Albania - COLLAR OF ALBANIA and ORDER OF SKANDERBEG.

[Zaim Qyteza]

Dear all,

I saw that the speech has become only about the COLLAR OF ALBANIA and ORDER OF SKANDERBEG. For these reason I think to transfer it, to " type="#_x0000_t75">European (Non Communist States): Medals & Militaria > Southern European & Balkan States: Non Communist Era> COLLAR OF ALBANIA and ORDER OF SKANDERBEG.

I do this, with the hope to not annoy the friends of the forum. Thank you all.

Dear 922F,

Very interesting your information about the Collar of Albania piece of king Albert I.

Dear James,

I think that the Collar of Skanderbeg Order (S.O.), does not exist.

SO was created with law dt. 03.12.1925. In this Statute (article 3) was planned a 5 classes order, with another special class of Collar (the Collar for Zog and other chiefs of state) and with a Skanderbeg Medal in three classes:

Collar of the Order

Grand Sash

Grand Officer

Commander

Officer

Knight

Gold Medal

Silver Medal

Bronze Medal

In fact, then, the collar and the medals, was never produced.

The same President Zog (1925-1928) and later King Zog I (1928-1939), has always worn the grand sash of SO.

Regards,

Artan

[Zaim Qyteza]

Dear all,

I saw that the speech has become only about the COLLAR OF ALBANIA and ORDER OF SKANDERBEG. For these reason I think to transfer it, to " type="#_x0000_t75">European (Non Communist States): Medals & Militaria > Southern European & Balkan States: Non Communist Era> COLLAR OF ALBANIA and ORDER OF SKANDERBEG.

I do this, with the hope to not annoy the friends of the forum. Thank you all.

Dear 922F,

Very interesting your information about the Collar of Albania piece of king Albert I.

Dear James,

I think that the Collar of Skanderbeg Order (S.O.), does not exist.

SO was created with law dt. 03.12.1925. In this Statute (article 3) was planned a 5 classes order, with another special class of Collar (the Collar for Zog and other chiefs of state) and with a Skanderbeg Medal in three classes:

Collar of the Order

Grand Sash

Grand Officer

Commander

Officer

Knight

Gold Medal

Silver Medal

Bronze Medal

In fact, then, the collar and the medals, was never produced.

The same President Zog (1925-1928) and later King Zog I (1928-1939), has always worn the grand sash of SO.

Regards,

Artan

[James Hoard]

Many thanks Artan and 922F

I guess the Carol I badge must be partly hidden under the lapel in the b/w photo that I posted.

He wears the star of the Order of Fidelity on his left breast, but below the Order of Bravery. So I guess the Order of Bravery must have had the most senior rank amongst all the orders??

Do you have any more details about this order, e.g. Albanian name, classes and conditions of award?

Cheers,

James

[Zaim Qyteza]

Many thanks Artan and 922F

I guess the Carol I badge must be partly hidden under the lapel in the b/w photo that I posted.

He wears the star of the Order of Fidelity on his left breast, but below the Order of Bravery. So I guess the Order of Bravery must have had the most senior rank amongst all the orders??

Do you have any more details about this order, e.g. Albanian name, classes and conditions of award?

Cheers,

James

Dear James,

I resend to you the same photo, with the names of the decorations.

Regards,

Artan

[James Hoard]

Dear James,

I resend to you the same photo, with the names of the decorations.

Regards,

Artan

Good Morning Artan,

Thank you for your post.

Actually, I do know which order is which.

I was really asking about details for the Order of Bravery. Did the first class have precedence over all the other decorations, what were the conditions of award, name of the order in Albanian, and names of the different grades.

Do you have larger scans of the grades?

With kind regards,

James

[paul wood]

Good Morning Artan,

Thank you for your post.

Actually, I do know which order is which.

I was really asking about details for the Order of Bravery. Did the first class have precedence over all the other decorations, what were the conditions of award, name of the order in Albanian, and names of the different grades.

Do you have larger scans of the grades?

With kind regards,

James

Dear Artan,

Thank you for this most interesting group of posts, the Wied and Zog period awards are very difficult to get specific details about, there is a very limited amount of published material (certainly in English) and the more information you can give us concerning these relatively short lived Orders and Decorations is more than welcome. By the by can you tell me how (without warrants) one can distinguish between pre Italian occupation and exile pieces.

Anything you can give us will be most welcome,

Paul

[Zaim Qyteza]

Dear James,

The order of precedence was:

1. Collar of Albania (only for the King and, in theory, for foreigner chiefs of state).

2. Order of Bravery (maybe never conceded, except the King Zog piece).

3. Order of Fidelity (maybe less 10 pieces conceded).

4. Order of Skanderbeg (normally conceded).

Dear Mr. Wood,

When the Italians occupied Albania. they find in Tirana all the stock of Orders produced and either non awarded (I have the documents and the inventory of this). I have seen some copies of diplomas of S.O. conceded from King Zog in exile, but I think that he gave only the diploma w/o the award in this period.

Attention (!!!): I have seen some fakes in circulation, bought or sold as original in different serious auctions, but only the eye of an expert can distinguish them.

Regards,

Artan

[James Hoard]

Artan

Thanks for information.

Here's a link to King Leka's organisation in which there are details of a few appointments during 2008, together with images of the Grand Officer and Commander insignia bestowed on the recipients.

http://albania.dyndns.org/najbor01092008.htm

The central medallion of the GO star seems to be silver. Not sure if that was always the case with the type II GO star.

Cheers,

James

[paul wood]

Artan

Thanks for information.

Here's a link to King Leka's organisation in which there are details of a few appointments during 2008, together with images of the Grand Officer and Commander insignia bestowed on the recipients.

http://albania.dyndns.org/najbor01092008.htm

The central medallion of the GO star seems to be silver. Not sure if that was always the case with the type II GO star.

Cheers,

James

Dear Artan,

What you say about the exile awards being just diplomas now makes sense. In the Izzet Said Khourchid group of Orders and decorations (he was a Lebanese diplomat) Morton and Eden 3 July 2008, lot 71, there was a warrant for the Commander's neck badge of the Order of Skanderbeg, Alexandria 19 January 1952 but no insignia. Concerning the Italian occupation are you saying that unissued Zog pieces were still awarded, even though there was the Italian occupation variety of the various national orders? Or am I completely barking up the wrong tree.

All the best,

Paul

[James Hoard]

Artan

I have been looking closely at your very useful "collage" of photographs.

It looks like the eagle suspended from the collar being worn by King Zog and the badge in the illustration of the "collar of Albania" are quite different.

The illstrated eagle is much more like the black eagle of the Albanian national coat of arms. However, the eagle suspended from the King's collar is very much like the badge of the Order of Scanderbeg. The wing feathers of are all close together and upward sloping.

The enamelling of the eagle also looks to be a lighter colour rather. Look, for instance, at the difference in shade between the king's uniform collar and the enamelling on the badge. Clearly the eagle is not in black enamel.

Are there any statutes available for the "collar of Albania" with an official description?

Sincerely,

James

[Zaim Qyteza]

Artan

I have been looking closely at your very useful "collage" of photographs.

It looks like the eagle suspended from the collar being worn by King Zog and the badge in the illustration of the "collar of Albania" are quite different.

The illstrated eagle is much more like the black eagle of the Albanian national coat of arms. However, the eagle suspended from the King's collar is very much like the badge of the Order of Scanderbeg. The wing feathers of are all close together and upward sloping.

The enamelling of the eagle also looks to be a lighter colour rather. Look, for instance, at the difference in shade between the king's uniform collar and the enamelling on the badge. Clearly the eagle is not in black enamel.

Are there any statutes available for the "collar of Albania" with an official description?

Sincerely,

James

Dear Hoard,

The color of great eagle of the Collar is black, you must be sure for this. Klietmann on his Ordens Lexicon descript very well this decoration. Does not exist a statute for the Collar. A part of the comments that we have done for inaccurate during the period of Wied, we can apply for Zog period. See attach a photo of Zog as President in 1926, when he wear together, the neck badge of SO, the star of SO and the grand sash of SO !!! Real ridiculous.

Regards,

Artan

[James Hoard]

Dear Hoard,

The color of great eagle of the Collar is black, you must be sure for this. Klietmann on his Ordens Lexicon descript very well this decoration. Does not exist a statute for the Collar. A part of the comments that we have done for inaccurate during the period of Wied, we can apply for Zog period. See attach a photo of Zog as President in 1926, when he wear together, the neck badge of SO, the star of SO and the grand sash of SO !!! Real ridiculous.

Dear Artan,

The photograph of Zog seems to date from a period just before the creation of the other orders, when the SO may have been the only decoration. Hence, he wears neck badge, sash badge and breast star. It isn't all that rediculous. I have seen other people similarly attired from other countries.

You do not comment at all on my observations on the appearance and shape of the eagle, so I take it that you agree, yes?

From what we have seen in the various exchanges recently we can summerise as follows:

1) a statute for the Order of Sanderbeg mentions a collar for that order.

2) there are no statutes for the so-called 'Grand Collar of Albania'.

3) the only available records of a prominent recipient of the collar (King Albert of Belgium) say that he received the Collar of Honour of the Order of Scanberbeg in two different references.

4) the collar worn by King Zog includes a badge almost identical to the badge of the Order of Scanderbeg, the apparent difference being that the outline of the central medallion is in the shape of a shield not a circle.

This all sounds to me very much like we have a Collar of the Order of Scanderbeg.

There may or may not have been a Grand Collar of Albania, but that is unlikely to be the same as the collar worn by King Zog or received by King Albert. Quite possibly it fell into disuse within a very short space of time or morphed into/was superceded by the Collar of Honour of the Order of Scanberbeg.

What are the sources for the "Grand Collar of Albania" independent of Kleitmann?

Cheers,

James

[Zaim Qyteza]

QUOTE (Artan Lame @ Mar 20 2009, 23:32 ) Dear Hoard,

The color of great eagle of the Collar is black, you must be sure for this. Klietmann on his Ordens Lexicon descript very well this decoration. Does not exist a statute for the Collar. A part of the comments that we have done for inaccurate during the period of Wied, we can apply for Zog period. See attach a photo of Zog as President in 1926, when he wear together, the neck badge of SO, the star of SO and the grand sash of SO !!! Real ridiculous.

Dear Artan,

The photograph of Zog seems to date from a period just before the creation of the other orders, when the SO may have been the only decoration. Hence, he wears neck badge, sash badge and breast star. It isn't all that rediculous. I have seen other people similarly attired from other countries.

You do not comment at all on my observations on the appearance and shape of the eagle, so I take it that you agree, yes?

From what we have seen in the various exchanges recently we can summerise as follows:

1) a statute for the Order of Sanderbeg mentions a collar for that order.

2) there are no statutes for the so-called 'Grand Collar of Albania'.

3) the only available records of a prominent recipient of the collar (King Albert of Belgium) say that he received the Collar of Honour of the Order of Scanberbeg in two different references.

4) the collar worn by King Zog includes a badge almost identical to the badge of the Order of Scanderbeg, the apparent difference being that the outline of the central medallion is in the shape of a shield not a circle.

This all sounds to me very much like we have a Collar of the Order of Scanderbeg.

There may or may not have been a Grand Collar of Albania, but that is unlikely to be the same as the collar worn by King Zog or received by King Albert. Quite possibly it fell into disuse within a very short space of time or morphed into/was superceded by the Collar of Honour of the Order of Scanberbeg.

What are the sources for the "Grand Collar of Albania" independent of Kleitmann?

Cheers,

James

Dear Hoard

You said: “What are the sources for the "Grand Collar of Albania" independent of Kleitmann?”.

The Law dated 14.05.1930, said:

“Article 24

The Collar of Albania and the “Medal to my friends” is not accorded after this date”.

The Regulation dated 26.11.1930, said:

“Article 21

Order of precedence of the Albanian decorations is the follows:

1. Collar of Honor of Kingdom Of Albania.

2. Order of Courage, I.

3. Order of Courage, II.

4. Order of Courage, III.

5. Order of Fidelity, (grand cordon).

6. Order of Skanderbeg, (grand cordon).

7. Etc, etc”.

The Law dated 02.03.1939, said:

“Article 1

The article 24 of the Law dated 14.05.1930, is abrogated for the Collar of Albania”.

This is to say, that with this last law, the Collar of Albania was restored (only one month before of the occupation of Albania from Italy!!!).

Those are some official acts of the Collar of Albania.

From an Albanian Magazine dated 1938:

“His Majesty the King, has these decorations:

Collier of Albania, Order of Courage, Grand Cordon of Order of Fidelity, Grand Cordon of Order of Skanderbeg, Etc, etc”.

Regards,

Artan

[James Hoard]

It seems to me that what we have is a (Grand) Collar of (the Order of Scanderbeg) of (the Kingdom of) Albania being referred to by various implified names, not separate decorations.

Cheers,

James

[Zaim Qyteza]

Artan

I have been looking closely at your very useful "collage" of photographs.

It looks like the eagle suspended from the collar being worn by King Zog and the badge in the illustration of the "collar of Albania" are quite different.

The illstrated eagle is much more like the black eagle of the Albanian national coat of arms. However, the eagle suspended from the King's collar is very much like the badge of the Order of Scanderbeg. The wing feathers of are all close together and upward sloping.

The enamelling of the eagle also looks to be a lighter colour rather. Look, for instance, at the difference in shade between the king's uniform collar and the enamelling on the badge. Clearly the eagle is not in black enamel.

Are there any statutes available for the "collar of Albania" with an official description?

Sincerely,

James

Dear all,

Finally we have the proof that the color of the enamel of the collar of Albania is black. I received from my friend Enzo Calabresi a photo of the Eagle of the Collar. It is the piece belonged to Mussolini. It is conserved through Bank of Italy Rome.

Regards,

Artan

[922F]

Thank you Artan and Enzo for this wonderful image!!!----At least one Mussolini biography reports this award and identifies it as "The Collar of Albania". Unfortunately, I cannot remember which biography mentions this or the approximate year of award--likely 1935 when an Italian "gift" [reportedly 3 million gold francs] was provided to the Albanian state with the promise of further economic aid.

Although I doubt it, it would be interesting to learn whether King Albert's collar is actually this bejeweled 'upswept wings' type. Klietmann suggests that his was the 'splayed wings' type made by Bertrand, and given the time frame, that appears reasonable. The insignia differences suggest that the 'upswept wings' type is of completely different manufacture, quite possibly Italian [Gardino?] especially considering the treatment of the tail feathers/talons. They clearly echo of the Skenderbeg badge design of that element.

On a related note---Artan's monumental book provides a wonderful resource!!! He merits all of our cooperation and high commendation for this work . Again, thanks to you both!!

Edited May 27, 2010 by 922F

[Elmar Lang]

Hello,

following to the contribution of Artan, I would like to post a further picture (of a very bad quality!) I've obtained of the Collar of Albania to which the badge is belonging. The plunderers' work is visible because the chain is in pieces.

The jewelled eagles appears as red enamelled.

Best wishes,

Enzo (Elmar Lang)

[James Hoard]

Enzo,

Many thanks for posting this image. A wonderful reference, so don't apologise for the quality. This isn't a photo competition site!

One thing new here is that the starts within the bunches of laurel are all studded with brilliants. There is no indication in the usual published manufacturer's mock-up illustration that they are, except perhaps for the central star in the badge suspension (??). Also, although the mock-up indicates that the linking eagles are red, the shape of them is very different in your actual collar as with the actual badge posted by Artan earlier.

Taking the above into consideration I feel that the illustration is probably no more than one of several initial manufacturer's proposal illustrations pre-dating production, rather than an illustration of an actual produced collar.

I think you may also be a little harsh on the plunderers. Counting the number of eagles and laurel sprays with diamond stars in the photograph of King Zog above, I came to 18. This has 24 and thus looks like they are all there. Also, given that the diamond stars all look intact, I doubt any greedy plunderer would have left them behind. More likely that the manufacturer's chain links were not very strong and have simply come apart during rough handling.

Thanks again.

James

[Zaim Qyteza]

Thank you Artan and Enzo for this wonderful image!!!----At least one Mussolini biography reports this award and identifies it as "The Collar of Albania". Unfortunately, I cannot remember which biography mentions this or the approximate year of award--likely 1935 when an Italian "gift" [reportedly 3 million gold francs] was provided to the Albanian state with the promise of further economic aid.

Although I doubt it, it would be interesting to learn whether King Albert's collar is actually this bejeweled 'upswept wings' type. Klietmann suggests that his was the 'splayed wings' type made by Bertrand, and given the time frame, that appears reasonable. The insignia differences suggest that the 'upswept wings' type is of completely different manufacture, quite possibly Italian [Gardino?] especially considering the treatment of the tail feathers/talons. They clearly echo of the Skenderbeg badge design of that element.

On a related note---Artan's monumental book provides a wonderful resource!!! He merits all of our cooperation and high commendation for this work . Again, thanks to you both!!

I found the letter of thanks of Mussolini to King Zog, for the Collar of Albania that Zog accorded to Mussolini.The letter is dated 16.11.1928. In it Mussolini mention clearly: "Gran Collare d'Albania". With time I will try to find the original of the letter in the State Archives of Tirana.

Regards,Artan

[Zaim Qyteza]

- / -

[Elmar Lang]

This document is of the highest documentary importance in the phaleristical history of Albania (and Italy, of course!).

Thank you Artan!

Enzo (Elmar Lang)

[WRANGEL]

Great thread, very informative.

Thank you Gentlemen.

Bill

[922F]

And today, we learn of the death of Leka on November 30, 2011.

Albania mourns the passing of Leka I, the only son of its last King, Zog I. He died Wednesday morning in Tirana’s Mother Teresa Hospital, an announcement from the Royal Court said. Leka I Zogu was 72 years old.

According to the Associated Press Albanian health minister Petrit Vasili said that "his Highness passed away after repeated cardiac arrests which the medical staff made the utmost to cope with, but couldn't."

The government has proclaimed a national day of mourning for Saturday, the day of the funeral. The self proclaimed King of the Albanians is survived by his son Leka II.

[Elmar Lang]

May he rest in peace.

Elmar Lang

[Bob]

Speaking of the Order of Skanderbeg... I was visiting Militalia in Milan today and while a rather corpulent German was standing in front of what I was hoping to see closer, i flipped through the pages of an auction catalogie (also available online) - can anybody provide some clarity on what this exactly is?

http://coins-la-galerie-numismatique.com/auction-xx/albania/epire-noble-order-skanderberg

"Empire Noble Order of Skanderberg - 1st Class Set. Sash Badge, silver gilt, 70x43 mm, enameled, superimposed part silver gilt, enameled, original suspension ring. Breast Star, silver partially gilt with brilliant cut rays entirely repierced, 70 mm, central medallion silver gilt, enameled, reverse with long thin vertical pin and two side hooks. Superb old French manufacture. An extremely rare set, for the first time in a public sale! I RR!"

More pics from Militalia (specifically Albanian items) later.