The Medal For Participation In The Serbo-Bulgarian War 1885 is a Bulgarian medal awarded to Bulgarian veterans of the 14–28 November 1885 war with the Kingdom of Serbia in late 1885. Due to the Prince’s forced abdication, these decorations were suspended in September 1886.
The medal was minted in two classes: Silver, for the soldiers and officers who took part in the battles with the Serbian military, and Bronze, for all military men who did not participate in the battles directly or to civilians who helped the army during this conflict.
The Medal For Participation In The Serbo-Bulgarian War 1885 Design
The medal is circular and measures 33 millimeters in diameter.
Version 1:
The obverse depicts Prince Alexander I in a semi-profile, dressed in full parade uniform. Circumscribed is a text (of which there are two variations). In Russian: “АЛЕКСАНДРЪ I ПОБѢДОНОСНЫЙ КНЯЗЬ БЪЛГАРIИ” (“Alexander I Victorious Knyaz (Prince) of Bulgaria“). In Bulgarian: “АЛЕКСАНДРЪ I. ПОБѢДОНОСНИЙ КНЯЗЪ БЪЛГАРСКИЙ” (“Alexander I Victorious Bulgarian Knyaz (Prince)“).
The reverse features the Greek goddess of victory Nike mounted upon a flying eagle. She holds a palm leaf on her left hand, and her right one is elevated and holding a laurel wreath. Along the edge of the medal is inscribed one of the following. In Russian: “ВЪ ПАМЯТЬ СЛАВНОЙ 1885 КАМПАНIИ“ and a five-pointed star. In Bulgarian: “ВЪ ПАМЯТЪ НАСЛАВНАТА ВОЙНА ВЪ 1885 ГОД“ and a decorative beaded flower of six foils. Both texts are translated as “In memory of the glorious campaign (or war) of 1885”.
Version 2:
The obverse bears the coats of arms of Bulgaria and Eastern Rumelia, conjoined together with the Hessen royal crown on top. In a circle along the edge is inscribed, in a Slavonic script: “АЛЕКСАНДРЪ I КНЯЗЬ БЪЛГАРСКИЙ” (“Alexander I Bulgarian Knyaz (Prince)“) and a six-pointed star.
The reverse has the inscription “БЛАГОДАРНОТО ОТЕЧЕСТВО НА СВОИТѢ ХРАБРИ СИНОВЕ 1885” (“The grateful fatherland to its brave sons 1885“) written on four lines and positioned within a circular laurel wreath entwined with a ribbon. Its sections bear the names of the towns or locations, where the battles of the Serbo-Bulgarian war took place (ДРАГОМАНЪ, ЦАРИБРОДЪ, ПИРОТЪ, ВИДИНЪ, СЛИВНИЦА, ГОРГУЛЯТА, БРѢЗНИКЪ).
For both versions, the ribbon consists of four purple and three white equally-sized alternating stripes.
