Medal - King Carol's reign 25th Anniversary

Reverse

A crowned feminine personification of Romania holding a palm tree branch in right hand and heraldic shield of Romania in left hand, accompanied by a standing lion, a canon and a battle drum, all encircled by a laurel wreath with one big ribbon inscribed with a motto, three medium ribbons with the years 1877, 1881 and 1889 and five smaller ribbons with battle names of the Romanian Independence War 1877-1878.

Script: Latin

Lettering:
PLEVNA - 1889 - RAHOVA - SMARDAN - 1877 - CALAFAT - GRIVITZA - 1881
NIHIL SINE DEO

Translation:
Pleven - 1889 - Oryahovo - Inovo - 1877 - Calafat - Grivitsa - 1881
Nothing without God

Engraver: Anton Karl Rudolf Scharff

Edge

Plain

Comment

This medal designed by the Austrian engraver Anton Scharff and minted in Vienna in 1891 was meant to comemorate 25 years since Carol I became the monarch of Romania on May 10th 1866. It's part of a wider series of 5 official and 8 private medal issues dedicated to this event.

On the obverse, King Carol I (1866-1914) is represented as a Romanian general wearing several orders and decorations, among which the Order Pour le Merite, the Order of the Star of Romania, and the Order of the Golden Fleece stand out.