Gldank

The medal is the same for all three types but there is a different ribbon for each. Hope this helps.

Services Rendered Medal Awarded to active members of the Belgian armed forces in recognition of services rendered during a long period and in difficult circumstances for military personnel. Instituted on 18 April 1988, this medal has a plain reverse. Yours is the Type II

Laurence, I am pretty sure that is not worn gilt but rather silver tarnish.

Thank you for the information 922F. With your lead, I was able to find more. Thank you. James http://www.aefe.es/doc/it/represen_it.pdf INTERNACIONAL BELGO-HISPÁNICA This institution was founded in Belgium, based on the former Belgian- Spanish Association, although it has considerably extended its goals. The goal of the Organization is to promote relations between Belgium and Spain, and to encourage any organization whose goal is to establish and reaffirm the bonds of friendship between both countries, and their good relationship in many fields, such as the cultural and social fields, by creating exchange scholarships between Spain and Belgium. Its field of action is the whole territory of Benelux.

Does anybody know what this order is? Someone told me it was the Commander Order of the FlemishPeople. Although this order was manufactured in Belgium I thought it had something to do with the country of Spain. Any ideas? Thank you.

It looks fine to me. I have several in my collection and a couple look "chalky" to me. Not much value in copying this medal for the market.

Thank you belgoman for the information provided! :jumping:

The lighting makes it look like gold. The medal has a more copper look to it by eye.

I am not offended what so ever. I know a worn gold medal when I see one and this is not one Click on the picture to get a closer look. James

My bronze crown is clearly bronze. Mine has a shiny clear coating (laqure) covering the medal.

The picture looks kind of gold in color because of the silver tarnish. It has great shinny highlights that do not appear in the picture. Click on the picture for a closer view.

They are fairly rare. I have been collecting Belgian medals and orders for 20 years and I only have one stirling silver medal in my collection. I got mine by luck in a small collection I purchased about 7 years ago and I was suprised when I got it. James

It is just an attachment pin for attaching to the uniform or jacket.

Very nice! Thank you Belgoman.

Thank you Belgoman! Very interesting.

Last one

Another

Here is another from my collection.

Here is one that I have had in my collection for many years. I am not sure about the number of bars but this is the way I received it from a Belgian friend.

Here is a pin that is rather interesting that was worn on civilian clothes. A friend has it with the medal in his collection. James

TacHel, that disk does not belong on that medal. I am pretty sure! Only bars were authorized on the Second Class Merit Medal

OK, I understand your question now, sorry for the misunderstanding. From what I can conclude the merit medals displayed in post 7 are given out to Red Cross workers for acts of merit and distinguished service. The newer style (merit medal) has also been given out as a blood givers medal. The reason I know this is because I have a group of Belgian blood giver medals presented to one man over many years donating blood. All his medals (awards) were individually marked based on the amount of blood he gave. Post 8 are pictures of some of those medals based on the amounts marked on the medal back with an old typed tag. I was surprised to see that the 160 Pint Blood Donation (post 8) was also a merit medal depicted in post 7. Post 13 is the older style of merit medals awarded before the end of WWII. My opinion is that the pre-WWII merit medals were not given out for acts of donating blood. But you never know, a Red Cross worker who gave their own blood to save soldiers on the battlefield or in an aid station during the war rates a merit medal in my book! A friend of mine in Belgium attended a Numismatic Society meeting in Brussels, Belgium during the 1980s. At this meeting, a guest speaker talked about Belgian Red Cross table medals. In some of my post here you see some of the pages from a pamphlet (cover page below) handed out at that meeting. I do not have any definitive guidelines for the awarding of Belgian Merit Medals. Even Andre Borne in his book Distinctions Honorifiques de La Belgique 1830-1985 does not define all the guidelines for the merit medal. So, I will concede and let others here on the forum jump in. Thank you for the question TacHel.

Yes, a blood giver award is a type of merit award...

Not really rare. 10-20 Euros would be about right in Belgium. I have never paid more than $15 USD here in the USA but Ebay prices them much higher. I have seen the rare 1885-1909 issue sell here in the USA for around $100 USD. Compared to the 1865-1905 and the 1865-1909, there were not very many made. Wach out for fakes, a frend in Belgium said there were some fake 1885-1909 coming out of Poland back in early 2008. Here is the info I have on the types: Medaille Commemorative du Règne de S. M. Léopold II Instituted July 21, 1905 to commemorate the 40th year of the reign of King Leopold II. The medal was awarded to those who had given 20 years' "good and faithful service" in the civil service or similar administrative departments, and qualified for the Civic Decoration for long service. The initial issue had the dates 1865 - 1905 on the reverse. In 1951 (allegedly due to pressure from veterans' groups) the award was further extended to Military personnel who had a minimum of one years' good and faithful service between December, 16, 1865 and December 18, 1909. This second issue had the reverse dates 1865 – 1909. In January 1952 a further extension granted the award to the Police Force (Force Publique) of the Congo Free State - again for one years' good and faithful service between the dates July 1, 1885 and December 18, 1909. (reverse dated 1885 - 1909) Yet two further decrees of 1959 and 1960 removed the one years' service requirement from the latter two types.

Nice Guy! Thanks!