Carol I

Commander

Here are some images from the UBS auction. Commander 1st class with swords and war decoration

Only up to the autumn of 1944.

The Naval Merit was only a medal. Anyhow, only the fourrageres of the four orders above are described in the book. I do not think so. For example the Guard Regiment has been decorated with the Order of the Star of Romania, but they do not wear any fourrageres.

A commander 1st class from the Coin Cabinet of the Dresden State Art Collections

No Lukasz, the fourragere for the Order of Michael the Brave was dark red with gold stripes, thus reflecting the colour of the ribbon, not the badge. The only fourragere that reflected more the colours of the badge than those of the ribbon was that for the Order of the Star of Romania: blue with red stripes, while the ribbon was red with silver stripes. The book by Safta et al on Romanian war decorations mentions only 4 fourrageres, for the following decorations: - The Order of Michael the Brave: dark red with gold stripes - Military Virtue Medal: red with blue tripes - The Order for Aeronautical Virtue: light blue with silver stripes - The Order of the Star of Romania: blue with red stripes

The ribbon is for the type I of the award (before 1932).

Igor, can you post a better image of the fouragere? Does it have some red stripes?

Thanks again Christophe. I will try to contact the museum for details. However, it is quite possible that the awards were a donated as exhibits for the museum, since they started gathering foreign orders well before Carol II's visit. And this proved to be the one of the best ways to preserve a nice specimen of the order (as seen in the images in the other thread). Thanks again for the details and for the images.

Thank you very much Christophe for these images. It's great to see that this order has been preserved with such care.

Thanks. The collar of the Order of Carol I was reserved for heads of state, so it would not be surprising if it was awarded to a French president. But of course it could also be possible that the orders were presented as a gift (Did the Mus?e National de la L?gion d'honneur exist in the late 1930s?).

Is there any information in the book on the awardees? The collar of the Order of Ferdinand might be that of General Berthelot as he is said to have been the only foreigner to receive this order.

Thanks Christophe. I have sent you a PM with my e-mail address.

Right on spot, Christophe, thanks. If you can scan the images in the book (and the fragments describing them) I will send you my e-mail address where to send them.

Thank you very much Christophe. I am looking forward to seeing your post (when I have been to Paris some years ago the museum was closed for restoration). And another question: Did anyone see the album below ("Grand Colliers" edited by the Mus?e National de la L?gion d'honneur and published in 1997 at the Imprimerie Facedim-Chatellerault - ISBN 2-910575-00-4)? I wrote to the Museum, but they said that they no longer have any copy available...

May I please ask you about the Romanian orders in its collections? Thanks in advance.

There are indeed many differences between the two eagles. Thanks. On the other hand, I could not find a match with any of the eagles on the page mentioned.

On 22 December 1944, King Mihai of Romania sanctioned the law no. 656 and the decree no. 2510 that authorised the issue of a gold medal commemorating the liberation of Northern Transylvania in the autumn of 1944. The medal was also issued as a political declaration since at that date Transylvania was still under soviet military occupation (the return of the Romanian administration was conditioned by the installation of a communist government, which took place in March 1945 when the Romanian politicians realised that the western allies completely abandoned Romania into the hands of the soviets). The medal followed the general specifications of the traditional 20 lei gold coin of Romania, but with a small difference in weight. It thus conformed to an internationally recognised standard of coins. However, lacking a face value allowed the medal to be collected as a work of art, thus being exempted from the interdiction to hoard gold as circulating coins. The possession of these medals was however strictly forbidden during the communist regime. On the obverse of the medal there are the effigies of Prince Michael the Brave, King Ferdinand and King Mihai surrounded by the text ARDEALUL NOSTRU ("OUR TRANSYLVANIA") and the key dates 1601, 1918 and 1944. On the reverse there is the crowned head of the Romanian eagle surrounded by the crests of the 11 counties in Northern Transylvania. The medal was minted in 1 million pieces. It is estimated that about 150000 pieces are still in the vaults of the Romanian National Bank. Image source: Romanian Coins

Do you mean that this is not an original Wagner piece or not an original Red Eagle badge?

Thanks Erik for the reply. I liked the impression made by the enamel work on this piece.

Thanks Christophe for the images of the 4th class cross.

Thanks Jacky for the quote. I must have missed that on Wikipedia.

As well as for the Order of the Crown.

Is the information on Wikipedia regarding the different classes of this order accurate? What is the difference between the 3rd class and the 4th class badges since both of them are said to have been worn on a ribbon on the left side of the chest?

Thanks Dave for the quick reply. Both the cross and the medal had the same ribbon. In fact the cross was (and still is) the war version of the medal, not a different cross.