Italy, Kingdom. A Medal of the 215th Battalion CCNN Squadron "Nizza" for Anti-Partisan Operations in Slovenia and Croatia 1942-1943

(Medaglia Commemorativa del 215° Battaglione CCNN (Camicie Nere) Squadriglia "Nizza" per Operazioni Antipartigiane in Slovenia e Croazia 1942-1943). In silvered zinc, obverse illustrating a charging soldier brandishing a knife in his right hand, running past barbed wire and attacking three snakes at the far right, with a script "M" (for Mussolini, as the original insignia was designed to match the Duce’s handwriting, but others have argued that the "M" stood for "Morte" (Death)) overlying a large "V" at the far left, inscribed "CONTROL'INSIDIA" (Control the Pitch) and engraver marked "AFFER" (Costantino Affer, 1906-1987), reverse illustrating a fasces within a diamond-shaped frame, flanked by a branch of laurel leaves at the left and a branch of oak leaves at the right, inscribed "215 BTG. CC. NN. SQUADRISTI "NIZZA" (215th Battalion CCNN (Camicie Nere = Black Shirts) Squadron "Nizza") above and inscribed "SLOVENIA / CROAZIA / 5-10-XX / 30-5-XXI" (Slovenia, Croatia, October 3, 1942-May 30, 1943) in the centre, measuring 32.5 mm (w) x 35 mm (h), exhibiting silvering wear, surface wear and contact marks, skull and crossed bones insignia in silvered bronze affixed to its original ribbon, fine.