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    Albania- Wied era medals


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    Dear all,
    Meleq Frasheri was an albanian officer under prinz zu Wied. He continued his career later for the albanian state till '30-es. Fortunately, he was so exhibitionist to do a picture in any possible occasion.
    I find today another picture of him with the officer of Black Eagle order in his austrian uniform. He served in the A.H. army during WWI. Can anyone help me about the uniform: rank, branch, medals, etc?
    Regards,
    Artan

    The first and second medals Meleq Frasheri is wearing are the AH Signum Laudis (Militär-Verdienstmedaille=Medal for Military Merit) in silver and bronze with the crossed swords for war service.

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    Dear all,
    Meleq Frasheri was an albanian officer under prinz zu Wied. He continued his career later for the albanian state till '30-es. Fortunately, he was so exhibitionist to do a picture in any possible occasion.
    I find today another picture of him with the officer of Black Eagle order in his austrian uniform. He served in the A.H. army during WWI. Can anyone help me about the uniform: rank, branch, medals, etc?
    Regards,
    Artan

    Greetings Artan,

    James identified first two medals, the third one is Karl-Truppenkreuz (Karl Troop Cross). As for the uniform I believe it is for the Grenzjäger captain (Hauptmann).

    Regards,

    Radmilo

    Edited by paja
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    • 3 months later...

    http://gmic.co.uk/uploads/monthly_11_2013/post-679-0-52003600-1383416393.jpghttp://gmic.co.uk/uploads/monthly_11_2013/post-679-0-65202200-1383416421.jpghttp://gmic.co.uk/uploads/monthly_11_2013/post-679-0-46687000-1383416450.jpghttp://gmic.co.uk/uploads/monthly_11_2013/post-679-0-59803200-1383416480.jpg

    Got this in recently. Nice quality.

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    Your excellent knight's badge: A great addition!!! Have you looked under the pad? Though usually ribbon storage only, sometimes there's a note or other marking. Found in Venna?

    I'm very happy with it - and obviously indeed looked under the pad straight away but nothing there.

    Acquired it in Germany. The ribbon is done in an Austrian way?

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    • 2 weeks later...

    By the way, follow-up question - is this a Knights badge OR actually an Officer's badge?

    In Artan's book the gold colored badge is indicated as "Officer" and the identical badge but in silver is referred to as Knight.

    Edited by Bob
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    Artan's identification is correct. The statutes, according to Klietmann's Ordens-Lexicon, prescribe a silver badge for officers and a bronze-gilt badge for knights. Many sources confuse the issue by assuming that gold color insignia outranks silver color and thus misidentifying grade badges. Mulder and Christiaans [Onderscheidingen van de Balkan, 2008] report that both Captain Jan Fabius and Mayor Joan Snellen van Vollenhoven {Herr General's post 105 above} received an officer grade of the Order, further confirming Klietmann.

    Nonetheless, Klietmann's published number of Black Eagle Order awards is completely wrong. As reported elsewhere in this and other threads, the numbers actually are much greater than he cited. Primary sources including Armstrong-Heaton's The Six Month Kingdom, 2005, and Peter Mulder's work as well as Rrumbullaku's Dekorimet, 2010, indicate that a considerable number of additional awards were made both in Albania and in exile up to about 1922.

    Edited by 922F
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    • 1 year later...

    Just to keep this thread alive with Wied era stuff, back in 2005, an eBay seller had several pieces of BE insignia in a large red case that looked like it could have been an award case, but who knows. I saved off the photos for my own reference purposes, so I thought I could share them here. I don't recall who had this set of insignia otherwise I would give them credit here...

    post-485-1236889411.jpg

    THIS SET IS BOUGHT BY AN ALBANIAN COLLECTOR FROM GJIROKASTRA.

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    Here's something very interesting - a diamond studden Order of the Black Eagle... originally Wied's?

    https://www.dorotheum.com/en/auctions/current-auctions/kataloge/list-lots-detail/auktion/11464-orders-and-decorations/lotID/2196/lot/1961088-schwarzer-adler-orden.html?currentPage=4&img=1

    Schwarzer Adler - Orden,

    Großkreuzset in Brillanten (!), Kleinod AR - vergoldet u. emailliert, Kreuzspitzen, Rauten und Krone mit zahlreichen Diamanten besetzt, an orig. Schärpe, Bruststern AR - vergoldet u. emailliert, Sternspitzen und Rauten mit Diamanten besetzt, an Nadel, der Schwarze Adler - Orden wurde von Wilhelm Prinz zu Wied (1876 - 1945) anläßlich seines Regierungsantritts als Fürst von Albanien am 26. März 1914 gestiftet, nach bereits 6 Monaten verließ Fürst Wilhelm Albanien, der Orden wurde nur in wenigen Stücken verliehen und zählt zu den seltensten Orden der Welt (vereinzelt erfolgten noch Verleihungen im Exil bis 1923), Provenienz: ehem. persönliches Exemplar des Fürsten Wilhelm von Albanien, die Ausführung des Großkreuzes in Brillanten war wohl dem Souverän vorbehalten und scheint damit einmalig zu sein, prachtvolles Großkreuzset in unikaler Ausführung und von großer historischer Bedeutung zur Geschichte des Albanischen Staates, I/II

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    • 1 month later...
    On December 7, 2012 at 23:57, Artan Lame said:

     

     

    Dear James,
    Maybe is too hard to believe, but those are the medals of Heaton Armstrong. As you can see, hi has the officer of the Black Eagle with swords.
    And this is the original colbac of him!
    Regards,
    Artan

    post-5692-0-95423300-1354920622.jpg

    post-5692-0-33712100-1354921053.jpg

    Anybody have an idea of what that 3rd medal on the far right is?

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    • 4 months later...

    Yet another 'augmented' Black Eagle set offered by Dorotheum in May 20, 2016 auction.

    Lot No. 2257 

    Albanian Schwarzer Adler Medal

    , Grand Cross set in opals (!), Gem AR-gilt and enamelled, Avers studded with numerous white opals, Breast Star ARR gilt and enamelled, also studded with numerous white opals, with pin, the Black Eagle Order of Wilhelm Prinz donated to Wied (1876-1945) during his government commencement as Prince of Albania on 26 March 1914 after only 6 months left Prince William Albania, the Order was awarded only a few pieces, and one of the rarest order of the world (sporadically occurred yet ceremonies in exile until 1923) provenance: Former personal copy of the Princess of Albania.! The execution in opals was probably manufactured alsUnikat for the Princess. Glorious Großkreuzset in unique design and of great historical significance to the history of the Albanian state.

    Specialist: Dr. Georg Ludwigstorff

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    • 2 weeks later...

    Agree on regrets--chasing this one since 1978.    See also post 40 & 41 this thread.  We could hope that the successful bidder will share any documents.....and that they include something Albanian!

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    Sincere thanks for sharing this precious document!   My deep congratulations on obtaining Rolfsema's decorations and personal materials!!  I am sure that Mr. Wagenaar would be happy that they have a fine new home!

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    • 1 month later...
    • 1 year later...

    Returned from a trip to Tirana a week ago and thought I'd add some pics here - nothing new but breathing some life in this thread hopefully597dff0893369_2017-07-2015_31_29.thumb.jpg.bde1084b9d37f011b59f9d3ed5b86537.jpg597dff0f33b0b_2017-07-2015_31_33.thumb.jpg.dd9e0419729653845080514d10ea80a6.jpg597dff1622d3a_2017-07-2015_31_39.thumb.jpg.0283f46251f68b516d1a8c592dfabff1.jpg597dff1d11f20_2017-07-2015_31_46.thumb.jpg.02b0421556e2f9d2838f0726cf19531b.jpg597dff22d962b_2017-07-2015_32_16.thumb.jpg.b63c4e40d6eac5c37dfb0bab63697b0a.jpg597dff286963c_2017-07-2015_32_58.thumb.jpg.fa39eb1f712bfa2d07da70953e0d4b75.jpg

    2017-07-20 15.31.26.jpg

    And here's a group belonging to Rauf Fico, an Albanian diplomat - pics also from the National Historical Museum in Tirana

    597dfffccf8e2_2017-07-2015_12_33.thumb.jpg.6c71be30bd0f511ca69f5524832f57c4.jpg597e00046d6cb_2017-07-2015_12_35.thumb.jpg.1fde1ebd1c670a22ed1dbf287a96d47a.jpg597e000af3fcd_2017-07-2015_12_42.thumb.jpg.457a39c01eca5c5da73bcc02f2871458.jpg

     

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    Hi All,

    Another super rare case of the Albanian Order of the Black Eagle "in action" !!!

    Aqif pasha Bicaku of Elbasani, in 1916 with the grand officer star and badge of the Order.

    More over, besides the Order, he also has the Medal of Princes Arrival in Durres.

    Regards,

    Artan

    M 6a.jpg

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