Elmar Lang

Hello,

most possibly, this website is already known to all of us enthusiasts, but www.translit.ru is very, very useful.

Best wishes,

Elmar Lang

Hello,

actually, I don't think that the difference between the Military and the Civil "Jubil?umsmedaille 1898" is in the inscription: these are just variations in the text, between different strikings, both from the award period. The difference is in the ribbon's colour (in any case, I'll check the regulations and the Michetschl?ger).

The medal posted from Jef has a wrong, hungarian ribbon.

It's necessary to remember that it existed a further 1898 Jubilee Medal: the one awarded to Officers with more than 50 years of active service: it was in gold; with a double-eagle shaped suspension.

Best wishes,

Enzo

Hello,

two crosses of this identical type, copies of a XVII-XVIII Century insignia of Grand Master of the Teutonic Order, were sold at K?nker (Osnabr?ck, Germany) less than one month ago.

They're well made, and a good substitute of an almost imposible to find piece.

Best wishes,

Enzo

Hello,

it's exactly the 1915-18 War Commemorative Medal. Each medal should be completed with the bronze ribbon bars, corresponding to the campaign years.

The inscription on the reverse "CONIATA NEL BRONZO NEMICO" means that the medal would have been struck with the bronze of captured enemy cannons.

Best wishes,

Enzo

Hello,

I won't forget to update about Brambilla's new edition. We've been discussing about it a few weeks ago and I'm happy about his decision to publish it also in English.

I've seen the draft and it's impressive: (almost) every medal from the former Italian States until the Kingdom of Italy, is illustrated in colour and described with any detail, bibliograpy and archival sources, from the most rare medals for valour of the Sardinian Kingdom (Kings Victor Amadeus III and Charles Emanuel IV), to the unique gilt-cannon bronze Military Merit Medal to the Commander of the Cuneo Brigade (1821), to some immensely rare medals from the Duchy of Modena, Parma, Two Siciles, etc..., until the most common campaign medals, their ribbons, etc.. Nearly 500 pages, devoted to one of the most fascinating and relatively less known fields of European Phaleristic.

The books from the Italian History Office of the General Staff (Ufficio Storico dello Stato Maggiore) are highly important because they contain all the decrees and codes on the institution and the regulations of almost all Italian Medals for Valour, Merit and Commemorative Medals, excluding those of the former Italian States. Those books are highly interesting, but they show the age when they've been published.

In some ways, the 1910 von Heyden can still be very useful (besides the many mistakes, especially about ribbons and metal...).

I'm happy that some threads would be opened about the Italian Orders & Decorations. I'm fond of Imperial Austrian phaleristic, but I won't miss what could be discussed in this room!

Best wishes,

Enzo (Elmar Lang)

P.S.: to Italianpolitic: nice to meet an Italian colleague in these international rooms!

Hello,

thank you very much for the many, detailed replies!

Yes, actually, that strange crown started my questions, besides my small bibliography (I have Klietmann's "Phaleristik Rum?nien" and a few other, dated references...).

The pieces shown are made with much better detail and different, higher manufacturing. My piece is also very well made and almost surely of old production. It comes from private property, but who knows how decorations come in the hands of their former owner, if the descendants just say: "huh, I remember it since ages..." and decide to sell a box full of pins, medals etc.

I think that Rumania is a highly interesting field: until not long ago, the prices were extremely fair, if compared to the quality and the relative rarity of many pieces.

Best wishes,

Enzo (Elmar Lang)

Hello,

all original Medals for Valour, have to be emitted from the Royal (Sardinian, then Italian) Mint. Italianpolitic gave a good idea already, but here follows a list of the type of markings a collector should look for:

"F.G": for medals awarded from 1833 to 1859 (and especially in the 1848-49 campaign, with a very narrow suspension loop)

"F.G" and the reverse inscription "SPEDIZIONE D'ORIENTE 1855 1856" for those awarded in the Crimean Capaign 1855-56 (also with a narrow suspension loop);

"F.G." for the medals awarded from 1859 to 1866 (also considering the types with the reverse inscription "GUERRA CONTRO L'IMPERO D'AUSTRIA";

"F.G." with the inscription "CAMPAGNA D'ANCONA 1860";

"F.G." and the reverse inscription "CAMPAGNA DELL'ITALIA MERIDIONALE 1860";

"F.G." and the reverse inscription "CAMPAGNA DELLA BASSA ITALIA 1860 -1861";

crowned "Z" and "F.G" for the medals minted in Rome after 1880 and awarded during the whole WW1.

crowned "Z" for the medals awarded from the 30's and during the whole WW2.

There are also officially awarded medals without the mint mark, as awarded from the Ministry of Aviation during WW2, but they're an exception.

The most important modern work about Italian Medals & Decorations is the 2-volumes set of Adriano and Alessandro Brambilla "Le Medaglie Italiane degli ultimi 200 Anni" (Italian Medals from the last 200 Years): both volumes are now rare to find, but the author is completing the new revised and enlarged edition, fully illustrated in colour, that is planned to be published also in English, during the next year.

Best wishes,

Elmar Lang

Hello,

it should be a cap for a Navy Non Commissioned Officer ("Capo"), with the rank in gold riband applied to the leather strap.

I think I could date the cap around the '70s of XX Century.

A huge collection of Naval memorabilia from all over the world (including Italy) is being sold at the San Giorgio Auction House ( www.sangiorgioaste.com ); two auctions have already been taken and others are in preparation.

Best wishes,

Elmar Lang

The reverse:

Hello,

following, the images of the Rumanian Cross of the type "Pentru Merit" (excuse me for the confusion between the Cross of Merit and the Order itself.

The material is gilt silver and the centre medallion is gold and enamels. As said, the double "C" monogram is missing.

Excuse me if I've left some time pass before posting the images.

Best wishes,

Elmar Lang

Hello,

I think that the clean design of the Glory Order is due to the fact that it was directly inspired (and designed under a Socialist point of view) from the Tsarist St. George Cross: both decorations to be awarded to soldiers and NCOs, same metal (gold and silver) rised rim and convex arms/rays, same ribbon...

It's the Soviet order I like most. Just my opinion.

Best wishes,

Enzo

...my father received his Medal for Valour more or less 10 years later his act of bravery in Northern Africa (for the same act, he received the Iron Cross 1st Class, exactly the day after).

I thought that a slow bureaucracy would have been a privilege of Italy and of the now dissolved Ottoman Empire...

Best wishes,

Elmar Lang

Hello,

he looks like a Non-Commissioned Officer from an assault troop unit (Sturmtrupp), decorated with two Tapferkeitsmedaillen (1st and 2nd Class in silver) and the Karl-Truppenkreuz.

It could also be that the first medal is a Bravery Medal in Gold (Goldene Tapferkeitsmedaille).

Best wishes,

Elmar Lang

Hello,

in the next days I'll take some pictures of the piece.

It doesn't look like the cross posted from the colleague Carol I.

My cross is a silver gilt, four-armed maltese-type cross; centre medallion in gold, white and green enamel (the double-C royal monogram, wanting); the suspension is a royal crown, hinged to the upper arm of the cross; on the crown's reverse there is a vertical loop.

The decoration's reverse is plain, with two tiny rivets to fix the obverse centre medallion. The overall finish is of the best quality.

Best wishes,

Elmar Lang

Hello,

in a group of orders and decorations, I've found a piece of this Rumanian award. It looks like a knight's cross, but its suspension is a royal crown with a loop on the reverse, hinged to the cross'upper arm.

Pity, the double "C" monogram is lost from the centre medallion; the reverse is plain.

Material, gilt silver; the centre medallion, gold and enamels.

Measures: h. 66 mm. (incl. crown); w. 46 mm.

What class could this cross be? I didn't know that the order "Pentru Merit" could have a crown suspension (or is it the Military Class, similarly to the Crown Order?).

Many thanks in advance,

Elmar Lang

It should be a NCO of the Royal Hungarian Honv?d.

Best wishes,

Enzo

Hello,

the piece looks like a privately-made 1812 medal, with engraved inscription and large ribbon loop (rememebering that of some old, Austrian decorations). It has a nice look and patina: what metal does it look made of?

Best wishes,

Elmar Lang

Hello,

on June 20th I did a trip to Osnabr?ck and participate to the K?nker auction of Orders & Decorations.

A surprise was lot 7847, where a St. George Medal 1st Class (Number 1176) offered at a (honestly, VERY convenient) price of Euro 2.000,- it found its new proud owner at Euro 52.000,- (plus buyer's premium).

Not bad indeed... especially for the happy vendor of that surely fine piece.

Best wishes,

Elmar Lang

The Feldzeugmeister rank's name remembers when in the past, the "Feldt-Zewgg" (as I've read it in an ancient book) or the Feld-Zeug meant the group of artillery batteries and their supplies of ammunitions.

Best wishes,

Elmar Lang

Hello,

yesterday, I came back home after many days spent abroad.

After a deeper exam of the pictures, I can also affirm that the star is an alteration from another star: the Bulgarian St.Aleksander star with diamonds is a most possible "base" to start making the present piece.

As said in one of my preceeding messages, it is strange that a single (instead of double) "A" mark appears having been struck on the pin (besides this, the mark doesn't look correct).

A picture is not definitive to give an opinion, but, the star's centre looks of different manufacture (and the stones with a different shade of colour).

In my opinion, this breast star is an assembly of a later Bulgarian star, most possibly made in the '30s, with altered (or fake) marks on the pin.

No wonder that some "creative" would produce such forgeries, since the market of Imperial Russian orders is very "active". Never forget that who'd be going to spend 700.000 Euro could feel VERY angry when discovering that his expensive order is a fake...

Best wishes,

Enzo

Thank you Roman.

This star is of outstanding quality, typical of the Austrian jewelled stars.

Is it in your collection?

Best wishes,

Enzo

I'd be delighted to see the pictures of the obverse and reverse of that Austrian-made Russian breast star...

Best wishes,

Enzo

The marks look in order, although -in my opinion- it's quite strange that single "A" mark instead of the usual two ones.

An overall view of the order would be fine to see, to definitively ascertain if it's a pre-1918 piece.

Best wishes,

Elmar Lang

It is the medal awarded to the troops of the Army Group South (see the inscription on the medal) when they left Hungary.

In 1991, Hungary, turned to democracy, kindly asked Russia to withdraw her occupation forces, stationing there since the repression of the uprising in 1956.

I think that very few Hungarians went to cheerfully salute the leaving troops...

Best wishes,

Enzo

...I can't wait! I think that book will be my livre de chevet!

Elmar Lang