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Brilliant decorations of a highly distinguished officer and gentleman, I know! Thank you for sharing your award bar and wishing for an addition or three even before 2026...

Sincere thanks Herman!!!

Hello Herman, Thank you for this news! When did the removable years of service numbers for long service crosses begin to be used? Peter Mulder once told me that was around 1910 or after 1915-17 or so. This was to make manufacture easier and possibly enable officers to update their cross without having to remove it from their bar. I would like to know if that's accurate.. Best regards, EJ

Thank you Herman! I could see just the XV on Hootegem's long service cross; rest obscured by his Oorlogsherinneringskruis. Suspected it might be 35 years but not certain.

Wonderful group, Congratulations! Hootegem had the 25 year long service cross [?] and received the short-lived French Order of Civil Merit [1957-63] officer class; do you know the circumstances for the last?

Sorry I was unclear. I got the information about "ROSEN" of Sofia making blue cases from a very senior Bulgarian collector in 1992. The cases themselves look to be otherwise typical [title stamping, interior pad, hinge, and so on] for Boris period.

Thank you Graf! Have you an idea of significance of blue box? I have only 2 and was told they were manufactured by "ROSEN' of Sofia sometime in 1992 by a major Bulgarian collector/researcher I mentioned before but can't remember his name or exact address. Any thoughts? Never heard of "ROSEN" before.

Excellent!!

Thank you Megan!

Keeping topic alive

Appear to be hallmarks on ring that may indicate manufacturer and metal content. Could you enlarge them?

Fascinating!! Thanks to you all!

In my experience, this type insignia first appeared in the early-mid 1960's notably in Graf Klenau auction catalogs. Supposedly commissioned by Ernst Blass, they apparently were made using Grannero [supplier to firms like Gardino & Johnson] dies so metal work is close to originals. However, finish & details suffer. Note poor quality enamel, lack of ball suspension between eagle heads, failure to cut out excess metal in loveknots/FERT wreath. and sloppy reverse disc attachment among other 'tells'. Two or three examples of this type were supposedly made in silver but the bulk are metal. This item displays decent gold plating and includes blue color applied in the eagle eyes so is a relatively early one [1964-67?]. Pieces of even lower quality appear on the market. An argument has been made that all 'genuine period' Italian-made Italo-Albanian Order insignia should have Italian silver/gold fineness/maker marks according to regulations in effect at the period. Similar quality BESA Order insignia exist, usually attributed to the same person.

Thank you both for your fascinating information! Have been traveling and just saw your replies. Will try Seaforth's Museum.

Your guess is as good as anyone's! As these have an image of Zog alone, some describe this badge as commemorating Zog specific events including Kingdom Proclamation. They exhibit the same style details as Zog-Geraldine Wedding pins [of which many may be seen being worn by people in wedding newsreels]. Some have a German maker's mark on the reverse, if memory serves. The same company made similar design type pins with other nation's symbols for other occasions including at least one of King Farouk's weddings.

Opportunities for speculation rife but no facts. Possibly society insignia... Appears badge to have some quality and constructed from modified Skanderbeg Order insignia, so likely Italian made. Center appears to contain letters that may indicate organizational monogram. Google search for AISM, AJSM & badge image match reveals little; Caduceus on ribbon could suggest medical connection. American Journal of Sports Medicine Honors appear to be simply certificates. Another oddity herewith. Ribbon of type associated with a series of 1960's mini collectable medals made in light weight metal or plastic. Description: I found this in a container full of old sewing supplies that was gifted to me. I tried googling things like "2 headed eagle medal" and similar searches but couldn't come up with anything except that it might be Russian? It's a little bigger than the size of a quarter, and it's very light weight. I can't make out what's in the circle in the middle

The marks are difficult for me to 'read'. One may be a lion statant and the other character "EL"? Do not recall meaning for either. Believe that Antti Ruokonen's Belgium book {Spirit of the Lion} illustrates/identifies hallmarks -- I can't find my copy now to check. The GMIC thread belgian Order of Leopold l may offer hallmark identification examples. Does the box have any indicia? https://www.silvercollection.it/DICTIONARYEUHALLMARKBELGIUM.HTML#google_vignette http://www.numisbel.be/KBGN 175_De Lombaert.pdf provide a general overview. Neither appear to have a comparable match.

Second type [1978-2002?] commander badge. Likely made in Brussels, Belgium by Fibru-Fisch or DeGreef. If it has hard enamel rather than epoxy enamel might be silver gilt--if so, perhaps maker or silver fineness hallmark on suspension ring or cravat loop. Award names/numbers supposedly recorded by Orders Secretary & published in Zaire National Gazette. Never located copies of Gazette in Kinshasa or Brussels & both manufacturers closed-mouth so hard to say how many actually awarded or made. The box looks original: some have outer upper lid embossed with gilt edging and gilt legend "O. Nat. du Leopard" or similar embossed in center.

Carl Edward, appointed Colonel in Chief of the Seaforth Highlanders in 1905 through 1915, granted some officers of that Regiment various grades of his Saxe-Ernestine House Order. Most of these officers received private permission from the Palace to wear the insignia. For example, I know that officers were decorated in May/June 1907, identifying the decoration as the Order "de la Maison Ernestine". Efforts to search the London and Edinburgh Gazettes to verify such grants have yet to yield results. One correspondent advises that private permission wear authorization would not be recorded in a Gazette while others inform that it would be recorded there. Could anyone offer guidance on resolving official recording practices in 1907 and/or searching for this information?

Well known fake, apparently made in Italy allegedly using several original metal work dies. Fantasy star body format, crude enamel and metal finish, incorrect number of "FERT" chain links, badge lack of suspension crown and many other 'tells' or give-aways characterize these pieces. Similar construction counterfeit Skanderbeg insignia exist, known in all Order grades except officer. These reportedly commissioned by dealers including Ernst Blass. These appear to have first surfaced in 1970's German auctions including Klenau. Described in several references include Lame. Surprized that Dorotheum misidentified this one & shocked by price realized.

Sincere thanks for this indispensable resource information!

Thank you, Owain. Hope that Rusty hears from author!

Found this from former Medal-Medaille site: Decoration of the Pontifical Zouaves (Décoration des Zouaves Pontificaux / Decorazione di Zuavi Pontifici), http://www.medal-medaille.com/images/pixel_trans.gif http://www.medal-medaille.com/images/IT676a.jpg Click to enlarge Gilt cross with three transverse arms, with eyelet for ribbon suspension; the face with the three-tiered Papal Tiara imposed centrally, the upper and lower arms inscribed ‘PRO DEO’ and ‘PONTIFICE’ (For God and Pontiff) respectively; the reverse plain gilt; diameter 9.56mm (0.38 inch); on original ribbon. The Decoration was established in 1890 and originally awarded to the Papal Zouaves, Catholic volunteers, especially from France and the Low Countries, who had defended the Holy See from 1859 to 1870 during the Italian Risorgimento. It was later awarded also to those who defended the Church in the media, politics and the arts. The Decoration is rarely found..

See https://www.omsa.org/files/download.php?file=JOMSA_Vol29_4.pdf&stream=true&year=1978 for article "THE ODESSEY OF HIMMLER’S MEDALS" describing Himmler's bar transition to war booty as well as 'the' document for Himmler's 12 year SS Long Service award.