Yugoslavia Medal for People's Merit

[wlodzimierz]

Anatoly,

nice to her from you.

The fact, that we haven't seen particular variation could mean

a - its a myth

b - this item is very rare

One week ago I saw for the first time Order of Partisan Star 2nd class (screw-back converted to pin-back). The reason I looked for this type was my conviction that at that time almost all screw-back were converted to pin-back. And we saw that there is really such order.

Coming back to Medal for People's Merit: I think that we will see such medal. I know that Velitschko write about it in his book. But there are clear signs for that: look for the name of this order printed on issuing box shown us by Bryan at the beginning of this thread. Can you see the difference: the name of order was changed from '...ZASLUGE...' to '...ZASLUGA...'. This happend in 1973. I know that they were 'flexible' and put medal with text '..ZASLUGE..' into box with name '..ZASLUGA..' but they had 19 years to correct it.

And therefore I think that we will see such medal with word '..ZASLUGA..'.

Lets see.

waldemar

[Anatoly13]

Waldemar!

I will be glad of course if we will see this medal.

Velichko didn't see it too.

I think that the reason of this " myth " is sign on the box...

[Gordon Craig]

Bryan,

Thanks for your response. Now I know that the higher orders contain a place for the ribbon and lower ones don't. Helps a lot.

Thanks,

Gordon

[wlodzimierz]

I found these medals, the right one has other ribbon-suspension not only other shape but also other size.

Additional this right medal is thicker as other medals.

Have you seen such medal with this ribbon-suspension, is this genuine medal?

What is you opinion?

[Luka]

It looks very strange, hardly official!? Could you please show us the back side scan of the medal?

Edited November 10, 2008 by Luka

[Jakov]

I must agree with Luka, this could never be official, someone was playing with this ribbon, pics of the back side would help in solving this.

[Anatoly13]

Seems as the medal hangs on Albanian suspension with wrong ribbon.

[Mister No]

Home made for sure.

[Valter]

Hello all,

this is probably my first post on GMIC, although I laready know a few members from other forums.

First, Wlodzimierz'es medal is for sure on unofficial/home made suspension. Wheter it was changed by the recepient or by a dealer, is unclear.

There are many variations of yugoslav orders/medals, but it's difficult to research them, as many sources are absent or unaccessible. The published statutes of decorations can be rather vague and several decorations were produced in large quantities with variantions due to official specimen.

There's even more disorder concerning boxes/cases: the same variations of orders were put in different cases on random bases, including orders of the "new type" (those after 1963, which conatain 6 torches instead of 5 in older variations) were put into "old type" cases (those with 5 torches OR numbered grade of order instead of specific names, which came into use after 1963), and vice versa. The fact dealers and collectors often "couple" orders and boxes in a very liberal manner, only adds to confusion.

Regards, Valter

[Anatoly13]

Welcome Valter!

[SasaYU]

Absolutely wrong ribbon.

[Valter]

Regarding Wlodzimierz strange medal suspension - recently I found a (not very good) picture of an officer from 1948 with Bravery order with another strange, similar suspension. Just for another opinion.

(picture published in Vojnozgodovinski zbornik (Journal for military history) no. 17, 2004, page 52)

Regards, Valter

[wlodzimierz]

Thank you for comments, I'm posting reverse of that medal.

We know that first YU awards has been granted on 7th and 25th September 1944. We know that during the war supply interruptions took place, sometimes fighters has been awarded with other awards as the should get because of lack of these awards in the military units. Not everything went that time as it should. This could be explanation for some 'strange' combination seen sometimes at early awards.

Even the ribbons for earlier awards has been made in soviet union. After the war the first medal manufactured in ZIN-Kovnica was Medal for Narodny Merit (Narod could be translated as Nation or Peoples) which has been established on 12th June 1945.And of course with production of medals the supply with ribbons and ribbon-bars had to be implemented.

This medal has poor quality you will find that the rimm has different width and thickness (what you can not see on this image), it is hard to say if this medal has been really manufactured in this way but there are some good reason to think so. It is possible that this is one of the first medals made by ZIN Kovnica the problem with not available (proper) ribbons has been solved in that way that available ribbons has been used.

But who knows?

wlodzimierz

[Eric Gaumann]

Just got this one along with a Order of Bravery as part of a failed attempt to collect a group of docs to one person.

I love the simple design, and typical Yugoslavian quality, of this medal.