Miniature silver Maltese cross with stippled arms, with crossed swords between the arms, mounted on an eight-pointed rayed pale blue enamel star; the face with a circular central medallion bearing the crowned Bulgarian lion rampant within a ring inscribed ‘ЭА ХРАБРОСТЬ’ (for Bravery) and dated ‘1912’; the reverse plain with screwpost and plate; diameter overall 27.29mm (1.07 inch). The Order for Bravery was instituted on 1 January 1880 (although the date of its foundation was 29 April 1879) for those who had distinguished themselves in the War of Liberation (1877-1878) and to encourage future acts of bravery in the face of the enemy. The Soldiers’ Crosses were for other ranks. Professor Petko Pavlov points out (Bulgarian Orders and Medals, Sofia, 2002, p.12) that full-size insignia were supplied with corresponding miniatures for everyday use but that the inscriptions on the two do not always correspond and that the date ‘1912’ appears often on miniatures but never on full-size insignia. It is very rare to find the Cross mounted in this fashion.
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