IdentifyMedals Logo

Author: Yisela

Creator of IdentifyMedals.com

The World War I Gold Medal Commemorative

The World War I Gold Medal Commemorative Medal was instituted by the President of the Republic of Italy on the 50th Anniversary of Victory.

The World War I Gold Medal Commemorative Medal (or Medaglia-ricordo in oro della I Guerra Mondiale in Italian) was an award instituted by the President of the Republic of Italy on the 50th Anniversary of Victory.

The medal was awarded in 1968 to all veterans of World War I (or of previous conflicts) who served in arms for at least 6 months before 2.8.1920.

The World War I Gold Medal Commemorative Design

The medal is small, round, and struck in solid gold. It weighs 5 grams and has a mirror finish.

The obverse bears a small star and an “Adrian” helmet over a laurel and oak wreath. On the reverse is the inscription “50° ANNIVERSARIO DELLA VITTORIA 1918 1968” (“50th Anniversary of the Victory – 1918 1968).

The ribbon is a reduced-size one, with twelve narrow vertical stripes in green-white-red repeated four times.

The Commemorative East Balkan Expeditionary Corps Cross

The Orient Balkan Cross was an unofficial medal awarded to the expeditionary corps that fought in the Balkans from 1914 to 1919.

The Orient Balkan Cross (or Croce Commemorativa del Corpo di Spedizione dell’Oriente Balcanico in Italian) was an unofficial medal awarded to the expeditionary corps that had taken part in war operations in the Balkans (Albania and Macedonia) from 1914 to 1919, during the First World War.

The medal was advertised on nr. 8 of the Domenica del Corriere on 23 March 1924, with an announcement that specified that the first specimens would be offered in homage to the king, to generals Diaz and Cadorna and to all general officers who had had a command in Albania and Macedonia. The cross was put up for sale, equipped with a special ribbon, for the benefit of the “National Union of Veterans East Balkan”, Turin, via S. Tomaso, 6.

The Commemorative East Balkan Expeditionary Corps Cross Design

The medal was designed by the painter Adolfo Caly, and advertised in the popular magazine “Domenica del Corriere” and coined by the Fassino firm of Turin. The shape is a Greek cross and it was struck in gilded bronze. The ends of the arms are crenelated and intersected by a ribbon with eyelets and corners.

The obverse has a central medallion with golden beads and a representation of a mosque with a minaret in and orange enameled background. The arms of the cross have blue enamel and black and white borders around the cross arms.

The reverse has no enamels and bears the inscription “ORIENTE BALCANICO / 1914 = 1919 / ALBANIA = MACEDONIA”. Some versions have a trademark on the lower arm.

The ribbon has a black central stripe measuring one-third of the overall width, flanked on both sides by five narrow stripes in red-orange-blue-orange-red.

The Italian Army Commemorative Crosses 1915-1018

The Italian Army Crosses 1915-1018 were a series of crosses awarded to specific members of the Army for their participation in WW1.

The Italian Army Crosses 1915-1018 were awarded after the war to members of specific Italian Armies for their participation in the Great War. The crosses were instituted in 1924 and awarded to various Italian units.

While awarded by the army, recipients often had to purchase the medal itself. Some variations in the crosses exist, but the basic designs remained fairly consistent. The different cross designs were created by different makers and feature various designs.

The Italian Army Crosses 1915-1018 Design

The medals are shaped like a cross and measure approximately 33 mm wide by 44.5 mm high. They were struck in silver or bronze gilt. Some were decorated with enamels.

The Medal for Mothers and Widows of the Fallen

Time Period: The Great War, Second World War

Institution: 24 May 1919
Country: Italy

The Medal for Mothers and Widows of the Fallen (or Medaglia di Madri e Vedove Dei Caduti in Italian) is an Italian medal instituted on 24 May 1919 (with Royal decree no. 800 of 1919) as a token of national gratitude to Italian mothers who had lost one or more children during the First World War.

Both legitimate and natural mothers who had recognized the fallen son were entitled to the badge, but only if it was indubitable that the soldier had fallen in combat or as a result of injuries sustained in combat. It was granted by the Ministry of War or the Navy, depending on whether the fallen soldier was part of the land or sea army.

The medal was established by the Kingdom of Italy and reconfirmed by the Italian Republic for the Second World War. A similar recognition was established in 1887 for the mothers of the fallen of the Battle of Dogali. The recognition was also extended to the African Campaign, the Spanish Campaign, thje Expedition to Albania, The 1940/43 War, and WW2.

The Medal for Mothers and Widows of the Fallen Design

The medal is circular and could be cast in bronze of the guns taken from the enemy. It was designed by G. Prini and measures 32 mm in diameter.

The obverse shows an allegorical design of a woman offering a laurel wreath to a dying soldier while another woman stands in the background. The reverse is bears the inscription “IL FIGLI / CHE TI NACQVE / DAL DOLORE / TI RINASCE “O BEATA” / NELLA GLORIA / E IL VIVO EROE / “PIENA DI GRAZIA ” / E TECO” (“The son which was born out of you in pain, is reborn to you, o blessed one, full of glory and he lives as a hero. With gratitude“).

There are several variants produced by private industries. Some of these show, under the left arm of the fallen, the name of the model maker “G. PRINI – MOD.” and the name of the manufacturer: Sacchini, S. Johnson or Lorioli and Castelli.

The ribbon is dark grey, with thin green, white, and red stripes in the center and measures 37 mm wide. A ministerial circular dated March 23, 1921 established that each fallen child was represented by an equivalent number of bronze crowns on the ribbon.

The Medal for the War Volunteer 1915-1918

The Medal for the War Volunteer 1915-1918 is an Italian medal instituted in 1924 and awarded to Italian armed volunteers of the Great War.

The Medal for the War Volunteer 1915-1918 (or Medaglia di Volontario di Guerra 1915-1918 in Italian) is an Italian medal instituted on 24 May 1924 and awarded to those who entered the Italian armed volunteer forces during WW1. It was established with Royal Decree n. 1163 by the Italian government.

The medal was awarded to those who had participated in the war operations in a way worthy of commendation and who gave proof of belonging to one of the following categories:

  1. Former reformers who spontaneously enlisted as officers, non-commissioned officers or troop soldiers or of the CRE at least one month before the date of the decree that would have called them for a review visit;
  2. Soldiers who, declared unsuitable for war service due to injuries sustained in the war or due to infirmities, spontaneously returned to be part of the operating army or navy;
  3. Second and third category military personnel who had spontaneously taken up military service as officers, non-commissioned officers or militaries of the troop or the CRE at least four months before the date of the decree calling their class or category and actually were incorporated into the operating army or navy before the said recall;
  4. Spontaneously enrolled at least four months before being called to visit before the conscript councils and actually left to be incorporated into the army or navy operating before the date on which they would normally have passed the visit;
  5. Exempted by law from military service who, at least five months before November 4, 1918, spontaneously renounced the dispensation to be incorporated into the operating army or navy;

The fallen, the wounded in combat and those decorated with the military Order of Savoy or the value for war actions carried out during the voluntary service, were entitled to the medal even if the service itself had started within a time limit lower than those indicated above. With art. 4 of the Royal Decree n. 1529 of 1925 merit was also granted to maritime members who had sailed on merchant steamers without having military service obligations and who had obtained the War Merit Cross or were in the conditions to obtain it. With RD n. 2127 of 1925, the eligibility criteria were regulated in a more detailed manner and the exclusion from the granting of those who, despite possessing the qualifications, were deemed, in the opinion of the competent issuing authorities, unworthy to boast of them for having in the meantime he received criminal convictions or for serious moral reasons.

The same medal was later issued for the Second World War and for a number of colonial wars. It was abolished in 2010.

The Medal for the War Volunteer 1915-1918 Design

The medal is circular. The obverse depicts the crowned head of “Italia” and the inscription “PER L’ITALIA” (or “For Italy“). The reverse bears a naked warrior bearing a shield and a veiled woman behind him. Around the rim of the medal is the inscription “VOLONTARIO DI GVERRA MCMXV-MCMXVIII” (“War volunteer” and the dates of the war).

The WW2 version of the medal has the dates 1936-1939 in Roman figures in the obverse, and the letters A.O.I (Africa Orientale Italiana, Italian East Africa) on the reverse. Many medals had no dates inscribed on them.

The ribbon is plain red.

The 1915-1918 War Medal

The War Medal 1915-1918 is an Italian medal instituted in 1920 and awarded for participation in WW1. It replaced a previous ribbon bar.

The War Medal 1915-1918 (or Commemorative Medal for the Italo-Austrian War 1915–1918) is an Italian medal instituted on 29 July 1920 and awarded for participation in WW1 – or service during and immediately after World War I in the national territory of Italy, in the Dodecanese, in Albania, Syria, and Palestine.

The medal replaced a previous ribbon bar that had been introduced on 21 May 1916 and was awarded for one year of service in a war zone. When the medal replaced the ribbon bar, a number of new bars were attached to the ribbon according to the recipient’s service. The bars were covered in laurel leaves and could be:

  • 1915
  • 1916
  • 1917
  • 1918
  • Albania 1919
  • Albania 1920

Approximately 1,800,000 War Medal 1915-1918 medals were awarded.

The War Medal 1915-1918 Design

The medal is circular and struck in bronze.

The obverse shows the helmeted head of King Victor Emanuel II. Around the rim is the inscription “GVERRA PER L’VNITA D’ITALIA 1915 1918” (“War for the Unity of Italy“). The reverse bears the figure of an upright Victory standing on shields born by two soldiers. Around the rim is the inscription “CONIATA ‘NEL BRONZO NEMICO” (“Made from enemy bronze“).

The ribbon has alternating thin stripes of green, white, and red.

The Commemorative Medal for Rescue from Danger 1925-1933

The Commemorative Medal for Rescue from Danger 1925-1933 was instituted on 9 June 1925 for rescue from danger at the peril of rescuer’s life.

The Commemorative Medal for Rescue from Danger 1925-1933 was instituted on 9 June 1925 for rescue from danger at the peril of rescuer’s life. The medal was awarded very sparingly.

The Commemorative Medal for Rescue from Danger 1925-1933 Design

The medal is large and circular, and measures 48.72mm (1.92 inches) in diameter. Records show that it was originally manufactured in silver, however there are several examples struck in zinc alloy – perhaps manufactured at a time of material shortages and economic crisis or for collectors at the time.

The obverse has the Prussian eagle, head facing right, wings outstretched, and the inscription ‘REPUBLIK’ above and ‘PREUSSEN’ below. The reverse is inscribed ‘FÜR RETTUNG AUS GEFAHR’ (“For Rescue from Danger”) within an oak leaf border in relief.

The Military Order Of The Duchy Of Warsaw

The Military Order Of The Duchy Of Warsaw 1811-1814 is a rare award from the Duchy of Warsaw, which was officially created by Napoleon I.

  • Time Period: Pre-WW1
  • Year of Institution: 1811-1814
  • Country: Poland (Duchy of Warsaw)

The Military Order Of The Duchy Of Warsaw 1811-1814 is a military medal of the Duchy of Warsaw.

The Duchy of Warsaw, also known as Napoleonic Poland, was a Polish client state of the French Empire established by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1807, during the Napoleonic Wars. It comprised the ethnically Polish lands ceded to France by Prussia under the terms of the Treaties of Tilsit. It was the first attempt to re-establish Poland as a sovereign state after the 18th-century partitions and covered the central and south-eastern parts of present-day Poland. The duchy was held in personal union by Napoleon’s ally, Frederick Augustus I of Saxony, who became the Duke of Warsaw and remained a legitimate candidate for the Polish throne.

The duchy’s armed forces were completely under French control via its war minister, Prince Józef Poniatowski, who was also a Marshal of France. The duchy was heavily militarized, bordered as it was by Prussia, the Austrian Empire, and Russia, and it was to be a significant source for troops in various campaigns of Napoleon. The duchy’s army, initially consisting of 30,000 of regular soldiers, were to rise to over 60,000 in 1810, and by the time of Napoleon’s campaign in Russia in 1812, its army totalled almost 120,000 troops (out of a total population of some 4.3 million people).

The Military Order Of The Duchy Of Warsaw Design

The medal is struck in silver, gold and enamels. It measures 34.5 mm (wide) by 39.9 mm (high) and has an ornate suspension hand.

The Pro Memoria Medal

The Pro Memoria Medal is a Polish civil state decoration awarded by the head of the Office for War Veterans and Victims of Oppression.

The Pro Memoria Medal is a Polish civil state decoration awarded by the head of the Office for War Veterans and Victims of Oppression. It was created as a commemorative badge on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the end of World War II.

Established 25 January 2005, the medal is awarded for outstanding contributions in perpetuating the memory of the people and deeds in the struggle for Polish independence during World War II. It was replaced on September 1, 2011 by the Pro Patria Medal.

The Pro Memoria Medal Design

The medal is disc shaped struck in silver colored metal.

The obverse of the medal shows the Polish Eagle sitting on a sword crossed with barbed wire. In the background is a breached fence. On the reverse around the rim is the inscription “URZĄD DO SPRAW KOMBATANTÓW I OSÓB REPRESJONOWANYCH” (“Office for War Veterans and Victims of Oppression”). In the center is the inscription “PRO MEMORIA” over crossed oak and laurel branches, and the date: 8 MAJA 2005, the 60th anniversary of the end of World War II.

The medal is suspended from a ribbon in the colors blue, magenta, and black.

The Pro Patria Medal

The Pro Patria Medal is a Polish civil state decoration established in 2011 and awarded to War Veterans and Victims of Oppression.

The Pro Patria Medal is a civil state decoration of Poland established in 2011 and awarded by the Head of the Office for War Veterans and Victims of Oppression.

The medal is awarded by the Head of the Office for War Veterans and Victims of Oppression based upon an application with documentation from veterans and victims of oppression groups. Recommendations may also be made by departments of the Polish Government or Polish diplomatic missions and military attachés. The medal is awarded to mark special merit in strengthening and treasuring the memory of the Polish people’s fight for the independence of the Polish Republic during and following World War II.

The Pro Patria Medal Design

The medal is struck in silver metal and measures 36 mm in diameter.

The obverse depicts a crowned Polish Eagle sitting atop a saber crossed with a war scythe. The reverse bears a cross pattee above the three-line inscription PRO PATRIA 1768-1989, with a crossed laurel and oak spray below. The date 1768 represents the year of the Bar Confederation, the first rebellion to restore an independent Poland. Around the edge is the inscription “URZAD DO SPRAW KOMBATANTOW I OSOB REPRESJONOWANYCH” (“Office for War Veterans and Victims of Oppression”).

The medal hangs from a ring suspension, attached to a 38 mm crimson ribbon with a dark blue central stripe bordered by narrow white stripes. At the edges are narrow black stripes.