virtuti

VIRTUTI MILITARI ONLINE GUIDE
Launched June 4, 2001
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Images on this page are from Auctions H.D. Rauch, used by permission. I thank them very much for their assistance. H.D. Rauch auctions items of the highest quality. Please visit their site for Medals, Stamps and Coins:

http://www.hdrauch.com/

This page is intended to assist collectors in the identification Original Virtuti Militari Orders.

This page is by no means a complete collection. It is not to be used for authentication of Virtuti Militaris. The information presented here is for educational purposes only. Please e-mail me with any information or corrections. Your input is appreciated.

I would also like to thank Prof. Dr. Wesolowski for his assistance Dr. Wesolowski has written an excellent reference book on the Order Virtuti Militari. For details click here.

He has also consented to publish here an excerpt from his book The Order of the Virtuti Militari and It's Cavaliers 1792-1992 Order Virtuti Militari I Jego Kawelerowe. Click here

Notes on the Virtuti Militari from Dr. Wesolowski:

Please be aware that the 1920-1921 produced Crosses of the 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th class were carried over into WW II and issued by the Exile Government. By the middle of 1942 all of these 5th class were exhausted, by 1944-45 the 2nd class were exhausted. There were some 3rd class originals remaining which were sold off by the Exile Government through various London Auction Houses in the 1980's.

Original government pre-War issued 5th class Virtuti Militaris were numbered (machine stamped) between 1 and 9999. Official producers included Krupski & Matulewicz, Gontarczyk, Knedler, Reising and Wabinski. The official Crosses of the 5th and 4th class #1 to 1000 made by Gontarczyk were awarded to VM recipients. Krupski & Matulewicz made the1st, 2nd and 3rd classes.

Before WW II these jewelers and others like made unofficial VMs as replacement copies in sterling silver for officers and foreigners. These are not considered original government issue Crosses. Jeweler's copies were worn as replacements. Many recipients hid their originals and wore replacements to comply with uniform regulations.

During WW II, Spink made only 1st, 4th and 5th classes. They did not make 2nd and 3rd classes as there were some of these left from 1921. Ten 1st class were ordered from Spink, but never paid for and NEVER delivered. These were sold in Spink auctions in the 1980's. Other Crosses were made in Rome and Tel-Aviv during WW II for the 2nd Corps.

Cross of Military Virtue- Krzyz Cnocie Wojskowej

Cross of Military Virtue- Cnocie Wojskowej. Instituted in 1914 and awarded to members of Pilsudski's Legion. Pilsudski did not revive the Order Virtuti Militari during WW I in order to avoid it being absorbed into the award system of another country.

Numbers in brackets denote class and figure number:
(5-3) = 5th class, figure 3.
S = Star.
ORDER OF VIRTUTI MILITARI 5th Class SILVER