Romania, Socialist Republic. Three Orders

Includes:

1. Order of Tudor Vladimirescu, IV Class (Ordinul lui Tudor Vladimirescu) (four-piece construction, in silvered bronze with red enamels, measuring 63 mm (w) x 66.7 mm (h), horizontal pinback).

2. Order of the 23rd of August, IV Class Breast Badge (Ordinul "23 August") (three-piece construction, insignia in silvered bronze with red, yellow, white, orange, green, navy blue and light blue enamels, mounted to a silvered bronze base, measuring 43 mm (w) x 48 mm (h) inclusive of its integral ring, original ribbon, mounted to a five-sided brass suspension with pinback).

3. Order of the 23rd of August, V Class Breast Badge (Ordinul "23 August") (three-piece construction, insignia in bronze gilt with red, yellow, white, orange, green, navy blue and light blue enamels, mounted to a bronze gilt base, measuring 43 mm (w) x 48.2 mm (h) inclusive of its integral ring, original ribbon, mounted to a five-sided brass suspension with pinback).

Intact enamels, together, extremely fine.

Footnote:

1. The Order of Tudor Vladimirescu was instituted on April 13, 1966 in five classes and two medals, soon after Nicolae Ceauşescu became First Secretary of the Communist Party of Romania, to be awarded for political merit and service to the Socialist Republic of Romania. Tudor Vladimirescu (1780-1821) was a revolutionary leader who sought to overthrow the Greek Phanariot rule of the Romanian provinces subject to Ottoman overlordship. Vladimirescu had fought with Russian forces in the Russo-Turkish wars of 1806-1812, and together with his perceived progressive and nationalist outlook, made him the ideal Romanian hero for the early Ceauşescu era. Vladimirescu was executed by the Greeks at Târgovişte on June 7, 1821, ironically the same place where Ceauşescu was executed in December 1989.

2. The Order of the 23rd of August was a Romanian decoration established by decree No. 190 of the State Council of People's Republic on June 3, 1959. It was created to commemorate the events of August 23, 1944, thus the first decorated persons were the participants in King Michael I's Coup against Romanian Conducător, Marshal Ion Antonescu, and his fascist government. Subsequently, it was granted to military and civilian personnel, as well as Romanian and foreign officials.