Belgium Fantastic collection of medals - Please help with identification.

[Thomas Symmonds]

Hello All -

A coin dealer - a numismatist, for the purists - friend of mine has just got this really great collection of medals in. I have copied his email below. Please could the members help us with identification of the individual pieces. Pierre asks me for an evaluation too, so if any one feels like offering an opinion here it would be greatly appreciated.

Pierre would probably want to sell this collection off, so if anyone is intereste dlet me know and I can put you in contact.

Thank you for your help.

They were awarded to a bookkeeper who served during the Second World War

in the Belgium army. He was later exiled. His name was Jozef (or Joseph)

Vernie from the town of Mechelen. His street address was Sint

Kathelynestraat number 70. He was born on 1 January 1891. I do not have

any military documents, but some other documents (e.g. insurance

policies etc.) of him dating to the 1920s.

I have many pictures, but here is a picture of the whole group/collection.

regards

Thomas

[Kev in Deva]

Many can be identified by using this great site for reference:-

http://users.skynet.be/hendrik/

The owner is also a member here.

Kevin in Deva. :beer:

[Thomas Symmonds]

Thank you Kevin - I know "Hendrik's Medal Corner" well. A fantastic site. (I was just lazy as to searching through it to identify the pieces)

Any guesses at a value?

Regards

Thomas

[Harvey]

Can you supply some more detailed pictures? Maybe individual photos with close-ups of the front & back.

[Gldank]

Nice group!! Just the medals alone I would not take under $500 USD if sold myself. That is my take for the value on the US market if the medals were sold individually (on the low side). With photographs of the veteran and some documentation the group may sell for around $800 USD. If you had all the brevets for the medals I would say well over $1000 USD. Of course, this is just my opinion without closer observation of each item and the documentation. I do not see anything there that jumps out as real rare but the medals are all boxed which raises the value on the group. Lets see more. Does anyone else want to take a shot at the value? How about the Belgian guys? :unsure:

[Thomas Symmonds]

Thank you James -

and just to add some flavour to the estimates, a couple of photos that I have just received ....

It seems that Jozef Vernie was Knighted by King Boudewijn of Belgium on 30 July 1957

Hopefully some more to follow.

Thank you again for your contributions.

regards

Thomas

[Thomas Symmonds]

.... and some more closer photos ...

[Thomas Symmonds]

... and more ...

.. and one more ...

[Thomas Symmonds]

...

Thanks for looking.

Thomas

[Harvey]

Ok, I'm no expert (as some others on here are), but I'll take a stab at identifying what I can:

1st Row:

1. ???

2 & 3 ??? (looks like 2nd & 3rd awards for something due to the stars on the bars)

4. ??? (possibly a grand prize for something - it seems to say "Grand Prix..." on the obverse)

5. Golden Palm (Crown Order)

6. Civil Decoration for Long Service in Administration (2nd Class)

7. Knight Order of Leopold II

2nd Row:

1. Order of Leopold II (1st Class)

2. Armed Resistance Medal

3, 4 & 5 ???

3rd Row:

1. Order of the Crown

2. Medal of Belgian Gratitude (2nd Class)

3. ???

4. Civil Decoration for Long Service in Administration (1st Class)

5. Liberation of Belgium Medal (swords = participation in the 1940 campaign)

Hope this helps.

Others, please feel free to weigh in with corrections.

Close-ups of individual medals & wording would help in further identifying them.

[Harvey]

A few corrections:

Order of the Crown = Crown Order (Knight)

Civil Decoration for Long Service in Administration (2nd Class) = Civic Cross (2nd Class)

"The ribbon is red with three vertical black stripes when the Decoration is awarded for long and distinguished service in the administration."

Civil Decoration for Long Service in Administration (1st Class) = Civic Medal (1st Class)

"For 25 years of meritorious service, with the First Class awarded to employees of higher rank."

[kapten_windu]

very nice group, please don't separate them when you sale..!

[Gldank]

Here is a shot at the ?? on Harvey's list.

1st Row

1. Work National of Old Combatants 1914-1918 1940-1945 (NWOS/ONAC)

2&3 National Deportees Federation of Belgium 1914-1918 1st Class (both medals) I have never seen these with the star bars but probably denotes number of years under deportation.

4. Medal for Outstanding Achievement in the Arts and Humanities

2nd Row

3. Medal with green and white stripes: Gratitude Medal for WWII Veterans from the city of Seraing, Belgium.

3rd Row

3.Medal of Defaulter 1940-45. For Belgian nationals who voluntarily refused obligations to work for the enemy.

Ok, I'm no expert (as some others on here are), but I'll take a stab at identifying what I can:

1st Row:

1. ???

2 & 3 ??? (looks like 2nd & 3rd awards for something due to the stars on the bars)

4. ??? (possibly a grand prize for something - it seems to say "Grand Prix..." on the obverse)

5. Golden Palm (Crown Order)

6. Civil Decoration for Long Service in Administration (2nd Class)

7. Knight Order of Leopold II

2nd Row:

1. Order of Leopold II (1st Class)

2. Armed Resistance Medal

3, 4 & 5 ???

3rd Row:

1. Order of the Crown

2. Medal of Belgian Gratitude (2nd Class)

3. ???

4. Civil Decoration for Long Service in Administration (1st Class)

5. Liberation of Belgium Medal (swords = participation in the 1940 campaign)

Hope this helps.

Others, please feel free to weigh in with corrections.

Close-ups of individual medals & wording would help in further identifying them.

[Harvey]

3rd Row, #3 is the Medal for Refused Labor.

[Harvey]

Thanks Gldank (or should I say, Senior Chief) for fleshing some of those out.

[dcollect]

the small medal with the green/white/green medal is a "gratitude medal donated by the city of seraign to the WW2 veterans"

thanks

[Thomas Symmonds]

To all, many thanks for your interest and your replies.

We have been able to identify most of the medals in the group, but are still unable to name four.

Close ups of the individual medals -

Medal 1

Medal 2

Medal 3

Medal 4

Sorry - just re-read some of the posts. thank you James -

2&3 National Deportees Federation of Belgium 1914-1918 1st Class (both medals) I have never seen these with the star bars but probably denotes number of years under deportation.

Thank you all again for the help.

regards

Thomas

Edited November 24, 2010 by Thomas Symmonds