{"product_id":"wwii-italian-mvsn-10-year-service-medal-with-east-africa-gladius","title":"WWII Italian MVSN 10 Year Service Medal with East Africa Gladius","description":"\u003cp\u003eOriginal World War Two era Italian MVSN 10 Year Service Medal with East Africa Campaign Gladius Sword Device (Unattached) and Rectangular suspension.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eInstituted in 1933, Ten Years' Service, with Bronze Gladius for the East Africa Campaign. In bronze, the obverse centerpiece inscribed with the initials \"MVSN\" (Milizia Volontaria per la Sicurezza Nazionale = National Security Volunteer Militia, popularly referred to as the 'Blackshirts'), the reverse centrepiece inscribed \"DIECI \/ ANNI” (Ten Years), measuring 38.5 mm (w) x 50 mm (h) inclusive of its trapezoid-shaped loop, very light contact, with bronze gladius, although pins missing, and its original ribbon, the gladius representing participation in the East Africa Campaign. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThis is the RAREST version of the Medal (the\u003cspan class=\"Apple-converted-space\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eunsigned official version by Loriolli, Milano), \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003ewith the \"rectangular\" suspender.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe National Security Voluntary Militia’s Long Service Cross is a medal established in Italy on January 23, 1933 by royal decree and awarded for ten years of good services within the militia. In 1943, it became necessary to also create a decoration for twenty years service. Due to the critical wartime situation, the decision was made not to strike a new cross with a twenty year reverse, but instead to institute a ribbon device. This device, a Roman gladius (sword) coloured in red, was instituted on January 28, 1943. A bronze gladius was created to designate participation in the East Africa Campaign.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Expedition Antiques","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51346854347030,"sku":null,"price":185.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0699\/3510\/4278\/files\/0167B0A9-C92B-478F-A9B3-99171EEE19FA.jpg?v=1779975518","url":"https:\/\/expeditionantiques.com\/products\/wwii-italian-mvsn-10-year-service-medal-with-east-africa-gladius","provider":"Expedition Antiques","version":"1.0","type":"link"}