Denmark Has anybody seen this medal for bravery?

[Great Dane]

I posted this inquiry in the Russia section, but came up with nothing. I'm repeating it here to see if I have more luck (and it does involve more than one country )

I'm researching a Danish medal given to an Imperial Russian regiment.

The Danish King Christian IX (1863-1906) was an honourary colonel in the Russian dragoon regiment 'Seversk' (probably due to his family relation with the Czar's wife). In 1879 he awarded a medal for bravery to the regiment for it's participation in the Russian-Turkish war 1877-78.

The medal was only awarded on this one occasion. It was awarded in gold for officers and in silver for others.

It is a small medal - 22.5mm (7/8 inch). The obverse shows the King's uncrowned head surrounded by the text "Christian IX Konge af Danmark" and the reverse the text "For tapperhed" (for bravery) inside a wreath of laurel leaves. The gold medal is worn from a white ribbon with thin red edges - the silver medal is worn from a red ribbon with a white middle stripe and a white horizontal stripe (see picture below).

My problem is that the only picture of this medal I know of, is of a specimen for the Mint cabinet which is without the ribbon and the suspension. So what did the suspension look like?

And who were the receipients?

Does anybody of you have pictures of this medal or of soldiers wearing the medal etc.?

Or perhaps you even have this medal in your collection?

Any help on this matter is highly appreciated.

I have tried to illustrate the ribbon (the picture of the medal is the specimen for the Mint)

/Mike

[Egorka]

Hello.

Probably too late for an answer, no?

You mentioned 17th Severskij H.M. Danish King Christian IX dragoon regiment of the Imperial Russian army (from 1882 - 45th, from 1907 - 18th), was one of the two most decorated regiments in Imperial Russian army. Founded in 1856.

Christian IX was regiment's Parton in the period from 29may1865 to 20jan1906, and the regiment's name was amended with his name. It likely was a piece in the puzzle of marital alliance between Russian and Danish Royal houses. Danish Princess Dagmar's Russian fiancé died unexpectedly on 22apr1865, but the Russian Tzar wished to proceed with marital alliance. So this was probably the reason.

About the medal, I will try to search the Russian sources. 

Edited August 20, 2016 by Egorka

[Great Dane]

Never too late for an answer. Any input is appreciated 

I have looked closely at every photo of Russian soldiers that have passed my way, but I have never seen anybody wear this medal.

Especially the ribbon with the cross should at least be recognizable... but nothing...

/Michael

[Egorka]

OK. Not exactly quite what you asked for, I guess. But still relevant.

There is a short paragraph in the regimental history about the medal. It was awarded on 11-Nov-1879 (old style calendar). I could not find the list of awardees, but at least one is mentioned personally - Wachtmeister Nikolaj Shevelev - who received one of the ten gold medals for bravery. I could not find any photos of Shevelev, but there is a drawing of him. Can't really distinguish the Danish medal though...

Since regiments comander Colonel MEdvedovskij is depicted with his Danebrog crosses, I assume the Shevelevs portrait also should include the Danish medal.

By the way, though it is true that the specimen from the Mint collection is without suspension, The Orders and Medals Society of Denmark (OMSD) has an image of it with the suspension ring, but without a ribbon attachment.

 

[Great Dane]

Wow, that's much more information than I was able to dig up - I couldn't find any names. Not speaking Russian is a bit of an obstacle too...

Thanks very much for this update. Much appreciated and a starting point for further digging for me.

I know about the medal on the OMSD website. It's actually mine 

/Michael

[Egorka]

Yours! Wow! It is either the world is too small or your collection is too big. I just started collecting medals this year and the most rear piece I have is the Danish double medal for the Slesvig wars.

Back to the topic. Shevelev had 4 St. George crosses, i.e. full bar, awarded between 1877-1878. Plus he had Danebrog hederstegn in silver (received personally from Christian IX on 03 January 1879) and the gold medal.

Note that on the drawing he has 4 crosses. These must be the St. George crosses. So this means, he is depicted without the Danebrog Silver badge. I don't know which medals he had (3 on the portrait). But with this logic the Danish golden medal is not one of them...

Maybe the low ranks did not have right to bear foreign awards without permission? I don't know.

Edited August 24, 2016 by Egorka

[Great Dane]

Let me just say that it's getting harder and more expensive to find pieces for my collection

If I remember correctly, gold versions were given to officers and silver versions to lower ranks, but the Dannebrog (in various classes) was given to the highest ranking officers instead of the medal.

/Michael

[Egorka]

Not quite.

On 11-Nov-1879 the awards were: 3 Danebrog to Stab-Offiers and 4 to Uber-Officers. 10 gold medals on Danebrog ribbon and 40 silver ones on red-white (flag) ribbon for Unter-Officers and private ranks.

The regiment history does not mention the classes of Danebrog orders awarded. Except for the awards Christian IX made personally on 03/Jan (one 1 class, one 2 class, and one silver). But I think L.Stevnsborg mention them in his book.

[Great Dane]

Right. Thanks for the clarification.

You mention the regiment's history - is that available online?

[Egorka]

Yes, here: http://www.prlib.ru/Lib/pages/item.aspx?itemid=139693

You have to click on "Просмотреть" ("See") at the end of the description.

[Great Dane]

Great, thanks!

/Michael