Yugoslavia Order of the National Merit-three different cases

[Valter]

another view... sorry for bad shot , but you can get an idea what it looks like

[Ulsterman]

Good lord. I had no idea that there were so many variations.

Are they ever numbered?

If so, could one tell an award year by the numerical sequence?

Edited March 18, 2009 by Ulsterman

[Valter]

Good lord. I had no idea that there were so many variations.

There are many more variatoins of National merit order than showed here... Some russian collector wrote a book about these (in Russian only, as far as I know), but didn't cover all the varieties either.

Are they ever numbered?

If so, could one tell an award year by the numerical sequence?

Yes, screwback variations are always numbered, and you also find (parts of) numbers on ex-screwbacks converted to pinback (the same story with brotherhood).

The award year is very difficult to tell, you can only roughly estimate. In later years, batches of orders were shipped to federal republics, and somewhere they got newer pack, somewhere old stocks, somewhere they awarded more pieces and requiested new shipment... I hope you imagine what I mean.

I spoke about that subject with many collectors from ex-yugoslav countries and so far noone knows anything about any centralized register of award numbers. In early years, the award number was entered in the document, but in later there're no such numbers in documents (there's only number of decree to award the order/medal, not the actual order's serial number).

[Ulsterman]

Very interesting!!!

How about receipts for the awards? Would that have a number on it...if there was one?

[Gordon Craig]

Ulsterman,

To put you out of your misery, here is a scan of a Yugo award document. This document does not go with the awards in this thread. It is just to give you an idea of what one would look like. Pretty plain and no place for a number and the award this document came with isn't numbered anyway.

Regards,

Gordon

[Dragomir]

Ulsterman,

To put you out of your misery, here is a scan of a Yugo award document. This document does not go with the awards in this thread. It is just to give you an idea of what one would look like. Pretty plain and no place for a number and the award this document came with isn't numbered anyway.

Regards,

Gordon

In fact this is not a proper awarding document. It is rather an official affidavit, confirming that the owner has been awarded the order. Proper awarding document for senior classes was usually more elaborate. However, since some orders were conferred in hundreds of thousands, for lower classes in stead of proper documents this type of affidavits were considered to suffice. If the awardee insisted, he would eventually get a proper document in due time.

Dragomir

[Laurence Strong]

Here is my 3rd class case. The medl itself is a screw back.

[Laurence Strong]

Case interior.

[Gordon Craig]

In fact this is not a proper awarding document. It is rather an official affidavit, confirming that the owner has been awarded the order. Proper awarding document for senior classes was usually more elaborate. However, since some orders were conferred in hundreds of thousands, for lower classes in stead of proper documents this type of affidavits were considered to suffice. If the awardee insisted, he would eventually get a proper document in due time.

Dragomir

Dragomir,

Thanks for your comments. I see these sold all of the time as award documents and no one has ever mentioned what you have said before. Very useful information. I am glad that I posted it and you were kind enough to tell me what the document actually was.

Regards,

Gordon

[Valter]

I researched a bit about the documents and found the following:

According to "Yugoslav decorations Act" (Zakon o odlikovanjih SFRJ, slu?beni list (Official gazette) no. 40, 1973, p. 1224-1228), article 15:

Decorated person gets "potrdilo" receipt/copnfirmation/affidavit, but

president of the republic can decide, that for the highest decorations there will be also a special document ("diploma").

Legislation changed in 1985 (Official gazette no. 25, 1985, p. 785-787):

decorated person gets "potrdilo" as before, but presidency of the country (a collective ruling body after Tito's death) will make a list of decorations for which also a formal document ("diploma") will be issued.

To make things shorter, small A5 paper "potrdilo" IS offcial document, at least from 1973; bigger, more elaborate paper is issued only for some (higher) decorations. Which are these (and for situation before 1973), I have yet to research :speechless:

[Gordon Craig]

I researched a bit about the documents and found the following:

According to "Yugoslav decorations Act" (Zakon o odlikovanjih SFRJ, slu?beni list (Official gazette) no. 40, 1973, p. 1224-1228), article 15:

Decorated person gets "potrdilo" receipt/copnfirmation/affidavit, but

president of the republic can decide, that for the highest decorations there will be also a special document ("diploma").

Legislation changed in 1985 (Official gazette no. 25, 1985, p. 785-787):

decorated person gets "potrdilo" as before, but presidency of the country (a collective ruling body after Tito's death) will make a list of decorations for which also a formal document ("diploma") will be issued.

To make things shorter, small A5 paper "potrdilo" IS offcial document, at least from 1973; bigger, more elaborate paper is issued only for some (higher) decorations. Which are these (and for situation before 1973), I have yet to research

Valter,

Thanks for sharing your research. Please post your findings if you follow up on this research.

Regards,

Gordon

Edited March 19, 2009 by Gordon Craig

[Valter]

Valter,

Thanks for sharing your research. Please post your findings if you follow up on this research.

Regards,

Gordon

You're welcome, Gordon! Of course I will post anything new I find.

Valter

[SasaYU]

Awarding document is called Povelja.

As awarding documents I have posted are not directly related to Order of national merit, I have posted them in a separate topic:

http://gmic.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=34975

[Gunner 1]

Three types of 2nd Class cases in my collection. Gunner 1

Box 1

Edited March 22, 2009 by Gunner 1

[Gunner 1]

2nd Class, Box 2

[Gunner 1]

2nd Class, Box 3

[Gunner 1]

And six cases for the 3rd Class.

Case 1: "Zaluge", smaller, square, red box with pasted-on label.

[Gunner 1]

3rd Class, case 2: 'Zaluge', red case with gold trim.

[Gunner 1]

3rd Class, case 3: 'Zaluge', red case without gold trim.

[Gunner 1]

3rd Class, case 4: 'Zaluga', red case.

[Gunner 1]

3rd Class, case 5: 'Zaluga', dark cherry case.

[Gunner 1]

3rd Class, case 6: 'Zaluga', bright red case.