Igor Ostapenko Posted December 13, 2021 Share Posted December 13, 2021 The Order of St. Alexander was established by Prince Alexander of Battenberg at the end of 1881. As in the Russian Empire, the stars of the first and second classes did not differ in size. The class of the order depended on the location of the cross. It can be assumed that the project of the order has already been approved ( in 1881 ) and the insignia of the order have been ordered and were made by Ivan Osipov in St. Petersburg. We know these stars - size 77-78 mm But all these stars have “double mark with serif” ( двойное клеймо с засечками ) . This silvermarks was in use from February 1882 y. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Igor Ostapenko Posted December 13, 2021 Author Share Posted December 13, 2021 In book of prof. Pavlov we can see bad pictures of order belonging to Bulgarian Exsarch Iosif I , with document from 19.2.1882. Number of document is 19. Vary bad picture of reverse, but silermark - double without serif ( before February 1882 ) This is 1st variation of star of St. Alexander order . I call this variant- small laurel branches I have few pictures of this order from exhibition in Bulgarian Archives in 2005 ( of course only averse ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Igor Ostapenko Posted December 13, 2021 Author Share Posted December 13, 2021 Exsarch Iosif I with awards Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Igor Ostapenko Posted December 13, 2021 Author Share Posted December 13, 2021 With star 1st variation “small laurel’s branches” come cross from gold 14K ( russian 56 ) , marks for gold - “double without serif” too , before February 1882 picture of order of Exsarch Iosif from Pavlov’s book Some cross with lost crown sold few years ago Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Igor Ostapenko Posted December 13, 2021 Author Share Posted December 13, 2021 Medalions of stars 1st and 2nd variations , “small laurels branches” vs. “big laurels branches” Star 2nd variation - “big laurels branches” come with gilded silver cross with russian 84 , with “double mark with serif” Peter, thank you for pictures !!!! ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Igor Ostapenko Posted December 13, 2021 Author Share Posted December 13, 2021 Prinz Heinrich Moritz von Battenberg from Hesse-Darmstadt ( Prince Henry Maurice of Battenberg ) , brother of bulgarian Prince Alexander of Battenberg with star of Order St. Alexander 1st type 1st variation - “small laurels branches” July 1885, wedding with Princess Beatrice of the United Kingdom ( fifth daughter and youngest child of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert ) Grand Duke of Hesse Ludwig IV with order “small laurels branches” Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Igor Ostapenko Posted December 13, 2021 Author Share Posted December 13, 2021 Prince of Bulgaria Alexander Battenberg with star of order St. Alexander “small laurels branches” Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graf Posted December 13, 2021 Share Posted December 13, 2021 (edited) Hi Igor, You have done a superb research. The Cross is really silver gilded with Gold central medallions You can see the marks on the reverse of the crowns arms The size is 55 mm wide. Comparing with the next Prince Ferdinand Model of the 1st Class Cross It is slimmer, however the width and the height are the same -55 mm Edited December 13, 2021 by Graf 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graf Posted December 13, 2021 Share Posted December 13, 2021 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Igor Ostapenko Posted December 14, 2021 Author Share Posted December 14, 2021 Stars “small laurels branches” with gold crosses, first pattern from 1881 year come in black boxes Stars “big laurels branches” with gilded silver crosses was in red boxes 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Igor Ostapenko Posted December 14, 2021 Author Share Posted December 14, 2021 star “small laurels branches” with attached later hessian swords, belonging to Prince Alexander, in museum Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Igor Ostapenko Posted December 14, 2021 Author Share Posted December 14, 2021 Order of St. Alexander in museum Koburg ( cross only ) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Igor Ostapenko Posted December 14, 2021 Author Share Posted December 14, 2021 from 1881 to 1886 yy - 195 stars awarded . ( 7 with swords ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graf Posted December 14, 2021 Share Posted December 14, 2021 I am amazed the numbers of foreigners awarded compared to the Bulgarians ,especially 1st Class Sets. Hi Igor, Nice find of the Group photo of the awards in the Koburg Museum 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Igor Ostapenko Posted December 15, 2021 Author Share Posted December 15, 2021 (edited) Prince Ferdinand with order St. Alexander first class ( “big laurels branches” ) with swords Edited December 15, 2021 by Igor Ostapenko Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Igor Ostapenko Posted December 15, 2021 Author Share Posted December 15, 2021 On 14/12/2021 at 10:43, Igor Ostapenko said: star “small laurels branches” with attached later hessian swords, belonging to Prince Alexander, in museum Another Gold Cross with swords, from chain, belonging Prince Alexander Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graf Posted December 15, 2021 Share Posted December 15, 2021 Hi Igor, That is another nice find. Is any way we can ask the Museum in Sofia to measure those Stars The Prince Ferdinand Star looks bigger size I can assume that the Stars for the Monarchs Prince Alexander Collar looks spectacular BTW It is interesting that on the table listed in one of the earliest post it shows that the Collar was not awarded I assume that as Monarchs Prince Alexander and Prince Ferdinand automatically were classified for them without the need to bet recorded in the lists Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Igor Ostapenko Posted December 16, 2021 Author Share Posted December 16, 2021 (edited) Hi Peter , I have contacted this museum with some questions and have not received any answer The Order of St. Alexander in the photograph of Prince Ferdinand looks the same size as the Russian orders. Russian orders of this type were 78-82 mm in size. Officially, the chain appeared in the statute only in 1888. see nr. 19 §§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§ most likely, the chain of gold, the cross of the order with swords and swords on the star were made before the abdication of the Prince Edited December 16, 2021 by Igor Ostapenko Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Igor Ostapenko Posted December 16, 2021 Author Share Posted December 16, 2021 bulgarian text from 1889 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graf Posted December 16, 2021 Share Posted December 16, 2021 Igor, That is a great work I am amazed how you can get all those Documents It is obvious that your passion is the early Prince Alexander period and you focused your efforts on this period BTW You managed to restore and clean this Star very well Cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Igor Ostapenko Posted December 16, 2021 Author Share Posted December 16, 2021 Peter, restoration of the star was not required, it was covered with an old varnish, I removed it with acetone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Igor Ostapenko Posted December 16, 2021 Author Share Posted December 16, 2021 6 hours ago, Graf said: Igor, That is a great work I am amazed how you can get all those Documents It is obvious that your passion is the early Prince Alexander period and you focused your efforts on this period BTW You managed to restore and clean this Star very well Cheers Statute 1889 y. from https://ilib.libsofia.bg/bg/lister.php?iid=DO-L10038126&page=1 Statute 1888 I take from Brazil ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Igor Ostapenko Posted December 16, 2021 Author Share Posted December 16, 2021 About museum in Sofia. We can this star ( “big laurels branches” ) with swords in museum but this star in awards group of general Genev, with neck cross of Scheid production on the photo of general Genev we can see star from Scheid too could it be a star from a photograph of Prince Ferdinand ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graf Posted December 16, 2021 Share Posted December 16, 2021 Hi Igor, Nice Awarding Document Congrats That was much easier job then i expected. On the eMedals Auction the Star looked in a worse condition Well sometimes the pictures can give you a wrong impression You got it on bargain price. He still is trying to sell the other Star for $7500 Congrats The Star of General Genev is not from King Ferdinand photo It is later model Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Igor Ostapenko Posted December 17, 2021 Author Share Posted December 17, 2021 (edited) Hi Peter, Star in museum exposition is not Scheid production ( as on photo of general ) , it’s Osipov’s production “big laurels branches” with added letter hessian swords Edited December 17, 2021 by Igor Ostapenko Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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