Serbia Kingdom of Yugoslavia - Order of the Yugoslav Crown, Commander Grade

[Riley1965]

This is from the FJP Auction and is on a full cravat:

King Aleksandar I instituted the Order on 5 April 1930, to commemorate the change of the official name of the Realm from Kingdom of the Serbs, Croats and Slovenes to the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. King Aleksandar I was Regent of the Kingdom of Serbia since 1914, Regent of the Kingdom of the Serbs, Croats and Slovenes since 1918, and ascended the Throne in 1921. During 1929 the political crisis and increasingly strong separatist movements within the country forced the King to temporarily suspend the Constitution and emphasize national unity, which eventually, was responsible for the change of the name of the country to Yugoslavia

The Order was organized in five classes, and was awarded to Yugoslavian citizens who forwarded national unity and cooperation, or for merit towards the Crown, State and Nation in public service, as well as to the foreign nationals for diplomatic merit. The Order of the Yugoslav Crown was senior to Order of St. Sava.

The Order is conferred by the Crown.

The Order's insignia were manufactured by Arthus Bertrand of Paris (France) and Huguenin Freres of Le Locle (Switzerland).

Edited September 6, 2007 by Riley1965

[orden_master]

Hello riley1965

perfect description except one detail which is wrong. There are absolutely NO hints or proves that the order of the Yugoslav crown was manufactured in Paris by Arthus-Bertrand. In my own collection and in all the others known to me there are not one original AB box preserved.

The order was mainly manufactured by Huguenin Le Locle, in the late 30's Huguenin was delivering unfinished parts for the order and the order was assembled by a Yugoslavian manufactury called SORLINI and situated in a town named Varazdin. The Sorlini items have very small differnces to the original Huguenin parts and a distinction is very often impossible, your only chance is to get the order with the original box and to distinuish them this way.

I attach some pictures to illustrate:

Best regards

Milan

This is from the FJP Auction and is on a full cravat:

King Aleksandar I instituted the Order on 5 April 1930, to commemorate the change of the official name of the Realm from Kingdom of the Serbs, Croats and Slovenes to the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. King Aleksandar I was Regent of the Kingdom of Serbia since 1914, Regent of the Kingdom of the Serbs, Croats and Slovenes since 1918, and ascended the Throne in 1921. During 1929 the political crisis and increasingly strong separatist movements within the country forced the King to temporarily suspend the Constitution and emphasize national unity, which eventually, was responsible for the change of the name of the country to Yugoslavia

The Order was organized in five classes, and was awarded to Yugoslavian citizens who forwarded national unity and cooperation, or for merit towards the Crown, State and Nation in public service, as well as to the foreign nationals for diplomatic merit. The Order of the Yugoslav Crown was senior to Order of St. Sava.

The Order is conferred by the Crown.

The Order's insignia were manufactured by Arthus Bertrand of Paris (France) and Huguenin Freres of Le Locle (Switzerland).

[orden_master]

Just one more

[Guest Rick Research]

This is without doubt one of the top five best looking Orders ever created.

[Roeland]

hello gents,

I'm wondering if the order still excists?

I believe that it wasn't a kingdom no more from 1941 because of the WW2.

and of course much later Yugoslavia fell apart.

what happened to the order, did it still excist after WW2, however not as a royal order?

kind regards,

Roeland

[Roeland]

PS, could someone give me the sizes of the order?

what size have the grand-cross medal and the 2nd class medal.

I noticed there are 5 classes, from which the 2nd, 3th and 4th all look like a neck cross.

What is the difference between them?

I also saw a difference between them, the 2nd class is gilt, the others aren't, is there a way to recognise them, perhaps different size?

kind regards,

Roeland

[Christian Zulus]

I'm wondering if the order still excists?

Dear Roeland,

that's a very good question .

Well, the Royal family is back from London to Belgrade for some years, the Serbian Government gave them the (Royal) "White Palace" and as far, as I am informed, the family is confering again their (old) orders & medals .

But I guess, that Milan "Orden_Master" knows more about that subject .

Best regards

Christian

BTW: Serbia is at the moment a republic and not a monarchy .

[orden_master]

Hello Roeland

the order of the Yugoslav Crown is constituted in 5 classes. The first class with a breast star and sash badge, the second class having a smaller breast star and a neck badge, the third class having the neck badge only and 4th and 5th class being breast badges of smaller size.

The according sizes are as follows:

The badges for I, II and III class are 48mm across the edges of the white cross, the cross ends bear a small ball of 2.5 mm, the ball on the top cross end is 4.5 mm. Attached to the top of the cross is a green oak wreath size 17mm high and 22mm large.

The IV and V class badges are 37mm across the ends and the tips are accordingly smaller in dimension. The oak wreath is 13mm high and 22mm large.

The breast star for I class is 90mm and for second class 75, I class having a III grade badge applied on the base plate of the star and the II class bearing a 4th class badge.

The ribbons are (dark blue):

I class Sash : 105 mm

II class neck cravat: 75mm

III clacc neck cravat: 75 mm

IV class triangular folded ribbon: 40 mm

V class triangular folded ribbon: 40 mm

Hope that this is enough for beginning, will be writing more soon about some variants etc.

Best regards

Milan

PS, could someone give me the sizes of the order?

what size have the grand-cross medal and the 2nd class medal.

I noticed there are 5 classes, from which the 2nd, 3th and 4th all look like a neck cross.

What is the difference between them?

I also saw a difference between them, the 2nd class is gilt, the others aren't, is there a way to recognise them, perhaps different size?

kind regards,

Roeland

[Roeland]

both thanks for the info, it's very helpfull.

Nice collection you have there Milan!

do you also know if the order still excists? if not, since when.

I'm trying to buy a picture from the 2nd World War showing a

German officer with a 2nd or 3th class grade of this order around his neck, therefore

I think it still excisted after the king was gone in 1941.

Edited September 16, 2007 by Roeland

[Riley1965]

BTW: Serbia is at the moment a republic and not a monarchy .

[Roeland]

yes I know, since 1941 the monarchie doesn't excist, however I wondered if the order still excisted for a while, I saw a late World war 2 picture with a German officer wearing a neck cross of this order, therefore I thought it might have excisted for a while, or the german was awarded it before 1941.

[Alex K]

both thanks for the info, it's very helpfull.

Nice collection you have there Milan!

do you also know if the order still excists? if not, since when.

I'm trying to buy a picture from the 2nd World War showing a

German officer with a 2nd or 3th class grade of this order around his neck, therefore

I think it still excisted after the king was gone in 1941.

I think this might be what your'e looking for

http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?t=127423

regards

Alex K

[orden_master]

Very nice picture and probably very seldom seen. I would guess that the german officer was a atachee to the embassy or something similar.

regards

Milan

I think this might be what your'e looking for

http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?t=127423

regards

Alex K

[Alex K]

Very nice picture and probably very seldom seen. I would guess that the german officer was a atachee to the embassy or something similar.

regards

Milan

Hi Milan, the photo is not dated but must be wartime as he is wearing the spange to his EKI & II

regards

Alex

[Roeland]

the picture I'm trying to buy is also a picture from Walter Leuze.

[Roeland]

I've won the auction, this is a part of the picture:

[Alex K]

Well done, nice picture

Regards

Alex

[orden_master]

Perfect buy !! congrats

When you get it could it be possible to send me a scan of this pic .

Thanks

regards

Milan

Well done, nice picture

Regards

Alex

[Roeland]

thanks for the compliments.

When you get it could it be possible to send me a scan of this pic

normally I don't because of copyright, but in this case I'll make a once in a lifetime exception, PM sent

kind regards,

Roeland

[Roeland]

I've noticed something about the first class, the grand cross.

not all of them have the green leaves on top.

Like the one in post 3, it doesn't have the leaves on top of the medal, just the medal attached to the sash.

While looking on the internet I've seen grand crosses with and without the leaves.

is there any explanation for it?

Edited October 5, 2007 by Roeland

[new world]

I've noticed something about the first class, the grand cross.

not all of them have the green leaves on top.

Like the one in post 3, it doesn't have the leaves on top of the medal, just the medal attached to the sash.

While looking on the internet I've seen grand crosses with and without the leaves.

is there any explanation for it?

Initially order was designed without green laurel, later extra element was added to the construction.

Early specimens without the wreath were awarded only for few months and hence are quite rare.

William

[orden_master]

Perfect explanation William, thanks a lot. I was waiting how long it will take until somebody remarks the difference and unfortunately it happened exactly during my hollidays when I have not got any internet access.

Here a couple more details:

Instituted by King Alexander I Karadjordjevic on 5th april 1930. The exact description of the order is without the green oak laurel wreath. It was even published in newspapers and weekly magazines of the period. It was alos there that the look of the order was discussed and that it went realized the the order does not "present" enough as he is too near the neck cravat and almost disapears under the collars of the uniform or suit.

It was the changement of the institutional document on 15. november 1930 that the laurel wreath was added to the order. This changment was easy to accomplish as it implicated onle the mounting of the laurel through the existing hole on the upper corner-ball of the orders cross. Many of the already awarded items in the short 6 month period have been changed to the new look. The order chancellery changed all theri stock. So the first type is VERY rare to find and in the same manner VERY easy to fake. The only 100% thing are the first type boxes as they had no indentation for the laurel.

I was lucky to find a I class case a III class and a V class with the according items.

Here a pic for ilustrating:

regards

Milan

[Mogul]

I never wanted to resurrect an old topic, but I need a little history lesson here. Why a nazi officer is wearing one of these?

[new world]

I never wanted to resurrect an old topic, but I need a little history lesson here. Why a nazi officer is wearing one of these?

He must have been awarded one before Germany occupied Yugoslavia (pre spring 1941).