922F

I have very little information on Gambian awards. Saw military officers wearing ribbon bars and attended a function where the President wore the collar during a visit to Banjul 3-4 years ago. The ten year of independence medal may be the one on the green-red-green ribbon and the long service [10 or 15 years?] is on the red-white-blue-white-green one [same as the Order of the Republic of the Gambia ribbon]. The Order apparently has a medal associated with it but the medal is supposed to have the Order cross incised on it. (Maybe that info is wrong and both men are holders of the medal of the Order?)

Megan's site has some information and illustrations and there's another Gambia website that has some data.

Thanks for your answers! Have another question.

Here's the hallmarks:

Can you tell me, what it's meaning?

I am traveling now and will not have access to references until late-November /early- December. Robert McNamara wrote a study later published by OMSA on Austrian hallmarks but I do not recall him describing either of these. Perhaps someone else has more ready access to that information. Some marks are "shop marks" identifying either individual craftsmen or the order in which a piece is assembled.

Is the one on the right an "O" and an "L" or "10"? The one on the left may be "C F Rothe" but it may be a Serb import tax stamp.

The marks on the loop between the cross and crown may be clearer and easier to identify.

The 5 arm white enamel decoration (Legion of Honor type) that the lst officer wears 2nd from last on his lower row of awards is the insignia of the Order of the Republic of The Gambia, likely member or 5th class. Another ribbon worn after that appears to be the Gambia Independence medal. {His medals do not appear to be worn in order of precedence.} The medals both have appear to be an Armed Forces Long Service Medal {15 year?} and an Independence anniversary medal.

Although the third photo is the "official President's portrait" posted in most Gambian government offices, schools and other places, no one in Banjul could provide definitive information on the collar and badge. Foreign Ministry staffers believe it is apparently a combination Presidential badge of office and symbol of the Grand Mastership of the Order of the Republic of The Gambia.

The series of Rwandan decorations this example of the Order of the Grand Lakes belongs to were primarily made in Belgium. Reportedly, following somewhat problematical intrapersonal relations at the manufacturing firm and the usual Rwandan govt inability to "pay up", decorations came onto the market. These pieces are almost always gilded or silvered base metal with 1990s type enamel or epoxy work that may "pop" off in severe climatic or pressure changes. {An important factor as consignments delivered from winter Belgium to elevated but tropical Kigali experienced radical temperature and air pressure change, not only during the delivery flights.} While insignia design appears innovative and attractive, the execution is a little disappointing with the badges for varying grades generally all the same size {so the higher grades' badges look disproportionally small} and the stars quite heavy. Some stars have a reverse medallion that bears the Rwanda coat-of-arms, some do not. Badges seen to date are uniface though one or two also have the national coat-of-arms medallion applied to the reverse. Ribbons display various combinations of the former Rwandan national colors red, green, yellow, dark blue, and black. {The Order of Peace, for example uses a yellow and blue ribbon.}

On October 25, 2001, the national colors were changed to light blue, gold (yellow) and green and a newly designed flag officially hoisted. {This, in part, to help dispell bad feelings stemming for the mid-1990s genocide.} Perhaps the national awards system was changed at that time as well.

Several Belgian specialists have quite interesting information on these awards--perhaps they will join in the discussion?

Hello Gentlemen,

I would offer the Liberian Order of the Star of Africa, officer rank, as the potentially unknown ribbon. That Order's ribbon colors are nearly the same shade and dimension as the UK Sts Michael & George -- How likely would it be for a Dutch national to have both a RVO and a KCMG {M&G with rosette might suggest 2nd rank of M&G or KCMG). Foreigners were admitted to the British Sts. M & G Order as the Honorary Associates but not Members--I do not know if foreigners may be admitted as full Members at present.

The 3rd foreign ribbon/rosette may be a Luxembourg Adolf {blue with orange stripes} or perhaps a royal Egyptian Nile Order {blue with yellow stripes}? Ribbon variations for both exist; the yellow/orange edge stripe width and shade could be typical of either {though usually the Nile has a touch of blue at the outer edge}.

Agree that the first "foreigner" is a RVO probably 4th class: Several non British ribbon bars have RVO ribbon w/rosette to identify that class, now called LVO.

Hello Veteran,

Determining the "reality/originality" of this group is quite difficult. As you say, odd groups are not in themselves fake ab initio. If anyone ever saw W. Churchill's pre WW I group (and Brit medals were unnamed!), it certainly would appear highly suspect!

The circumstances when located are immaterial to me in examining the issue as they have little to do with "genuine" vs. "lash up". Career progression could argue pro or con too. The number of colonial orders actually is not too unusual nor, given the examples cited earlier, are the non-statutory swords on the Belgian Crown Order ribbon. The question of presence or absence of name on the Legion of Merit doesn't really worry me but the officer degree raises serious question. Analysis of that piece itself (composition and ribbon material) might be informative.

Even the former owner's ignorance of the holder's name is not necessarily bad. I certainly have seen some groups for sale in flea markets by distant relatives or junkmen who had no idea of the history.

I suppose the "overall feeling", including patina, wear, etc is a useful factor. If Thierry remounted everything, then enamel damage or metal wear probably is not a reliable guide. Hendrick's thoughts on the matter, especially the Polish award ribbon and the bar issues, clearly deserve resolution. If the group was actually worn in France, then the possibity of substantial penalities for wearing awards not earned might tend to legitimate the group.

Thank you very much for this (rather sad) story, which you have told with moderation and understanding.

A very old member of OMSA myself (n?10..) , I rushed to my book-shelf and sure enough found the June1975 issue of the Journal; there was the story of this person's life.. up to his "promotion" to the rank if general in the French Army Reserve, as introduced by the then Editor Frank von Allendorfer.

He must have been a master impersonnator. Apart from that, the paper on French Marshals was quite good, as you say.

I had completely missed him. Too bad we never met, I would have loved to discuss WW2 Foreign Legion with him, since he claimed he had belonged !

Best regards

Veteran

I appreciate your comment/feedback as my intention was not to present Frank Denis as a deliberate, conniving imposter but rather as a person tending to delusions of grandeur who got carried away. His military service stories were logically constructed for several years but, as he "rose in rank" and had to "explain" honors from an extraordinary number of nations in a wide and ever expanding variety of theatres of operations, became rather obtuse and convulated. Frank would get rather testy when closely questioned in his later years. And......He was/is not the only person to slide down this slippery slope!

Back to the thrust of this thread. It appears that the Ouissan Alaouite chevalier's insignia included in this group is of 1926-34 vintage based on the use of the first type ribbon and the form of the badge. Compare with page 121, Ordres et Decorations de l'Empire Cherifien, Versailles, 2005. Previous sources claimed the ribbon was changed in 1928 to avoid confusion with the Legion of Honor when worn in the lapel but the cited source's extensive documentation clearly verifies the later 1934 date. My memory still hews to the incorrect, much earlier change, for which I apologize.

I cannot clearly view/interpret the Bey of Tunis' name on the Nichan Iftikhir but that should provide a date range for the award. The name may be Muhammed al-Munsif (June 1942-May 1943) or Muhammed al-Amin (May 1943-March 1956). Al-Amin became King of Tunisia upon independence and ruled for about a year before Bourguiba declared the country a republic.

Hello 922F

Please tell us about the "General" Frank Denis cohort !

Best regards

Veteran

While off thread, here goes. These comments should not be taken to malign the {unlikely but without documents who knows?} medal group under discussion nor to insult memories or reputation of Frank Denis.

Frank Denis was an American supposedly of French {?} origin. In the 1960s-'80s he collected awards {and hats!} allegedly the former property of marshal or 5 star general rank non-US officers. 1970s and '80s Medal Collectors include articles he wrote concerning such officers. Most of these articles offer handy but incomplete information, however, the photos are interesting. The articles' worth lies in exposing OMSA members to hitherto largely ignored personalities.

Frank may have served in WW II either as French or American soldier. When he first appeared at OMSA conventions, maybe a Chicago or the first Silver Spring event, he dressed in civvies but sported several French rosettes in his lapel, including a Legion of Honor, Order of Military Merit, Black Star of Benin, etc. As the years passed Frank showed up wearing a French army captain's, then colonel's uniform with additional medals and by the late 1970s had added Polish, Brit, Tunisian, American, Italian, and Dutch awards. He joined and may have served as an officer of a number of questionable or little known "veteran's societies" which included wearable distinctions of the sort one pays "passage fees" to earn. Frank actively solicited OMSA members to join such organizations. Most of these groups served "commemorative ends". That is, they enabled individuals {including those with no military or other service whatsoever} to, in essence, buy a couple of {dare I hint--VANITY} medals complete with fancy diplomas. At least one OMSA convention included a "co-located" meeting of one of Frank's societies. Some attendees in full dress with decorations crashed the bourse, or was it the cocktail hour?

Frank's rank continued to rise along with the numbers of decorations until he finally appeared in a French General's full dress uniform with nearly as many gongs as Idi Amin. He bought a Brazilian Southern Cross Grand Officer set and a {pre-Castro} Cuban Military Merit commander at a mid-1980s Chicago or California convention from a well known dealer and then showed up at the pre-banquet cocktail wearing them. This straw finally broke the camel's back and he was advised {by the OMSA President and Board of Directors, including Jeff Floyd?} to halt this practice. Believe he never attended a convention afterwards.

I disremember which Medal Collector convention issues include photos of him in full fig but a couple of them picture "Colonel to General" Denis in French uniform bedecked with assorted goodies. Perhaps he exemplifies a personality type that, over time, confuses reality with his collecting mania. "Legitimacy" implied by not being challenged over his ranks and/or awards plus adulation by "followers or mentees" attracted to the "Veterans' organizations" likely buttressed his obsessions.

Frank could have been a francophone "STOLEN VALOR ACT" posterchild!

Though there's no Brazilian or Cuban WW II award nor a "Patton/Eisenhower medal", this fellow may have been part of a "General" Frank Denis cohort!

Or more likely not, as wearing unearned decorations in France was/is a quite serious offense. Basic entitlement to an officer of Black Star of Benin generally means 7-12 years' noncombat service (perhaps in the 1920s-30s often in French West/Central Africa but not necessarily there and by WWII no significant link to service in Africa or time limits but still a possibility). Chevalier of Star of Anjouan required 5 years in Indian Ocean (or nearby) territories, Ouissam Alaouite Chevalier would be about the same time in Morocco, unless involved in combat --then less time, and the Nichan Iftikhir Officer usually 6-10 years though in Tunisia. However, one could basically buy a Nichan Iftikhir {or upgrade one} if "contributing" to the Bey's Muslim welfare fund. So, possibly, at least 18-25 years' peacetime service in colonial terrorities or about half that during war. The Colonial Order usually connected with peace-time service in Erythree typically might be the Nichan el-Anouar with Black Star of Benin a distant second, no? Of interest--The Ouissam Alaoute is on the FIRST type ribbon, so unless this was one of the replaced ribbons, another suspicion factor.

Worth noting is that senior French colonial office bureaucrats often held multiple colonial awards often without satisfying the normal/peace time period requirements. This group, however, clearly does not fit that model.

Other French groups (some on display in the Invalides, Legion of Honor and Liberation Order museums) have Belgian Crown or Leo II order insignia with swords on the ribbon, defying the applicable regulations. This may be intended to show "military" rather than civil entitlement.

In this overall context, the Norway medal is another very unusual award. Yes, but it relates/connects to the WW II Commo medal "Norvege" bar!! Hendrick outlines a couple of excellent points about the group and there may be several more but we don't want to reveal everything, do we??

This all tends to refer once again to the liaison/attache/journalist "odd man", oh ye of little faith !! Yet, on the other hand, who would go to the effort of lashing this up, unless a Denis cohort?

But this is a non-wearable table "medal", right?? Any images of the real ones?

Glad to assist, Yankee. Yes, Ed, Yankee's image is one of the table medals. Wearing medal images are available in copyrighted materials including --D. Acovic "Bulgarian Orders, Decorations, and Medals" Beograd, 1987 (reduced size, Xerox type, unclear b/w ), P. Petrov, "Order and Medals of Bulgaria" Sofia, 1998 (b/w, his 2000 edition has full size color), and Pavlov "Bulgarian Orders and Medals" Sofia, 2002 (full size color). At last year's OMSA convention, a silver gilt example with readily apparent casting flaws was on offer for about $900.

Hello Gentlemen

Here is the all elusive medal for the silver jubilee of Tsar Ferdinand I. Does any member know how many were issued in silver & bronze? Were any ever struck in gold for the aristocracy?

Thanks

Yankee

Rudolf Marshall of Vienna {signature at 8 o'clock position obverse} designed this medal to Tsar Ferdinand's specifications in late 1911---early 1912 for award on 21 December 1912. The obverse inscription translates as "Ferdinand I--Tsar of Bulgaria". The reverse has the Bulgar state arms in the center surrounded by a text around the circumfrence that roughly translates as "commemorating our anniversary of 25 years as ruler 1887-1912.

The medal was struck in both 90 mm and 34 diameter sizes. {The illustrated example appears to be a 90 mm table medal.) Both size medals were struck in Vienna by likely Rothe or possibly Telge sub-contractors. The larger table medal has no suspension; approximately 350 were struck in gilt bronze, 350 in silvered bronze and 350 bronze examples for a total of about 1000 pieces. Table medals went to Members of Parliment {Sobranje}, local authorities, leading citizens and some foreigners.

The smaller wearable medal with a pierced ball/cylinder and ring suspender exists in gilded bronze, originally in about 100 examples. It hangs from a triangular white ribbon with green edge stripes similar to the Saxon Merit Order. Ferdinand personally bestowed these on members of his royal suite, government and civil and military officers. Some foreigners received this medal.

The medals celebrate Ferdinand's 25th jubilee as Bulgar ruler but he continued to award them after 1912, even in exile {in Coburg} as a mark of personal favor. Silver gilt medals exist but they appear to be castings--these pieces likely were made in the 1920s-30s in Coburg as several contemporary medal bars contain them. The number of these varients made is unknown, as is the potential date range. It is possible that some were awarded as late as 1940-43.

It is also entirely possible, given his personal tastes and finances, that Ferdinand commissioned 14 or 18 karat gold examples of both the table and wearable medals.

Sources--D. Acovic "Bulgarian Orders, Decorations, and Medals" Beograd, 1987, Denkov "Order and Medals of Bulgaria" Sofia, 1995, P. Petrov, "Order and Medals of Bulgaria" Sofia, 1998, Pavlov "Bulgarian Orders and Medals" Sofia, 2002

NOTE: Petrov confuses table medals with wearable medals in arriving at the number of pieces struck. Acovic, Denkov and Pavlov present correct information based on archival documentation.

Gentlemen,

I come late to this discussion. Bulgarian archival sources on this matter exist and are quoted in circa 1998-2004 works by Pavlov, Denkov and Petrov. Prince Ferdinand I (and his predecessor, Prince Alexander) had constitutional problems when instituting awards because a stricture in the 1878 constitution permitted just one purely military order and forbade other decorations. Ferdinand founded the Princely Bulgarian Order of Civil Merit on August 2, 1891 for civilians only. This because the military had not only the Military Bravery Order but also two divisions of the St. Alexander Order while civil folk had only one division of St. Alexander. Also, Ferdinand liked Pisan/Urdy crosses as well as convulted award structures.

However, by the end of the decade, pressure on the exisiting purely "military" orders threatened their devaluation. Ferdinand sent a Rescript of 18 May 1900 to his Orders-Chancellor that when translated reads as follows (most accessible & in English is at P 129, Pavlov's Bulgarian Orders & Medals, Sofia, 2002) "As a sign of particuliar recognition to our brave army, the Order for Civil Merit shall be awarded from now on to military men as well, whereas (the) adequate modification in the Statutes, name, and insignia (signs) shall be introduced". Most scholars agree that this was a way to work around the constitutional problem. No formal governmental decree approved by the Bulgarian Parliament describing the new order ever existed. Ferdinand took the same route in 1908-09 when he set up the Order of Sts. Cyril & Methodius--that time he ran into Parliamentary (Sobranje) opposition.

Formal amendments were subsequently made to Order of Civil Merit statutes by September 1900. A Rescript dated November 12 1900 is the first document found to date that describes the Order of Military Merit as such. Apparently, for once, Ferdinand did not personally get entangled in sorting out this issue. Bulgarian sources name these two Orders with the same nomenclature (Order of National Merit) until about 1912. The register of awardees is divided into civil and military personnel. During the Balkan Wars, the names we use emerged and seperate registers apparently were kept from Summer, 1913. Post WWI Bulgarian materials clearly refer to these as two distinct Orders.

Sidelights:

Replacement of the Bulgar Princely crown with the Czarist crown for Bulgarian State Insignia is generally held to have taken place in 1908 as a symbol that Turkish sovereign authority was entirely rejected. However, no genuine examples of the Order of Military Merit with the Princely crown ever existed--this according to archival materials noted by Pavlov, Denkov and Petrov. They cite design and supply records. Thus, Bulgarian sources state that the Military Merit Order used the Czarist crown suspension from the Order's inception.

I have not seen those archives. I have seen 2-3 Military Merit pieces over the years that have Princely crowns. It is clear to me that these examples were fakes as they were pristine Boris type badges with corroded bronze-gilt Princely crowns.

Civil Merit Order pieces known to have been awarded in 1905 did have the Princely crown suspension.

Photos and Cartes de Visite showing people wearing both the Civil and Military Merit Orders are hard to come by. An English gentleman who sold off his impressive Bulgarian collection on eBay over the past 18 months offered just a few out of probably 1,000 images. It appeared that military wore equal grades of the Military Merit Order before the Civil Merit Order and that civilians reversed that order. I believe at least one major wore a CMO officer before a MMO officer (without war decoration) but after a MMO officer with war decoration. Unfortunately I did not save that image.

I hope this information is useful.

Hi,

I would to know if someone can identify this medal as well provide me some kind of information regarding its history.

Thanks

Douglas

Order of St. John of Jerusalem/Order of Malta, likely "Sovereign" Rome-based--Via Conditti [quasi-independent city-state] branch military commander. Several web sites provide complete information--search/Google Order of St. John of Jerusalem/Order of Malta, and similar, will reveal more than you probably want to know.

The Serb royal government of King Peter I and its successors awarded the Obilich medals while in-exile during WWI but also "at home" before and after that war. Montenegro had it's own Obilich medal.

The King Peter II award/topic probably should have its own thread.

A 1970s or '80s "Medal Collector" article addressed King Peter II's "Royal war Commemorative" medal (1941-45)" mentioned in Orden Master's August 2 post. Besides describing the award and picturing its cross and document, that article provided application guidelines inter alia. Anyone who served in WW II Allied forces could apply {and prepay} for this award through the Chicago-based "Royal Yugoslav government in exile" or its London office. I seem to recall that non-WW II Allied Veterans could apply for associate entitlement but could be wrong on that. Either John Jacobs or Robert Formhals served as the USA point of contact. Phil Weber was also involved, perhaps in the design or production of the cross.

A one page Serb/English language bestowal document accompanied the award. Original cost for the diploma and medal was about $65-$100. Purported "excess" funds generated by these transactions went to "assisting exiled persons in need." Either the ORMS or BDOS journals also published information on this award as did the "Augustian Society" monthly.

Apparently, at least two varieties or strikings of the cross exist. Both two-sided and uniface miniatures exist and appear on the market. Full size pieces crop up from time to time as well.

I have no current information on the award's active or dormant status but understand that the present head of the royal Yugoslav/Serbian family rarely bestows decorations.

Gents,

Denkov's 2002 & 2004 Orders and Medals of Bulgaria and Petrov's similarly titled and published work describe and illustrate these Alexander Nevesky awards. In short, tsarist Bulgar Orders' insignia were modified, first for the post-Boris regency [1944-46] and second for the so-called "bourgouise republic" [1946-50]. Most medals that had suspension crowns and/or a portrait of the Tsar followed these same general modifications. [A "Bulgar" lion replaces the Tsar's portrait where appropriate.]

Why a "Bourgouise republic" rather than a peoples' republic between 1946 and 1950? An alleged ex-Reichstag burner seemingly did not have enough trained "reliable" administrators, the "brotherly" Bulgar-Russian ties need not be overstrained, a fairly popular regency that followed a VERY popular tsardom could not be liquidated out-of-hand, and internal [royalist and Agrarian Party] dissent had to be accomodated--for a couple of years at least!

For regency St. Alexander pieces, decrees [cited in the works noted above] establish no design difference between them and pre-1944 St. Alexander forms. In regency Civil & Military Merit Order insignia, reverse centers became obverse centers and the "new" reverse center became a Bulgar tricolor. Sometimes but not always the obverse center lion had his crown removed. Classes that had suspension crowns retained those crowns. These same conditions applied to the Military Bravery Order.

"Bourgouise republic" decrees [cited in the works noted above] renamed the Order of St. Alexander as the Order of Alexander Nevesky. [st. Alex was Bulgaria's first 'independent in modern times' ruler Prince Alex of Battenburg's patron saint & St. Alexander Nevesky became Bulgaria's patron saint. Some 1879 documents actually call the Order of St. Alexander the Order of St. Alexander Nevsky!] For the "Bourgouise republic", suspension crowns were either simply removed or more usually [and by statute] replaced with wreaths of wheat, oak leaves and roses. The decrees mandated replacement with the wreath but economic conditions led to "sometimes" ignoring this requirement. No changes were required for the centers which continued to read St. Alexander [obverse] and the foundation date [reverse]. First class (secondary sash, badge & star grade) badges & stars formerly had a crowned lion center; that lion lost his crown during the "Bourgouise republic". A commander with swords-on-ring awarded to a Soviet general has the [former and recycled] cravat loop connected directly to the cross. The swords-on-ring device that formerly resided below the now vanished suspension crown is loosely 'threaded' through the cravat loop. It hangs loose in the loop.

Bulgarian Miitary Bravery Order classes that had crown suspensions during the tsardom and regency lost them via "Bourgouise republic" decree. Again, a wheat, oak leaf and rose wreath usually replaced the crown.

"Bourgouise republic" Civil & Military Merit Order pieces supposedly always had the obverse center lion's crown removed and badge suspension crowns were either, as the decree stipulates, replaced with wreaths of wheat, oak leaves and roses or simply removed. The "Bourgouise republic" Military Merit Order's ribbon replaced its yellow/black/white Coburg inspired colors with the Civil Merit Order's white/red/green Bulgar tricolor.

Bestowal documents I have seen are odd in that all large size formal "Bourgouise republic" ones have one of two 1946 or one of two 1947 dates.

Several "field documents" viewed are typed in that peculiar Soviet blue/purple ink on quarter sheets of rough paper.

Large size formal documents for all "Bourgouise republic" Orders exist named to apparent Bulgarian, Soviet, Czech, French, and Hungarian citizens. A British correspondent told me that he knew of documents named to British, Greek and Romanian citizens. Petrov notes that several Bulgarian Missions abroad were supplied with regency and "Bourgouise republic" insignia to hand out as they wished usually without the formal large document but with a note on Mission letterhead as the diploma.

The 1950 Yugoslav Nobel Prize literary award winner received a "Bourgouise republic" Bulgar Civil Merit Order commander in November, 1950. I have not seen that document and wonder if it was issued by the Bulgarian Mission to Belgrade in letter format rather than by the central chancery with the large document format.

Notes:

Once in a while Bulgarian eBayers offer the insignia varients or component pieces, especially suspension crowns, for sale.