The Order of Carol I and the Order of Ferdinand I were equally ranked.

For the Swedish Order of the Seraphim, there is a very good book by Per Nordenvall (Kungliga Serafimerorden 1748-1998). It is in Swedish, but it has the dates of all awards from the establishment until 1998 and all the available images of the coat-of-arms of the awardees.

Replacement Order of Michael the Brave Original Order of Michael the Brave

Replacement Order of the Star of Romania Original Order of the Star of Romania

Replacement Order of the Crown of Romania Original Order of the Crown of Romania

It's 1941-1945, as Romania entered war only in 1941. Anyhow, this cross has been established through law 68 of 15.06.1994. Other awards... There is the veteran badge above. Beside that there was also a "Liberation from the fascist yoke" medal instituted in 1949, but it was awarded only to veterans of the western front (1944-1945) - in the true spirit of the time when those who fought on the eastern front simply did not exist. Anyhow, not even all who fought on the western front received it as some were politically "incompatible"... The 1941-1945 cross is the first universal award for WWII Romanian veterans.

Maria Mitrea, daughter of Ilarion Mitrea, with her husband, Nicolae Isdrăilă. After studies in Vienna, she settled in Răşinari and died in 1953 at Sibiu.

The medical section of Maximilian's expeditionary corps to Mexico. I presume Dr. Mitrea is the one standing to the right, with an X on the chest. I wonder who is the other (possible) Romanian, Dr. Arseniu.

An update to this thread, as I managed to scan the images from the magazine where I have found the story of Dr. Mitrea. Dr. Mitrea during his studies in Vienna

GMA is the acronym of Gata pentru Muncă şi Apărare (Ready for Work and Defence), a paramilitary training program of Soviet inspiration that was abandoned in the 1960s (I presume). ?notător means swimmer, so ?notător Şcolar would translate into School Swimmer.

May I add some further corrections to your Romanian section? The Order of Carol I and the Order of Ferdinand I were equally ranked, so the Order of Michael the Brave would go to the third place. As for the other orders, they moved places a lot in the 1930s and 1940s. For example, at a certain point during Carol II's reign, the Order of the Star of Romania came down to the seventh place, but following his abdication its prestige increased being ranked beneath the Order of Michael the Brave (if I remember right all the changes - I'll need to check them again). Unfortunately I do not have enough information on whether the so-called 'Carlist orders' (the orders established by Carol II as dynastic awards) were disbanded from 1940 on or simply removed from the national system of decorations. And, if I may add here, the Order of St. George was never awarded. It was instituted in 1940 as a war order, but never awarded before Carol II's abdication since Romania was not at war during that year.