Medal "For Incentive of Philanthropy"
Date established: 15th/ 28th October 1908
Number of classes: gold, silver and bronze medals
Being awarded for: as an incentive or reward for humanitarian and charitable activity
Shape and dimensions: circular, 29mm in diameter
Ribbon: red, with two green and one white stripes on both edges
Obverse: The effigy of King Ferdinand I circumscribed by His title: “ФЕРДИНАНДЪ I ЦАРЬ НА БЪЛГАРИТѢ“ / translation: Ferdinand I Tsar (King) of the Bulgarians /.
Reverse: Within a circular laurel wreath, the motto of the medal (ЗА НАСЪРДЧЕНИЕ КЪМЪ ЧЕЛОВѢКОЛЮБИЕ / translation: For incentive of philanthropy /), inscribed on four lines, the last line embowed.
Associated with: Honorary distinction "For Incentive of Philanthropy"
The medal “For Incentive of Philanthropy”, along with the Medal “For life-saving”, were the first decorations to be established after the declared Bulgarian independence in September 1908. Both medals have similar organisation and design.
The medal is minted in three classes – gold medal, made of yellowish metal alloy or gilded silver; silver medal made of solid silver; and bronze medal, made of copper. All medals are being awarded with a crown suspension.
After the establishment of the Honorary distinction “For Incentive to Philanthropy” in 1917, the medal bearing the same name, has been associated with the above decoration.
The medal has been awarded quite rarely. Even after the abdication of King Ferdinand I, the stock medals with His effigy were used for decorations throughout the reign of His son, King Boris III, and even during the regency period, up until 1947.
The medal has been designed by Paul Telge and minted in Germany and Austro-Hungary.
