Circular silver medal with integral oval laurel wreath suspension with laterally-pierced spherical eyelet for ribbon suspension; the face with a detailed trophy of arms of captured Turkish cannon, standards, rifles, drums and shot circumscribed ‘ЗА Ю НАЧКУ ПОБѢДУ ОДРЖАНУ НАДЪ ТУРЦЬІМА’ (For the heroic victory gained over the Turks); the reverse inscribed ‘ГРАХОВАЦЪ 1 МАЯ 1858’ (Grahovač, 1 May 1858), a radiant Latin cross above, within a wreath of oak and laurel, circumscribed ‘ДАНІИЛО I КНЯЗЪ ЦРНОГОРСКІИ’ (Danilo I, Prince of Montenegro); age-toned; on an old ribbon, presumed incorrect (see below). The medal was instituted in 1858 for acts of bravery at the Battle of Grahovač and awarded in 1859. For nearly 500 years, Ottoman Turkey had sought to control Montenegro but the mountainous terrain and the bravery of the Montenegrins ensured that they never quite succeeded. As Ottoman power declined in the 19th Century and national aspirations awoke in the Balkans, Turkey’s grip weakened. Grahovač was the crucial battle in which Montenegro effectively won its independence when a force of some 7,500 Montenegrins under Mirko Petrović Njegoš, brother of the ruling Prince Danilo, won a decisive victory over a numerically superior Turkish force and captured a significant quantity of arms – displayed proudly in detail on this medal. As a result, Montenegro’s independence was internationally recognised and its frontiers with Turkey defined, Montenegro gaining significant territory, including Grahovač itself. This example was in the collection of J. Coolidge Hills, Hartford, Connecticut, U.S.A. before 1913; in the collection of the Wadsworth Atheneum, Hartford, Connecticut, U.S.A. 1913-1967; in the collection of the American Numismatic Society 1967-2006. Interestingly, both examples from the collection of the ANS have the same ribbon; published sources state that the original ribbon was either red, blue and white equal vertical stripes or white with a narrow red vertical stripe near each edge. The fact that both ANS examples have this red and black ribbon suggests this may have been a third variant. Alternatively, since these are the national colours of neighbouring Albania, these examples may have been awarded to Albanians or have come to the ANS via Albania. An excellent example of a very rare medal with an impeccable provenance.
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