Circular zinc medal with fixed hollow crown suspension; the face with the head and shoulders portrait of the crowned King Zvonimir facing left, inscribed ‘DMITAR ZVONIMIR 1076’; the reverse with the arms of the Independent State of Croatia encircled by the inscription ‘ZA ZASLUGE’ (for merit) and dated ‘1941’; on replaced ribbon; with what we are told is the original envelope of issue (the envelope is not marked and we have no way of knowing if it is original or even relevant but it appears to be of the right age and appearance). The order was created in 1941 ‘to serve as a visible sign of decoration for merit in peace or wartime in the service of the Croatian nation and the Independent State of Croatia’. It could be awarded to foreign nationals and, in the event, Germans were the largest group of such recipients. It was awarded until May 1945. The composition of the medal changed from iron to iron-coated zinc as material shortages developed. The Independent State of Croatia (Nezavisna Država Hrvatsk - NDH) was established in April 1941 following the invasion of Yugoslavia by German and Italian forces. Whilst it met the aspirations of many Croats for independence from what they regarded as a Serb-dominated Yugoslavia, the regime of the Ustaše, led by Ante Pavelic, was fascist, pro-German and undoubtedly committed many anti-Serb excesses. Dmitar Zvonimir reigned as King of Croatia from 1075 to 1089. The medal is now rare.
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