Circular silver medal with laurel wreath suspension; the face with the head of King Carol I facing left and inscribed ‘CAROL I DOMN AL ROMANIEI’ (Carol I Domnitor (Prince) of Romania); the reverse inscribed ‘VIRTUTE MILITARĂ’ (Military virtue); some slight surface pitting and age discoloration; on original ribbon, the left edge frayed. The medal was created by Prince Alexandru Cuza in 1864 to be awarded to non-commissioned officers for 12 years of distinguished service. It was later instituted by King Carol I on 27 March 1872 to be awarded for acts of bravery in the field, the silver medal, as in this example, being for non-commissioned officers and other ranks. A Decree of 26 September 1916 stipulated that officers were to be awarded the Order of Michael the Brave rather than the first class of the medal and it thus became the highest ranking Romanian cross or medal through the remainder of World War I and throughout World War II until the abolition of the monarchy in 1947. A good example.
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