Yugoslavia Order of the National Merit-three different cases

[Gordon Craig]

Gents,

I received three empty cases in the mail today for the Order of National Merit. I bought them because they were all different. Since I am new to collecting Jugoslav wards I'd appreciate as much info about these cases as the forum members can provide. Some of the questions I have are;

1-were these cases used at different times, and if so, in what order were they introduced?

2-the wording on the cases is identical. Are they are for the same class and if so which one? I asked this question because the first case pictured below has gold trim around the top which the other two do not have.

3-anything else I didn't think of yet!

Regards,

Gordon

Case #1 exterior.

Edited April 17, 2008 by Gordon Craig

[Gordon Craig]

Case #1 interior

[Gordon Craig]

Case #2 exterior

[Gordon Craig]

Case #2 interior

[Gordon Craig]

Case #3 exterior

[Gordon Craig]

Case #3 interior

[Mister No]

All three casese are for same class, Order of merit to the people with silver star (III).

Wording is not indentical. Case 1 have word "zasluge", Case 2 and 3 have word "zasluga". Word "zasluga" is on cases from 1973. Before is word "zasluge" on cases. Case 1 is from period 15.3.1961-1973.

Regrads

[Gordon Craig]

Mr. No,

Thanks for your response and answers to my questions. Very useful information.

Regards,

Gordon

[Gordon Craig]

Mr. No,

Another question re these cases. I would like to acquire awards that would be from the same time period as these cases. What should I look for to be sure I put the correct award in each case, apart from the pin placements that is. Especially case #1? Pictures would be appreciated if available.

Regards,

Gordon

[Mister No]

Order for case 1

[Mister No]

Order for case 2 and 3, rare variant.

[Gordon Craig]

Mr. No,

Thanks very much for the pictures. Especially of the rare IIIrd class award. I have a IIIrd class that will fit in case #1 now all I have to do is get awards for the other two cases!

I'd like to ask your help in another area now. Would you please post pictures of the covers on IInd and Ist class orders.

Regards,

Gordon

[Bryan]

Hello Gordon, here is my contribution to your thread.

#1 Case for Order of Merit for People 2nd Class (without serial #, so that is a later type of box)

[Bryan]

#2 Case for Order of Merit for People 3rd Class #34145 (early case)

Edited April 18, 2008 by Bryan

[Gordon Craig]

Thanks Bryan,

Too bad I have forgotten what little Serbian I learned years ago. That would help a lot now!

Regards,

Gordon

[Mister No]

I dont have pictures of first class.

[Gordon Craig]

Mister No,

Thanks anyway. I'll have to keep looking I guess.

Regards,

Gordon

[Gordon Craig]

I was doing some more research on this particular order again today and I discovered, through some of the information in this thread, that I had also received an early (empty) case for the second class order in the same lot of cased awards and empty cases. It is different again from the other cases posted in this thread. It has a simluated leather exterior with a plush red velvet lining. With the gold trim around the outside it looks like another early case. Any one know the dates this case would have been used from/to?

Regards,

Gordon

[Gordon Craig]

The interior of the second class case.

[Mister No]

Hi Gordon

Must be from same period like case 1.

15.3.1961-1973. It is hard to say right year.

Regards

Edited April 20, 2008 by Mister No

[Gordon Craig]

Mr. No,

Thanks again for the response. I thought that it would be from the same era as case #1. Hard to research these things when the awards, cases and documents keep getting separated. I intend to keep trying though as matching cases to awards of specific time frame is a major interest of mine in any countries ODMs that I collect.

Regards,

Gordon

Edited April 20, 2008 by Gordon Craig

[wlodzimierz]

Gents,

hier are some cases of 1st class.

[Gordon Craig]

wlodzimierz,

Thanks for the pics of the First Class cases. Nice adition to the thread.

Regards,

Gordon

[File21]

The second cased 1st class has a wooden case, so which case for the 2nd and 3rd class of the order would correspond with the wooden case?

I'm guessing the small box or am I wrong?

Filip

[Valter]

Mi small contribution - another early type of 2nd class case - greenish-grey simulated leather with gold borders.