Badge of the Italian campaign in Greece and Albania

On Saturday I went to Militalia Novegro, as I expected there was a lot of interesting stuff but the prices were really out of the ordinary.
For goodness sake you have a chance to see the goods live and deal with traders, but I think, in these times of crisis, if not slightly lower prices for collecting military will become wealthy few.
Finally I saw that the bulk of the material shown was of German origin, at least 70%, possible that everyone will be looking exclusively Nazi objects?
Anyway I could not come home with nothing, and I found something.
I bought this pin of the Italian expedition in Greece and Albania, and a treatise on the 111th Line Infantry in the service of Napoleon for 30 €.
It was established May 13, 1942 by ministerial N ° 356 and was given to all those who had fought for at least 3 months on the front greek-Albanian-Yugoslav October 28, 1940 April 23, 1941, by regulation was brought above the ribbons on his chest left.
As for the other badges there are several variants,this is produced by Boeri Roma, was also produced by Johnson from Milan to Rome and Fratelli Lorioli from Milan.
There are versions of unmarked and some with no sign Fascist created after the war.
These last two are logically rarest and also the prices may be higher.
The phrase means the obverse: Albania to the victorious soldiers of Rome.

German dog tag of a italian prisoner of war

What today I want to tell you the story of a real stroke of luck.
Last flea market I have not found anything, I was leaving and most of the banquets was withdrawing the goods because there was bad weather.
In fact I had seen something beautiful but the prices were really crazy especially for those periods where the money is always short.
After a while in one of those boxes full of old iron I see a square metal plate with three holes. Immediately I thought of a plate of some mess, I'll take it in hand and surprise.

I notice that is a plate having the military written on the two halves mirrored with respect to the central axis that is perforated to allow the tear in case of need.
The three holes and the bill remind me of the German plates, but those usually are oval instead this is rectangular. Unfortunately I do not know German, but the writing and characters imprinted remind me the style of the second world war, so even without knowing what it is exactly, I'll take it, ask me € 10, taking her away to 5 €.


The inscriptions are engraved:

STALAG IA/EB
Nr. 14756 FZ
JT

When I got home I do a brief search on the internet and find out that the word STALAG indicates the German prison camps of World War II, where they were interned captured enemy soldiers and undisciplined German soldiers.

I find it on this site http://www.pegasusarchive.org/pow/Stalag.htm that the wording IA / EB indicates the stalag of Ebenrode Nesterov in today's Russia.
The figures are to indicate the number and FZ JT probably some internal classification of the prisoner at the camp.

At this point I start to fantasize about that story may have had this plate, maybe an Italian military or partisan captured after September 8, I will not conceal that this hypothesis is the one I like best because my grandfather was captured by the Germans and passed a bad period of imprisonment in Germany so he probably had a small plate like this, other hypothesis than a military internship some foreign army on the way back, after the war, he threw a military or Russian or German, after a period of internment, he was sent to the front line to fight against the partisans. Who knows, only time machine could reveal the history of this object, I'm happy all the same.

Medal of St. Helena

It is some time that I wanted to write a few lines on this beautiful coin.
The medal of Sainte Hélène St. Helena or to say it in Italian was instituted by Napoleon III , to reward 405,000 soldiers still alive in 1857 , who fought alongside Napoleon Bonaparte during the wars from 1792 to 1815 .
Among all the decorated 5000 also received an inheritance of 400 francs having been the most deserving .
It was decorated as well as some Italian , but they do not know the number. Surely , for example, the men of the 111th Infantry of the line all Piedmont volunteers who accompanied Napoleon in Russia , predecessors, with the same fate , the Alpine troops in World War II .

The engraving on the back reminiscent of Napoleon Bonaparte, who in his will left a substantial figure for the benefit of his soldiers :
Campaigns 1792-1815 . Amongst the companions of glory , his last thought. May 5, 1821

It is not a rare medal , if they are quite a bit less with the ribbon . One thing to note is the cross at the top that many times it is broken down enough and makes it the value.
The ribbon like all of these medals to be a bit ' faded and show the signs of aging .
As riguardai the price if you want my advice take it in France, you find it much more cheaply than in Italy.
Particular attention should be made ​​to cross at the top , many times broken or worn and hidden by the ribbon in the pictures on the web. Prices are acceptable flow around 30-40 € for a nice medal with no ribbon and 60-70 € for one that is equipped.

I would also point out this great site that lists all the names of the awarded and, if possible, a photograph or their portrait.
http://www.stehelene.org/php/accueil.php?lang=it

Commemorative badge of the WW2 Russian campaign of the Italy troops - ARMIR - CSIR

This was a purchase from the market , those who sometimes do not expect to do.
I agree with you who follow me on stories and photos.
I saw it on the counter and holds much history and suffering I did not have the heart to leave them .
is the badge that was initially awarded to members of the armed 8 ^ ( ARMIR ), then extended (1967) to all participants in the Russian campaign ( CSIR) . It was established on 05.12.1943 .
The first model, coined by Lorioli , has a diameter of 45mm , the second smallest is a brooch 15mm .
Specifically, this is a first type with the pin stuck in one of the mailorder sabers, there is another variant with the pin welded at the two signs , then vertically. Probably the attack was shifted due to the low seal welding .
It is a distinctive very expensive, the price of this type is around 60-70 € , the one with the pin in the vertical being a bit ' oldest and most rare is around 100-120 € .
There are reproductions , as for the other the first rule is distinctive details. The originals have always crisp details and very present , the replicas being obtained to calculate many times are less clear . In this case to prove the originality I also used the nose, in the true sense of the word, obviously smelling smelled of old stuff, you know when you pull something out of an old trunk Well its smell.
Using this trick you sometimes removes doubts about objects of dubious provenance .

Medal for the wars of independence and the unification of Italy

One of the latest arrivals in the collection of stories and photos.
Medal awarded to a fighter who took part in the campaign of 1849 (War of Independence) bar that displays the date that year. We are at the beginning of the events that led to the unification of Italy.
The medal object is silver, has a diameter of 32 mm, and the ribbon is of the classic Italian tricolor repeated for 6 times.
The engraver in this case was Demetrius Canzani, there are at least 20 variants, the most common are Jonshon and Stefano Ferraris, also there are traces of a variant of French private production very rare engraved by E. Falot.
It was established by the Royal Decree of 4 March 1865, and given to all the fighters who participated in the wars of independence since 1848, also served to remove a number of medals that were created by individual municipalities.
The historical data are taken from the book "The Italian medals of the last 200 years," the Brambilla.
I've also seen the same issue and medals with ribbon but not silver. For sellers these are original but I've never trusted because it is sometimes also called for a higher price than for those classics. The medal is not very rare and is commonly found around 60-70 € without bars, a little more if they are present.
They are found in many ribbons are not original, keep in mind that a ribbon for good that has been maintained, after more than 150 years a minimum you will be
discolored and worn as you can see in the picture below.