The Medal For The Accession Of Knjaz Ferdinand I

• Time Period: Pre-WW1
• Year of Institution: 1887
• Country: Bulgaria

The Medal For The Accession Of Knjaz Ferdinand I is the first decoration that newly elected Prince Ferdinand I implemented, and he did so in order to commemorate his accession to the Throne. Around 2000 awards of this type were given to low ranking clerks, local mayors, senior officers, archbishops, ministers, generals, and foreign nationals.

The designs on the reverse of the medal indicate the background of the new Monarch: The Saxon shield for his dynastical past, and the Maltese cross with lilies as an allusion to His French royal bloodline. The colors of the ribbon reference the Saxe-Coburg-Gotha duchy.

The Medal For The Accession Of Knjaz Ferdinand I Design

The medal is a maltese cross with beaded points, circular center and fleurs-de-lis in between the arms, and measures 42 millimeters in diameter. It manufactured by C. F. Rothe in Vienna.

The obverse of the first class depicts a circle enameled in red, with the royal cipher of Prince Ferdinand I in white with a gilded crown. Inscribed on the green enameled outer ring is “БОЖИЯ И НАРОДНА ВОЛЯ” (“By the will of God and nation“). The second class doesn’t have any enamel on the central medallion, and the third class is silvered instead of gilded.

The reverse has a circular central medallion, enameled in black and golden horizontal stripes (the Saxon coat of arms) with an inscription on the outer ring enameled in green: “25 ЮЛIЙ 2 АВГУСТЪ 1887” (“25th July 2nd August 1887“). 2nd class is gilded and 3rd is silvered.

The ribbon consists of three light-green and two white alternating stripes, triangular when awarded to men and bow-shaped when presented to ladies.