Milos Obilic was a Serbian knight who, legend has it, was captured by the Ottoman Turks at the end of the Battle of Kosovo in 1389. Presented as a prisoner of war to Sultan Murad I, Obilic produced a hitherto-hidden dagger and stabbed and killed the Sultan, an act for which Obilic was beheaded. There is a Serbian proverb that states that the glory of ancestors should not prevent a man from winning glory for himself, and in Obilic there would be perceived an example to inspire. Bravery, as admired as it may be, does not rest on its laurels. In the summer of 1913, the Kingdom of Serbia was overhauling its gold and silver Medals for Bravery, both in design and regulations, and opted to use the name and image of the great Serbian hero, Milos Obilic, in the design. The medal would be awarded for valour on the battlefield though, by late 1914, more precise regulatory criteria for awarding the medal were set down. The gold version of the medal could be awarded to officers for valour in battle and, in exceptional cases, to NCO's for fearless bravery in battle. The silver version could be awarded to NCO's and enlisted men for bravery in battle. On one side the the medal is an image of Obilic in profile, wearing his armour and, near the edge, his name in Serbian Cyrillic, 'MИЛОШ ОБИЛИЋ' and, on the other side of the medal, a cross with a pair of diagonal swords and, in the centre, the Serbian Cyrillic text, 'ЗА ХРАБРОСТ', which transliterates as 'Za Hrabrost', and translates to 'For Bravery'. Recipients of the Milos Obilic Medal were exempt from taxes and it was the highest ranking Serbian medal at the time, which meant that, for a set of Serbian medals, it was worn in the leftmost position of the medal group, with the lower-ranking medals in their respective, regulated order or rank, being worn to the right of the Obilic medal. Of course, Serbian orders, as opposed to medals, if and when awarded, would be worn to the left of the Obilic medal, if awarded, denoting their higher rank. Shown here are the gold and silver versions of the Milos Obilic medal, plus the respective miniature versions of the same, and a couple of examples of the ribbon bars. Also there is a membership booklet, from 1939, for Milos Obilic medal wearers. The cover of the booklet has an image of the Obilic medal and the Serbian Cyrillic text, 'ЧЛАНСКА ЛЕГИТИМАЦИЈА, УДРУЖЕЊА ОДЛИКОВАНИХ ЗЛАТНОМ ИЛИ СРЕБРНОМ МЕДАЉОМ ЗА ХРАБРОСТ', which transliterates as 'Clanska Legitimacija, Udruzenja Odlikovnih Zlatnom ili Srebrnom Medaljom za Hrabrost', and which translates to 'Members Identification, Society of the Recipients of the Gold or Silver Medal for Bravery'. Finally, there is also an example of an award certificate for this medal, given in 1926 to another individual. Sometimes it might take years for an award to be conferred. In the modern day, Serbia has a different Milos Obilic medal for bravery, partly named for their heroic mediaeval knight and partly as an acknowledgement to those who went before, as brave and heroic fighters, in the First World War.
Serbian 'Milos Obilic' Gold and Silver Medals for Bravery in full size and miniature, and ribbon bars. Also a membership book for the Recipients of the Gold or Silver Medal for Bravery, and an award certificate.