Vol. 63, No. 2 (March-April 2012) 11 · 2016-01-22 · Vol. 63, No. 2 (March-April 2012) 13 a small decoration, probably because it was only 31 x 65mm, was worn on a triangularly

Vol. 63, No. 2 (March-April 2012) 11

Figure 16: Obverse of the silver Signum Laudis Medal for Courage (for life saving).

Besides the above three classes, there was a special class, known as the Medal of Courage (Bátorsági Érem), conferred for lifesaving (Figures 16 and 17). The medal itself is identical to the silver medal, but worn on a ribbon of four alternate-stripes of white and red. These are the colors of the Arpad Dynasty that ruled Hungary from 889 to 1301. A subsequent award would traditionally be denoted by a silver bar on the ribbon. It seems, however, that no repeated award ever occured. From 1923 to 1944 about 140 awards were recorded.

Figure 17: Reverse of the silver Signum Laudis Medal for Courage (for life saving).

In the order of precedence, the Large Gold Medal of Merit followed the Large Gold Signum Laudis of the

Austro-Hungarian Empire, while the silver medal took precedence after the bronze imperial Signum Laudis. The Medal of Courage, although silver, was worn after the bronze Hungarian Signum Laudis.

Figure 18: Reverse of the Medal for Full Merit, 1929 type.

In 1929 the form of the Large Gold Medal substantially changed. It was no longer circular, but oval, and was worn as a neck decoration with a green enameled surrounding laurel wreath, separated from the medallion obverse and reverse by a narrow, white enameled ring. The St. Stephen’s crown was attached through a v-shaped device to a rectangular eye of the medal. The civilian division was referred to as the Medal for Full Merit (Teljes Elismerés Érem) (Figure 18), while the military version, as the Medal for Distinguished Merit (Különös Dicsérő Elismerés Érem) (Figure 19). The insignia of the latter had crossed swords under the crown. The dimensions were 38-39mm x 83-86mm. Unlike the original Large Medal, the new medals were made of gold. The medal ribbon was a 40mm-wide ribbon, red with 4mm wide stripes, 1mm from the edges, similar for both the military and civilian divisions.

As before, until 1929 the Large Gold Medal could be conferred up to three times. The manner of denoting subsequent awards was one of the most interesting inventions in the history of the Hungarian award system. The second conferment was denoted by an

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Figure 19: Obverse of the Medal for Distinguished Merit on war ribbon,

1929 type.

enameled shield of the Arpads, of eight red and white, alternating, horizontal stripes attached to the suspension ring. If awarded for the third time, the same shield was surrounded by a green laurel wreath (Figure 20). The medal was never awarded three times to the same individual, and only twice to ten recipients during the entire period of its existence.

Figure 20: The unissued Large Gold Medal with Crown with the Arpad shield and laurel wreath indicating a third award. The medal indicating a second award had a similar shield, but without the laurel wreath (Makai 1990).

In 1929 the Hungarian Cross of Merit was supplemented by another Austro-Hungarian innovation known as a “small decoration” (kisjelvény or kisdiszitmény), which was a 4th Class cross with a miniature of a higher class on the ribbon, to be worn instead of the full insignia. In the case of the classes accompanied by a star, a miniature of the appropriate star was worn; in the other classes (2nd Class without star and 3rd Class), a miniature of the cross itself (18mm and 15mm respectively) was worn (Figure 21). The ribbon of the small decoration to the Grand Cross had narrow white and red edges. It is much less known that the Large Gold Hungarian Medal with Crown also was introduced as late as 1943. The medal in reduced size,

Figure 22: Small decoration of the 1929 type Large Gold Medal with Crown with swords and war ribbon) worn in

1943-1944.

Figure 21: Small decorations for the Cross 1st Class (left) and the Commander Cross of the Hungarian Order of Merit (center), and for the Cross of Merit, 3rd Class (right).

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a small decoration, probably because it was only31 x 65mm, was worn on a triangularly folded ribbon, together with the other ribbon decorations (Figure 22).

On June 15, 1930 the Regent instituted a special class of the Medal with Crown, under a monstrously long name of the Hungarian Bronze Medal with Crown with a Miniature of the Lacking War Award on the Ribbon (Magyar Koronás Bronzérem szalagján az elmaradt háborús kitüntetés kisebbített alakjával) (Figure 23).

Figure 23: The Signum Laudis medal in bronze with a miniature of the lacking war award on the ribbon (here with the miniature of the Austro-Hungarian bronze Signum Laudis).

Near the end of World War I many Hungarian military personnel had been awarded Austro-Hungarian decorations, which they never received because of the end of the monarchy. This included such Austro-Hungarian awards as the Order of the Iron Crown, the Cross of Military Merit or the Signum Laudis. As Admiral Horthy did not feel entitled to confer these awards, a bronze Hungarian Medal with Crown with a miniature of the appropriate decoration on the ribbon could be worn instead. If somebody was entitled to more than one award, only the most senior was worn. If a recipient had another bronze Hungarian Signum Laudis, both medals were worn. After this amendment, silver and bronze Signum Laudis medals were worn in the following order:

1. Silver Austro-Hungarian Signum Laudis on the war ribbon.

2. Bronze Austro-Hungarian Signum Laudis on the war ribbon.

3. Bronze Hungarian Signum Laudis with a miniature of the lacking war award.

4. Silver Hungarian Signum Laudis (military or civilian).

5. Bronze Hungarian Signum Laudis (military or civilian).

6. Silver Austro-Hungarian Signum Laudis on the peacetime ribbon.

7. Bronze Austro-Hungarian Signum Laudis on the peacetime ribbon.

8. Hungarian Signum Laudis Medal of Courage (life saving medal).

As in other countries, ribbon bars (grouped four per row) were worn on the undress uniform. Hungary did not accept the French-originated manner of denoting higher classes of orders with rosettes and gold and silver laces. Miniatures of stars, badges or medals, similar to those pinned to the ribbons of small decorations, were used instead (Figure 24). Ribbons in the last row were aligned to the left; an unusual feature was that the ribbons for foreign decorations always began with a new row; even if there was a blank space in the previous row.

Besides small decorations and ribbon bars, miniatures of orders and medals could be worn on civilian attire. These fell into two groups: (1) miniatures for Hungarian citizens, about half the size of full insignia, suspended from narrower ribbons folded in the triangular manner. A characteristic of these was that higher classes had miniatures of the star suspended from the ribbon rather than the badge (Figure 25). (2) Foreigners preferred more standard miniatures with straight ribbons, which were easier to fit with miniatures of other countries’ decorations. Upper classes were denoted traditionally by rosettes and gold and silver laces (Figure 26).

Figure 24: An Hungarian post-1939 ribbon bar with 12 ribbons: Officer Cross of the Order of Merit with swords and war decoration; Knight Cross of the Order of Merit with swords and war ribbon; Knight Cross of the Order of Merit (peacetime); Bronze Hungarian Signum Laudis with a miniature of Austro-Hungarian Cross of Military Merit with swords and war decoration; Bronze Hungarian Signum Laudis Medal on military ribbon; Austro-Hungarian Medal for Bravery in silver; Fire Cross with bar for being wounded; Charles Troops Cross; Hungarian Commemorative Medal for World War I; Officer Long Service Cross; Austro-Hungarian Marianer Cross; War Commemorative Medal of the Austrian Republic with swords (www.erdemrendek-kituntetesek.hu).