paja Posted January 24, 2017 Posted January 24, 2017 (edited) Order of Merits for the People III was instituted on June 12, 1945 and its name was changed three times: -1945-1961 Order of Merit for the People 3rd Class (Орден заслуге за народ III реда) -1961-1973 Order of Merit for the People with Silver Star (Орден заслуге за народ са сребрном звездом) -1973-1992 Order of Merits for the People with Silver Star (Орден заслуга за народ са сребрном звездом) In the beginning it was being awarded "for merits in the struggle against enemies of the people and for strengthening and organizing people's government and the Yugoslav Army." -Law of 1955 added new criteria: "...and for merits in the fields of economic, cultural and social development of the country." -Law of 1973 replaced the words: "for strengthening and organizing people's government and the Yugoslav Army" with the following: "for merits in development of socialism and socialist self-management and for organizing and strengthening total people's defense, security and independence of the country." So this order was practically being awarded for merits in all fields. According to Stojan Rudež since July 1945 when it was awarded for the first time until December 31 1985 it was awarded 282.864 times making it by far the most awarded Yugoslav order. Next one is Order of Labor with Silver Wreath awarded 182.910 until 1986, so 100.000 times less. The number from Mr. Rudež's book can't be taken as total because Order of Merits for the People with Silver Star was also being awarded in huge quantities after 1985. There are basically two types: -Type 1 (1945-1973) golden star and silver combatant -Type 2 (1973-1992) silver star and golden combatant I presume this change was made because of the previous name change (1961) when III became "with silver star". So order named "with silver star" which in reality had golden star existed over a decade. No matter how you put it the name is problematic: -Order of the Merits for the People with Golden Star (I) golden star and base, silver combatant and rays -Order of Merits for the People with Silver Rays (II) golden combatant and base, silver star and rays -Order of Merits for the People with Silver Star (III) Type 1 (1945): golden star, silver combatant, rays and base -Order of Merits for the People with Silver Star (III) Type 2 (1973): golden combatant, silver star, rays and base So from 1973 onward both II and III had silver stars while before that I and III had golden stars. Order of Merits for the People with Silver Rays received even more inadequate name because all three classes including both types of III have silver rays. Edited January 25, 2017 by paja
paja Posted January 24, 2017 Author Posted January 24, 2017 (edited) My general classification of different variants:Type 1: -1.1 ZIN/ZNB screw variants -1.2 IKOM, screw variants + remade variants -1.3 ZIN/ZNB vertical needle Type 2: -2.1 IKOM remade variants -2.2 ZIN/ZNB vertical needle -2.3 IKOM double horizontal needle Edited January 25, 2017 by paja
paja Posted January 24, 2017 Author Posted January 24, 2017 (edited) Type 1.1.1, ZIN Belgrade Number and Roman numeral on the back side. Wider screw nut with Cyrillic inscription "ЗАВОД ЗА ИЗРАДУ НОВЧАНИЦА" (The Institute for Manufacturing Banknotes). I believe numbers range from 1 to around 20K but there are also examples with numbers between 70K and 77K. Edited January 25, 2017 by paja
paja Posted January 24, 2017 Author Posted January 24, 2017 (edited) On the earliest orders one can see three rivets the back side which are keeping the combatant in place. Examples with numbers over 2K don't have visible rivets. Edited January 24, 2017 by paja
paja Posted January 24, 2017 Author Posted January 24, 2017 (edited) Just one more 1.1.1 with number between 70K and 77K. Edited January 25, 2017 by paja
paja Posted January 24, 2017 Author Posted January 24, 2017 (edited) Type 1.1.2, ZNB Belgrade Number and Roman numeral on the back side. Narrower screw nut with inscription "Z.N.B. KOVNICA" (The Institute of National Bank - Mint). Based on what I've seen so far numbers range from 78K to 82K (?) but there are also examples with numbers between 194K and 200K. Numbers on IKOM 1.2.1 range from 20K to 77K so placing that variant in the classification before this one also makes sense. I decided to put it (1.1.2) together with 1.1.1 because they were both made in Belgrade with the screw nut practically being their only difference. Edited January 25, 2017 by paja
paja Posted January 24, 2017 Author Posted January 24, 2017 (edited) Type 1.2.1, IKOM Zagreb Number, silver hallmark (rooster in hexagon - .800 fineness) and Roman numeral on the back side. Wider screw nut with inscription "IKOM ZAGREB" (Industrial Mint Orešković Marko). Numbers range from around 20K to 70K. Some examples were not hallmarked. Edited January 25, 2017 by paja
paja Posted January 24, 2017 Author Posted January 24, 2017 (edited) Type 1.2.2, IKOM Zagreb Number, hallmarks (rooster & IKOM) and Roman numeral on the back side. Narrower screw nut with inscription "IKOM ZAGREB". Numbers range from 71K to 192K (?). Considering that there are 1.1.2 examples with numbers ranging between 78K to 82K (at least), I believe there's some overlapping. So far I've seen both 1.1.2 and 1.2.2 with 78K and 79K numbers... Incorrect inscription on the box, "Orden za zasluge za narod" instead of "Orden zasluge za narod" ("Order for Merits for the People" instead of "Order of Merits for the People"). Edited January 25, 2017 by paja
paja Posted January 24, 2017 Author Posted January 24, 2017 (edited) Type 1.2.3, IKOM Zagreb, remade by ZIN/ZNB Remade 1.2.2, number, hallmarks (rooster & IKOM) and Roman numeral on the back side. Belgrade factory replaced the screw with vertical needle without inscription. Edited January 25, 2017 by paja
paja Posted January 24, 2017 Author Posted January 24, 2017 (edited) Type 1.2.4, IKOM Zagreb, remade by IKOM Remade 1.2.2, number, hallmark (IKOM) and Roman numeral on the back side. Zagreb factory replaced the screw with double horizontal needle. Numbers range from 126K to 164K (?). Edited January 25, 2017 by paja
paja Posted January 25, 2017 Author Posted January 25, 2017 (edited) Type 1.3 ZNB Belgrade Unnumbered, Roman numeral on the back side. Vertical needle with inscription "ZNB KOVNICA". Edited January 25, 2017 by paja
paja Posted January 25, 2017 Author Posted January 25, 2017 (edited) Type 2.1.1 IKOM Zagreb, remade by ZIN Remade 1.2.2, number, hallmarks (rooster & IKOM) and Roman numeral on the back side. Belgrade factory replaced the screw with vertical needle with inscription "ZIN KOVNICA", removed the gilt from the star and gilded the combatant. Edited January 25, 2017 by paja
paja Posted January 25, 2017 Author Posted January 25, 2017 (edited) Type 2.1.2 IKOM Zagreb, remade by IKOM Remade 1.2.2, number, hallmarks (rooster & IKOM) and Roman numeral on the back side. Zagreb factory replaced the screw with double horizontal needle, removed the gilt from the star and gilded the combatant. Type 2 awarded in 1974 but the box and the document bear pre-1973 name. Edited January 25, 2017 by paja
paja Posted January 25, 2017 Author Posted January 25, 2017 (edited) Type 2.2 ZIN Belgrade Unnumbered, vertical needle with inscription "ZIN KOVNICA". Edited January 25, 2017 by paja
paja Posted January 25, 2017 Author Posted January 25, 2017 Type 2.3 IKOM Zagreb Unnumbered, double horizontal needle.
paja Posted February 6, 2017 Author Posted February 6, 2017 (edited) First raw: Type 1.1.1, ZIN Belgrade (with 3 rivets) Type 1.1.1, ZIN Belgrade Type 1.1.2, ZNB Belgrade Second raw: Type 1.2.1, IKOM Zagreb Type 1.2.2, IKOM Zagreb Type 1.2.3, IKOM Zagreb, remade by ZIN/ZNB Third raw: Type 1.2.4, IKOM Zagreb, remade by IKOM Type 1.3 ZNB Belgrade Type 2.1.1 IKOM Zagreb, remade by ZIN Fourth raw: Type 2.1.2 IKOM Zagreb, remade by IKOM Type 2.2 ZIN Belgrade Type 2.3 IKOM Zagreb Edited February 6, 2017 by paja
paja Posted February 6, 2017 Author Posted February 6, 2017 (edited) I class, IKOM Zagreb, converted by ZIN Belgrade Remade 1.2.2, number, hallmarks (rooster & IKOM) and Roman numeral III on the back side. Belgrade factory converted it into I class and replaced the screw with vertical needle with inscription "ZIN KOVNICA". Edited February 6, 2017 by paja
paja Posted February 10, 2017 Author Posted February 10, 2017 Ribbon bars, earlier vs. newer, obvious difference in size.
BalkanCollector Posted July 19, 2017 Posted July 19, 2017 (edited) I've acquired the 2nd class (silver rays to be more precise) of this order recently so I've decided to share some photos. I already posted my great-grandpa's 3rd class somewhere but here's some more detailed photos. Paja I've noticed that your IKOM piece (93,268) has a close number to my great-grandpa's (93,633). Also have this box for the 3rd class with a number written on the bottom (87,436). Edited July 19, 2017 by BalkanCollector
paja Posted July 24, 2017 Author Posted July 24, 2017 Very nice, thanks for sharing! Do you perhaps know which year was your great-grandpa awarded with Merits for the People?
BalkanCollector Posted July 24, 2017 Posted July 24, 2017 Thank you! Unfortunately I don't. I guess he threw the document away or lost it over the years.
paja Posted July 24, 2017 Author Posted July 24, 2017 You can search the Official Gazette here. If you wish I can check if something can be dug up, just send me PM with name
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