Orders medals and decorations in Public Collections

[g_deploige]

Ed

Beautifull, more of this is welcom

[Ed_Haynes]

Hope to get up to Patiala this summer and get some more photos.

But Lieutenant-General H.H. Farzand-i-Khas-i-Daulat-i-Inglishia, Mansur-i-Zaman, Amir ul-Umara, Maharajadhiraja Raj Rajeshwar Yadu Vansha Vatans Bhatti Kul Bushan 108 Sri Maharaja-i-Rajgan, Maharaja Sir Bhupinder Singh Mahendra Bahadur, Maharaja of Patiala, GCSI, GCIE, GCVO, GBE, didn't just collect medals on his walls. (And he did find time to collect women too.)

[DutchBoy]

Ed,

Impressive collection in Patiala! But it's a long way to go, so I'll just have to make do with the one in Holland next month...But please post some pics if you end up going. Patiala made ome very beautiful orders.

Edited April 14, 2006 by DutchBoy

[DutchBoy]

Hi everyone,

I wrote in April that I was going to go to see the collection at Paleis Het Loo in Apeldoorn, the Netherlands. I just returned from there and I can report that it is a truly amazing collection! I have never seen so many pieces: so many rare ones and such a variety too.

I will post some pics later, but here?s a list of SOME of the things I remember seeing (forgive the rather long list, but I think it?s worth drooling over):

All the Dutch orders, including the rare orders from the short-lived Kingdom of Holland under King Louis Napoleon, the Order of Union and the Foundation Order, all classes. Also the Order of the Golden Lion of Nassau, extremely rare. Also included are all classes of the Militaire Willemsorde, including several awarded to famous people.

All the orders of Belgium, including the colonial orders. All orders of Luxembourg. What seems to me to be all the variations and classes of the French Legion d?Honneur, as well as many French ministerial orders; also the French royal orders pre-revolution.

As for British orders, the most stunning set is the full Order of the Garter set awarded to the Dutch Queen Wilhelmina. It includes the actual garter in case, the sash and badge, and the grand cross breast star; as well as the Garter collar which is such a beautiful piece no description will do it justice. Also a full set of the Order of the Bath grand cross (civil) including collar and robe. Also there are several other Bath pieces, a breast star of the Order of the Thistle, all five classes of the Order of the British Empire, and a grand cross St. Michael and St. George.

Many pieces of the Teutonic Order, including orders, robes, and presentation swords; The Order of St. john and Military Order of Malta, several types and variations.

They also have a (mostly grand cross class) collection of imperial Russian orders, imperial Ethiopian orders, and imperial Iranian/Persian orders. Some old imperial Chinese orders, including a 1st class Order of the Double Dragon in case, including large award document.

Imperial Japanese orders: Supreme Order of the Chrysanthemum grand cross to the Dutch Prince Hendrik in the 1920s or 1930s. Order of the Rising Sun 1st class in case; Sacred Treasure 1st and 2nd class in case. And a small selection of Japanese Red Cross medals.

[DutchBoy]

continued....

Scandinavia: Danish Order of the Elephant; Norwegian Order of St. Olaf collar and grand cross; Finland, several orders and medals; Sweden, the highest classes of all the Swedish orders. Iceland grand cross.

Some Italian, and many Spanish orders. Order of the Golden Fleece. Mexican Order of the Aztec Eagle grand cross, and many South American orders.

German States (sorry, I don?t know much about these): Order of the Prussian crown grand cross breast star; Prussian black eagle order 1st; a Blue Max; A grand cross of an order from I think Wurttemberg with light blue enamel and gold decoration on that enamel (please post the name of this order if you know it please!); Some orders from Bavaria, Baden, Nassau, Lippe, and several other states. Several from Hannover and Saxony.

An unusual ?hunting order? from one of the princedoms in Germany?extremely nice enamelling and it said very rare (less than a hundred).

Poland: Order of the White Eagle 1st class to Queen Wilhelmina from pre-WW2. Virtuti Militari 4th class. A group to a WW2 Polish major with the Royal Air Force, including a DFC and a Dutch DFC (vliegerkruis).

Several orders from Nepal, including one with a Collar and grand cross set in a very large tortoise-shell-shaped case?very impressive.

A collection of medals and orders to a general for the battle of Waterloo.

Communist orders: Soviet Khmelnitsky 2nd class; Hero of Socialist Labour and accompanying Lenin (serial # 361,XXX); An East German grand cross, as well as a Karl Marx order; several communist Romanian orders. What appears to be a Cuban communist order.

A pre-communist Czechoslovakian Order of the Lion 1st class; some Indonesian orders, one in a carved wooden case. Orders from several African nations, as well as the Philippines.

Can?t think of any others for now?rest assured there is more!

Matt.

[ErikMuller]

continued....

Scandinavia: Danish Order of the Elephant; Norwegian Order of St. Olaf collar and grand cross; Finland, several orders and medals; Sweden, the highest classes of all the Swedish orders. Iceland grand cross.

Some Italian, and many Spanish orders. Order of the Golden Fleece. Mexican Order of the Aztec Eagle grand cross, and many South American orders.

German States (sorry, I don?t know much about these): Order of the Prussian crown grand cross breast star; Prussian black eagle order 1st; a Blue Max; A grand cross of an order from I think Wurttemberg with light blue enamel and gold decoration on that enamel (please post the name of this order if you know it please!); Some orders from Bavaria, Baden, Nassau, Lippe, and several other states. Several from Hannover and Saxony.

An unusual ?hunting order? from one of the princedoms in Germany?extremely nice enamelling and it said very rare (less than a hundred).

Poland: Order of the White Eagle 1st class to Queen Wilhelmina from pre-WW2. Virtuti Militari 4th class. A group to a WW2 Polish major with the Royal Air Force, including a DFC and a Dutch DFC (vliegerkruis).

Several orders from Nepal, including one with a Collar and grand cross set in a very large tortoise-shell-shaped case?very impressive.

A collection of medals and orders to a general for the battle of Waterloo.

Communist orders: Soviet Khmelnitsky 2nd class; Hero of Socialist Labour and accompanying Lenin (serial # 361,XXX); An East German grand cross, as well as a Karl Marx order; several communist Romanian orders. What appears to be a Cuban communist order.

A pre-communist Czechoslovakian Order of the Lion 1st class; some Indonesian orders, one in a carved wooden case. Orders from several African nations, as well as the Philippines.

Can?t think of any others for now?rest assured there is more!

Matt.

And just think that you only saw a small part of the collection

Most of the 'interesting' groups are in depot I'm afraid

Although I must admit that a certain museum in Brussels has a lot of interesting stuff in its depots to Common Guy, dump the guns and make place for more medals

[DutchBoy]

Hi Erik,

That is indeed a shame! Tell me, do you have any knowledge of what those groups are?? It's a shame they have to hide them away where no one can see them.

Bedankt, Matthijs.

And just think that you only saw a small part of the collection

Most of the 'interesting' groups are in depot I'm afraid

Although I must admit that a certain museum in Brussels has a lot of interesting stuff in its depots to Common Guy, dump the guns and make place for more medals

[ErikMuller]

Hi Erik,

That is indeed a shame! Tell me, do you have any knowledge of what those groups are?? It's a shame they have to hide them away where no one can see them.

Bedankt, Matthijs.

There are a lot of different groups (gallantry, life saving, 'nice' groups), unofficial Dutch medals which the Museum doesn't show because they're not interesting enough to the public.

I myself collect Dutch police and life saving groups, and I know there are a number of those groups in the collection. But none is shown on display.

[DutchBoy]

Erik,

Thanks for the "behind the scenes" info! If they won't show theirs to the public, maybe I can tempt you to show your groups??

[Jacky]

Maybe I can tempt you to show your groups??

Yeah, would love that

A thread is set up soon, so.... If you please to do .....

But this story makes my mouth goes watering

Would like to go there too.... Yet not for the gardens

Thanks for the hints....

[ErikMuller]

Yeah, would love that

A thread is set up soon, so.... If you please to do .....

But this story makes my mouth goes watering

Would like to go there too.... Yet not for the gardens

Thanks for the hints....

Just let me know were you put that thread and I will see

P.S. heb je een pb'tje gestuurd

[DutchBoy]

Erik,

I think the Collector's showcase section might be the best place for them.

Thijs.

[Jacky]

Let me hear when you have posted your images in that thread!!

Kind regards

Jacky

en ja ik heb je pb'tje gezien

Edited June 23, 2006 by Jacky

[ErikMuller]

Erik,

I think the Collector's showcase section might be the best place for them.

Thijs.

See http://gmic.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=9310

[DutchBoy]

Erik,

Great groups you have there! I've never seen any of those medals, except the "vierdaagse." Great Rotterdam medal too, from my home town!

Thijs.

[ErikMuller]

Erik,

Great groups you have there! I've never seen any of those medals, except the "vierdaagse." Great Rotterdam medal too, from my home town!

Thijs.

Thanks

Dutch police medals are quite unknown in the Netherlands to and I just was lucky in obtaining some of them (or even getting them from (grand)sons of the decorated Amsterdam police officers) while I was on the force myself

[g_deploige]

Orders in Mus?e de l'arm?e in Paris

Click Here

Imperial Orders in the Castle of Fontainebleau

Click Here

Collars Fontainebleau

Click Here

Compi?gne, ch?teau orders of Napoleon III

Click Here

Mus?e de la L?gion d'honneur Paris

Click Here

Collar Order Saint Esprint (Holly Goast) France in the Museum of the Louvre in Paris

[Click Here

Edited September 15, 2006 by g_deploige

[DutchBoy]

I just returned from the Netherlands, and I visited the Museum Het Loo again. Last year I promised to post pics and never took any. This time I took some with my cell phone, so the pics are not always sharp. Nevertheless, they do show some of the amazing pieces they have there.

I got shooed away when a security guard saw me taking pictures, but returned and continued with the picture taking...

[DutchBoy]

The Legion d'Honneur display.

[DutchBoy]

Order of the Golden Lion of Nassau, joint Netherlands / Luxembourg order.

[DutchBoy]

Order of the Grand Star of Yugoslavia.

[DutchBoy]

Nassau-Dillenburg Hunting Order, Grand Master insignia.

[DutchBoy]

Collar of the Guelphic Order of Hannover, I believe.

[DutchBoy]

An Order from Nepal.

[DutchBoy]

An order from Indonesia, with its large wooden presentation box.