Belgium Medals of the Crown Order

[TacHel]

Something you'd think would be rather easy to find is proving to be quite difficult and I can't figure out why. Maybe some of you can shed some light on why I'm having such difficulty in finding the silver and bronze medals of the Crown Order...

I've had the gold medal for a long time... I saw a bronze medal for sale and bought it, when I received it, it was gold... Last week I saw another bronze medal for sale, I received it this morning, it's another gold one... -SIGH-

I'm on the verge of tears... Where can I find a silver medal and a bronze medal?? (BTW, I have a few Leo II gold ones to trade for them if you're interested! )

Edited March 26, 2012 by TacHel

[Jef]

Hello TacHel,

This is a manufacturer ( not the only one) who sells Silver and Bronze medals, modern issues.

http://www.mauquoy.com/nl/officiele_eretekens/kroonorde/zilveren_medaille.aspx.

I believe the silver ans bronze medals are not given frequently.

kind regards,

Jef

[Gldank]

They are fairly rare. I have been collecting Belgian medals and orders for 20 years and I only have one stirling silver medal in my collection. I got mine by luck in a small collection I purchased about 7 years ago and I was suprised when I got it. James

[Gldank]

The picture looks kind of gold in color because of the silver tarnish. It has great shinny highlights that do not appear in the picture. Click on the picture for a closer view.

Edited March 27, 2012 by Gldank

[Jef]

Sometimes I wonder if the bronze medal (on the left) in my collection really is a bronze medal?

No doubt for the silver medal. Second right is the gold medal. For comparison, first right is the gold medal I was awarded a few years ago.

Jef

[Jef]

Left rev. gold medal, right rev "bronze?" medal. I don't find any gold "traces" in the crown nor in the other deep parts.

Would like to hear your advice, please.

Jef

[TacHel]

Jef, I contacted Mauquoy a few months ago... The problem with them is they refuse to ship via the normal post, even registered insisting it is unreliable. They insist on a private company, they want 105+ EURO to ship 50 EURO's worth of medals... :mad:

[Jef]

Have you tried : http://www.fibru.com/nl.html

Jef

[TacHel]

Neg... No on-line catalog huh? Will e-mail them I guess.

Merci beaucoup! :cheers:

[Jef]

Neg... No on-line catalog huh? Will e-mail them I guess.

Merci beaucoup!

PM sent,

Jef

[dcollect]

This is a view of my lifetime collections with all differend makers of this medal , as you can see i have only a few silver ones and no bronze ones .

[Graf]

Hi,

The bronze ones have a very distinctive "mat' surface.

They are not as glossy as the gold ones

It is very easy to make a mistake by looking only the pictures Some worn gold look like bronze

You have to hold a bronze medal to see the difference

I was lucky to get two -French and Bilingual

The picture is from my not updated Order of The Crown Set The Sash is modern one and the Grand Cross is missing, I have it now with a proper Sash.

Regards

Graf

[Graf]

This is picture of Luxury Miniature of Silver Medal

[TacHel]

Graf... Wow! Beautiful collection! :jumping:

[Gldank]

My bronze crown is clearly bronze. Mine has a shiny clear coating (laqure) covering the medal.

Edited April 6, 2012 by Gldank

[Graf]

Hi TacHel,

Thank you for the comments.

Hi Gldank,

It looks Bronze.

The problem is, as I stated earlier -only the picture is not good enough.

It is a little bit a question this clear covering of your medal.l Ussually they do not have such one.

Also i can see traces of Gold, if i am not mistaken, on the middle of the crown, and also the medal looks like worn Gold to me.

However, again only from the picture it is difficult to judge.Sorry for my comment if it has offended you in any way. This is just my humble opinion from what I can see on the picture. I might be wrong. Cheer up!

I bought few Worn Gold ones which I believed that were Bronze till i got my first real Bronze. I sold all of my worn Gold Medals -offcourse as Gold

I decided to restrict myself to just to get the full Set and not to try to get different makers or Variations

I also collect the Luxury Versions of the Miniatures.

Excluding the Bronze medals, it is relatively not difficult task.

I focused my Belgium Collection on the Order of Leopold1 - it is a very unique one with all Variations and Divisions.

It is so complex Order that a lifelong time will be not enough to get all of them

Regards

Graf

[Graf]

Hi Jef,

In my opinoin, looking the picture, it appear that the Bronze is a Real one.

You are right to look the medal from all aspects.

If it is a worn Gold medal, in some shielded places it will be still trace of gold cover. No doubt about that.

Thaths how I descarded my worn Gold medals as a Bronze. I found traces of Gold

Cheer up.

Regards

Graf

[Gldank]

I am not offended what so ever. I know a worn gold medal when I see one and this is not one Click on the picture to get a closer look. James

Edited April 7, 2012 by Gldank

[Graf]

Hi James,

You are right ..only this clear cover is a pazzle I assume someone has put it to preserve the Medal

Also, the Bronze is a little bit different from the Bronze medals I have or I have had This could be because of the metal the maker has used....or perhaps different light you used

It is a very nice piece anyway

I had a hold of few Bronze medals including some of the Order of the Lion One of them (French made) you can see on the internet site of the Museum in Brussel The Bronze medal has a bigger crown than normal This is not the exact medal I had, however it is exactly the same type.

I sold them to a friend collector from Belgium, because i believed he will appriciate them more then me. I might regret later on, however it was my choice at the time.

Collecting is a funny thing You sell or swap an item then you start thinking whether you did the right thing

That is life.

Regards

Graf

[Gldank]

The lighting makes it look like gold. The medal has a more copper look to it by eye.

[Graf]

Hi James,

Yes i believe the light can make a difference.

Here are mine medals at closer view

Upper Raw -Bilingual

Lower Raw French only

Regards

Graf

[TacHel]

The light and picture quality do make a big difference... That's why I have 3 gold medals and zero bronze...

[belgoman]

hallo gents, the bronze medal is indeed not so common.

One af the reasons is that you can generally get the 2nd class Médaille du travail (labour medal) after 25 years of labour, and the 1st class after 30 years.

After 35 years you can get the gold medal of the Ordre de la Couronne... After 30 years sometimes the silver medal (generally for long service in the army).

The ministeries now even do not mention any longer the number of years of service needed for a bronze medal. So why would anyone bother for a bronze medal???

Second reason is that these decorations are generally offered by the employers for long service in their company. As they have to pay for the medals they offer, they prefer to offer them to staff that worked long in the company, let us say after 25 years at least! So no one is presenting an employee before 25 years labour...and then they ask for the 2nd class Médaille du Travail.

Third reason : I was told (but was never confirmed) that the bronze medal was more intended for labourers in Belgian Congo...and that Belgians really did not care to ask these medals for the natives... sorry.

By the way, the bronze medal exists is various bronze tints going from yellowish brass to red tinted brass...

The darker ones are generally the oldest ones...

Some have been varnished to reduce possible oxydation (as can be seen in Jame's post)

Hope this could help you all.

Regards, JP

[Gldank]

Thank you belgoman for the information provided! :jumping:

[Jef]

Neg... No on-line catalog huh? Will e-mail them I guess.

Merci beaucoup!

Hello Frank,

Another online seller:

http://www.wyffels.be/site/shop/kroonorde.html

kind regards,

Jef