Bulgaria Bulgarian Military Order Of Merit

[Scott]

IMO, this is one of the most beautiful awards I've laid eyes on. My research tells me it's a Bulgarian Military Order of Merit 4th Class. However, I'd like some assistance determining the period it would have been awarded. Should there be any maker marks on it? Are these faked? Finally, is there any information on how many were originally awarded?

Thanks in advance!

Scott

Edited February 12, 2008 by Scott

[Scott]

Close-up views, front & back:

[Scott]

Top of case...

[Guest Rick Research]

Officer-grade piece. The cipher on the case lid indicates a Ferdinand award. The "War Decoration" wreath came in during the First World War and is almost never seen (in German groups anyway). The wide thick silver stripes on the bravery ribbon are consistent with that period too.

You have a splendid piece as awarded to captains, circa 1917-18. If it was Austrian made, there will be maker marks on the ring. I've never seen any Bulgarian made one that was marked.

Tuck that ring back up inside the point of the ribbon and hook the hook through it inside under the ribbon so it won't swing around. The last time somebody took this on and off, they just slid the hook through the ribbon on the outside of the reverse rather than inside the ribbon.

Here is the 5th Class with Crown as given to a Bavarian Leutnant dR in 1917 (a hollow piece with gaps in the sides showing where it was folded together and miraculously fastened together) on a later ribbon.

The stripes are much finer and flatter on post-WW1 ribbons. Normally the War Decoration wreath seems not to have been widely given to non-Bulgarians during the First War. The bravery ribbon was enough to indicate that.

[Ulsterman]

This is the 4th class (as it says on the lid). The medal is superb.

The order was created in 1900 and these Orders were allowed to have the war ribbon from 1916-1918 and awarded for acts of bravery in the field. they are EK1 equivalents. Considering the pounding Bulgaria took (VERY high casualties, esp. amongst jr. officers and NCOs) and the battles it troops took part in, this was [probably a very hard won medal.

[Kev in Deva]

Ulsterman

Congratulations on obtaining such a fantastic example

Another one to add to the "I want" list!!!

Ricky yours is a fine piece as well

Kevin in Deva.

[Ulsterman]

Oh by the way-there's supposed to be a rosette:

@ 1939 -5th +6th classes in wear, on peace time ribbons:

Edited February 12, 2008 by Ulsterman

[Guest Rick Research]

Yikes! His awards got a battering-- enamel slammed off the arm of his 5th Class with Crown, and look at the bent blade on his Bravery IV-a!!!

Here's a similar group from about the same period (both are pre-1933-- no Balkans or World War Commemorative Medals):

Note that in BOTH these cases, the rosette is worn on the yellow with black and white edges statute ribbon indicating peacetime awards (swords on all, regardless). I suspect that the rosettes were omitted from the bravery ribbon-- I've never seen them on anything BUT the statute ribbon.

[Scott]

Thank you gentlemen!

Scott

[Dave Danner]

Rick's surmise is correct. There was no rosette for the ribbon of the Military Order "For Bravery".

[Ulsterman]

ah- a misreading of the text on my part then, "The 4th class had a rosette upon the ribbon. In war time the order was awarded upon the military bravery ribbon for acts of bravery".

[hipnos]

IMO, this is one of the most beautiful awards I've laid eyes on. My research tells me it's a Bulgarian Military Order of Merit 4th Class. However, I'd like some assistance determining the period it would have been awarded. Should there be any maker marks on it? Are these faked? Finally, is there any information on how many were originally awarded?

Thanks in advance!

Scott

Congrats!!!!

What a wonderful piece!!

The bulgarian orders are very beautiful, and with a good design. It?s said that the Tzar ferdinan take a lot of interest in the orders and medals designs. I only had a MMO 5th. class with war decoration...

The ribbon correspond to orders awarded for Bravery in the field (So the the ribbon can be seen in others medals /orders, like the merit medal, "au lieu" of the customary red one...)

[Alex K]

Oh by the way-there's supposed to be a rosette:

@ 1939 -5th +6th classes in wear, on peace time ribbons:

Beautiful example of the award, I am intrigued by this photo, what period would it have been taken? he wears a uniform reminiscent of a "Soviet" appearance, yet wears royal Bulgarian awards together with an EK11 from WW1?

regards

Alex K

[Theodor]

Both photos are of uniforms, used in the later 1920's and in the1930's.