I want to know what medal this is?

[1812 Overture]

Collectors, do you know what medal this is? What time period. . Judging from the pattern of the box, it feels after WW2, but the medal looks like the period of the Austrian Empire, please help! Thank you

[Great Dane]

Romanian for sure... (at least that's my guess)

Edited April 11, 2020 by Great Dane

[Elmar Lang]

Hello,

this finely made medal is italian, "instituted" at the end of the 70s and "awarded" at least until 1998.

The man, whose bust is visible on the obverse, with the inscription "GIO. CARLO II", is Dr.Ing. Giancarlo Pizzi from Milan, whose ancestry goes back to the Counts of Porcia in the Friuli region of North-East Italy.

For unknown reasons, but surely with some sense of humour, he created this "Merit Medal", he used to award on the occasion of his birthday (or other occasions), to friends and other persons, whose fidelity and conspicuous merits towards him, deserved a visible sign of benevolence and gratitude.

The motto on the reverse, "AI NOSTRI FEDELI E MERITEVOLI SUDDITI", means "To our faithful and meritorious subjects".

The medal, struck in silver at the Johnson firm of Milan, was work of one of its own artists-medallists and it's really well executed; the ribbon, was provided by Messrs. Rothe & Neffe, Vienna.

It exists with two types of case: the early one, is of  typical "austrian" form, with rounded, forward side; the later one, is rectangular; all with various versions of the Austrian, or Lombardo-Venetian coat-of-arms, embossed in gold to the lid.

It came with an award document, in a dark blue cardboard folder; the earliest, printed on simili-parchment paper, the later ones, in a laser-copy version, all with the recipient's name made with "Letraset" transfer letters. The documents, bear the signature "Gio. Carlo", autographed in red ink.

It was not awarded in a great number, since one of the last documents known, from 1998, bears the number "N° 58".

I think that Dr. Pizzi passed away (if not, I apologize!), because some years ago a certain number of such medals appeared on the italian market, all within a short period of time.

Best wishes,

Enzo (E.L.)

Edited April 12, 2020 by Elmar Lang

[Great Dane]

I stand corrected... it had a 'Romanian vibe' to me. Thanks for the detailed explanation

[1812 Overture]

17 hours ago, Elmar Lang said:

Hello,

this finely made medal is italian, "instituted" at the end of the 80s and "awarded" at least until 1998.

The man, whose bust is visible on the obverse, with the inscription "GIO. CARLO II", is Dr.Ing. Giancarlo Pizzi from Milan, whose ancestry goes back to the Counts of Porcia in the Friuli region of North-East Italy.

For unknown reasons, but surely with some sense of humour, he created this "Merit Medal", he used to award on the occasion of his birthday (or other occasions), to friends and other persons, whose fidelity and conspicuous merits towards him, deserved a visible sign of benevolence and gratitude.

The motto on the reverse, "AI NOSTRI FEDELI E MERITEVOLI SUDDITI", means "To our faithful and meritorious subjects".

The medal, struck in silver at the Johnson firm of Milan, was work of one of its own artists-medallists and it's really well executed; the ribbon, was provided by Messrs. Rothe & Neffe, Vienna.

It exists with two types of case: the early one, is of  typical "austrian" form, with rounded, forward side; the later one, is rectangular; all with various versions of the Austrian, or Lombardo-Venetian coat-of-arms, embossed in gold to the lid.

It came with an award document, in a dark blue cardboard folder; the earliest, printed on simili-parchment paper, the later ones, in a laser-copy version, all with the recipient's name made with "Letraset" transfer letters. The documents, bear the signature "Gio. Carlo", autographed in red ink.

It was not awarded in a great number, since one of the last documents known, from 1998, bears the number "N° 58".

I think that Dr. Pizzi passed away (if not, I apologize!), because some years ago a certain number of such medals appeared on the italian market, all within a short period of time.

Best wishes,

Enzo (E.L.)

Thank you, respectable Mr. Enzo. You have helped me again, and I am glad to see that you are fine and you can post in the forum. I wish you a safe escape from this disaster. Happy Easter!

[Elmar Lang]

Hello,

I am glad if in this case I could have been of help in the identification of this medal.

Many years ago, I've had the opportunity to meet Dr. Pizzi: he was a fan of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and a faithful client of Messrs. Rothe & Neffe shop in Vienna.

His collection, counted a tasteful choice of interesting, original pieces.

All the best,

Enzo

[922F]

Lightening Strikes!!!

For those interested in this thread--hold onto your hats!!  A vendor seems to have gotten into Johnson's archive.

The matrix for these medals just appeared on Italian evBay staring at a mere 100 euros!  See:

sc1-34) MATRICI PER MEDAGLIA GIOVANNI CARLO II ORDINE DEL LENTASIO ANNI 1930

Numero oggetto eBay:  223995816737

I'm certain that these cost considerably more to cut than the opening offer price...