Hendrik

Hello Frank, There's a dedicated website concerning these books (there's more than your 1937 one) at http://www.tenboome.webruimtehosting.net/guldenboek/Guldenboekprojecttotaal/ Regards, Hendrik

Thanks for the additional pictures. I think we can stick with the manufacturer's variety verdict as it is a 1-piece construction after all. The lack of pronounced details on this medal is quite typical. Regards, Hendrik

Hi Carey, It is an unusual medal you have there. Haven't seen anything like it either but as I've never paid all that much attention to this very common medal, I'm not at all into its various manufacturers and their particular manufacturing characteristics. Pictures can be misleading and bearing that in mind, I'm getting the impression of the thicker medal being a 2-piece construction with a thin lighter-coloured and a thicker and darker metal having been struck together. Is this correct ? A detailed picture of the ring suspension would be of interest in this respect, I think. I'm assuming there's no maker's mark anywhere on the thicker medal's rim.And how's the reverse looking ?I very much doubt a common, widely awarded decoration as this commemorative medal is, would have been copied and suggest a manufacturing variety is what you have there. As to the front service bars, silvered and gilt metal is what I've come across so far. I would expect genuine silver to be identified by a silver mark (e.g. A950 or A850 etc.) on the bar itself. Regards,Hendrik

Can't help with a source for the ribbon but here is what it looks like : Good luck, Hendrik ' alt='' class='ipsImage' >

Hi Paul, Just a matter of different manufacturers that produced these bars ... Regards, Hendrik

Hi Paul The earlier type, manufactured outside of occupied France, is easily recognizable as the lettering on the reverse is quite different as can be seen in the picture below ... As you see, there are different sizes in existence. Regards, Hendrik

Hello Chris, Could be the Medal for the Wounded ... Regards, Hendrik

Hello Vincent, ... reading between the lines in the Borné book I doubt there's an actual written rule in Belgian legislation about it. Regards, Hendrik

If a mother had more than one son killed in action, she would wear each son's set of medals and there would be a single black enamel bar on each medal of each set. Multiple black enameled bars can't be right in my opinion ... Regards, Hendrik

Hello GM1, I think a French Légion d'Honneur wouldn't be worn as the third decoration in that set but rather at the end of it. So, I suggest it's the Knight class of the Belgian Order of the Crown. Regards, Hendrik

Yes, they go together very well The Military Decoration and The Military Decoration (Article 4) Awarded to Belgian's armed forces noncoms or other ranks for either long service or for acts of bravery or distinguished service (Article 4). The Military Decoration was instituted on 22 December 1873 and early in the 20th century, a division into two classes was decreed. The 2nd Class decoration is awarded after 10 years of service, a further 5 years entitles the recipient to wear a gilt chevron on the ribbon, indicating a 1st Class award. If awarded for bravery or distinguished service (Article 4 of the decoration's statutes), the long service ribbon is changed to a red one bordered by the national Belgian colours. In case of an award for war-time related acts, a silver palm with the royal monogram is affixed on the ribbon.

Sorry mate, the box is for the Industrial Decoration 1st class (Décoration Industrielle / Nijverheids-Ereteken). Regards, Hendrik

Hi, I have a Barre designed obverse medal with 1856 on the reverse and a Caqué designed obverse medal with 1858 on its reverse. First one is an Interior Ministry award, second a Navy Ministry one. Should we, therefore, assume the change was made between 1858 and 1866 ? Regards, Hendrik

Hello Claudio, Yes, the picture doesn't show the ribbon's colours accurately. The lighting probably wasn't right - I'm not a good photographer and a crappy old camera doesn't help Anyway, I strongly suspect it's not the original ribbon but a (fairly decent) replacement ribbon.

A cute miniature medal :

The ribbon with a metallic VL device and the non-official medal :

For confirmation of the existence of this medal I refer to Alessandro Brambilla's book "Le Medaglie Italiane negli ultimi 200 anni", Volume II, where it is described on page 820. The award of the 1923 Volunteer Medal was extended to those persons mentioned above on 27-1-1944 but actual awards seem to have only been made following a Ministerial Decree of 10 May 1945 ... Regards, Hendrik

Hi, There's also the model with a red cross on the obverse ...

Poupehan sur Semois = name of the village : Poupehan on the Semois (river) Veille maison ardennaise = old ardennes house; the Ardennes is an area of hilly woodlands in the southeast of Belgium Regards, Hendrik

Hello Danio, Not French but Belgian, I think. It looks like one of those medals you get at the end of a yearly organized march. Anything on its reverse ? Regards, Hendrik

Had a closer look at the Italie 1859 medal and its ribbon indeed indicates the French medal and not the Italian one I was thinking of - my mistake. No longer of any importance here but I seem to recall reading the bars on the Italian independence medal were added to the campaign medal's ribbon in case of participation in actual combat.

Hi, Here's a picture of the campaign medal and the "Sul de Angola 1914-15" bar. Regards, Hendrik

Thanks for the link, Paul ! Excellent stuff Regards, Hendrik

and a few GIL crosses in black, red and light blue :