Romania - Kingdom of: Order of the Crown of Romania, 5th Class Knight Grade, 2nd Type 1938-1947 Military Division with Crossed Swords for Wartime Merit, silvered alloy, gilt and enamels, unmarked. Complete with the original Military Division post-December 1938 ribbon, this affixed to wearing brooch pin. This probably manufactured circa 1944. Scarce.
Condition: enamel work good, overall Good Very Fine.
The Order was instituted on 10 May 1881 to be awarded for meritorious service to the newly-declared Romanian kingdom. The significance of the years is as follows: In April 1866 Carol I was asked to become Domnitor of the Principality of Romania under Ottoman suzerainty and he arrived in Bucharest, welcomed by a huge crowd, on 10 May. The Romanian Principality declared its independence from Ottoman rule on 21 May 1877. Romania proclaimed itself a kingdom on 14 March 1881. In 1932, the order was redesigned in all classes. In the center, the crown was replaced by the initial of Carol I., while between the cross arms, there were now four crowns.
From February 1937, it was decided that - in case of war - the order could be awarded in a version with crossed swords for war time merits. In 1938, a version for members of the military was created, featuring an additional crown between the cross and the ribbon. From December 1938, it was decided that in war time, the order would be awarded with crossed swords and a ribbon featuring two additional golden bars on both sides. From June 1941, the order could also be awarded on a "ribbon for military bravery" in all grades. That ribbon was red with two blue stripes on the sides.
