2006Romania’s Orders - Sheetlets

Romfilatelia, the company specialized in issuing and trading Romanian postage stamps, introduces into circulation the philatelic issue Romania’s Orders.

Soon after the Unification of the Romanian Princedoms of 1859, the ruler Alexandru Ioan Cuza was concerned about the idea of instituting orders and medals to be conferred to persons for services provided for the benefit of the country. The first project for the setting up of the “Golden Wheat Ear”, inspired by the French “Legion of Honor”, due to the internal political events, could not be subjected to vote. Then followed the institution of the “Pro Virtute Militari” medal for the survivors of the battle on Dealul Spirii (September 1848), a medal that Cuza would no longer award in order not to disturb Turkey. Five years after the Unification, he wanted to institute a national order to be awarded on this anniversary and which was called the “Order of Unification”. Its insignia were ordered at a jewelry house of Paris. Unfortunately, the house could not honor the order by the anniversary date, and meanwhile the chancelleries of Vienna and Istanbul found out about the intention of the Romanian ruler, arousing a true diplomatic scandal. In 1864, Cuza minted two more medals: “Military Virtue” and “Devotion and Courage”.