Sweden A Mysterious Swedish Military Academy Medal

[Guest Rick Research]

Picked this up this morning returning from my annual family reunion. It is silver (unmarked) on a heavy silk ribbon with silver metallic thread stripes near each side:

[Guest Rick Research]

F?derneslandets F?rsvar (For defense of the fatherland) K. Kr. Wet. Akad. (? Karlskrona maybe? SOMETHING Academy)

Mod och Kunskaper (Courage and Knowledge)

???

:rolleyes:

[Great Dane]

I'm not a specialist on Swedish medals, but I think "K. KR. WET. AKAD." is short for "Kungliga Krigsvetenskapsakademien" (Royal Academy of War Science - don't know if 'science' is the correct English translation, but I'm sure you get the idea), since "F?derneslandets F?rsvar - Mod och Kunskaper" is their motto.

P.S:

They still exist and has a website (in Swedish and English): Kungliga Krigsvetenskapsakademien

/Mike

Edited September 21, 2008 by Great Dane

[Guest Rick Research]

Ah, and perhaps the "W" is significant in dating this, from before modernized spelling changes?

[Great Dane]

Yes, I believe so. We have the same in Danish for certain words - the change occured (over a period of years) around the turn of the century (last century, that is...)

Maybe our Swedish members can tell...?

/Mike

[Guest Rick Research]

The Germans also modernized at the same time. The Prussian Red Cross medals of 1898 were spelled "Rothe Kreuz" and despite the spelling change happening almost immediately afterwards-- never changed the medals!

[kimj]

Nice to see some Swedish medals Rick! It's medal from the Royal Academy of War Sciences you all ready know. But it didn't start its life with a ribbon. These tokens were given for promoting the academys ideas. All I've ever seen were in the shape of a coin. The ribbon here has been added by someone later. I don't have the statues but I don't think they are awarded any more.

/Kim

[Guest Rick Research]

:beer: My Swedish ancestors left without getting any medals from Stockholm. My great grandfather got kicked out of the dragoons for being a drunk as a draftee in the 1870s so we're not exactly what you'd call a military dynasty over there!

This beautiful old silk and silver metallic threads ribbon is "petrified" around the ring. While it is sort of flexible, I wouldn't dare try to slip it off and back on again. It has been on there for a VERY long time. The ring is attached with what I would call professional quality EXCEPT for it being off-centered over the center design!

[kimj]

I'm sure the first owner of your medal was very proud of it. That's why he put a ribbon on it to wear. I have also seen plenty of coin like awards (the right English word escapes me) that was put in brooch like contraptions, just to show of. Then they didn't have to use the phrase: let me show you the award I have in my pocket. It just didn't sound right. )

From what I read about Swedish history I would have thought that being drunk in the 1870 would be considered normal... Must be a question of right time and place.

/Kim