James Charles Risk 1913-2005 “A friend of the Queen”

[manayunkman]

On 7/9/2022 at 4:25 PM, jmpmstr said:

Is this the same James C Risk of NYC coin broker fame in encyclopedias? I recall the amazing photos in my parents’ encyclopedia set in the orders and medals section. 

Yes the same.

[jmpmstr]

I spent hours as a kid in the 70 s looking at those pics wondering if I could go to NYC and see all the orders and medals…it fueled my collecting passion before I realized this was a hobby and community 

[manayunkman]

Has anyone seen anything else belonging to Risk?

 

Many items of his were auctioned off but without his name attached them so it might prove difficult to connect them to him.

 

I would love to find his Victorian Order.

[Allan H.]

8 minutes ago, manayunkman said:

Has anyone seen anything else belonging to Risk?

 

Many items of his were auctioned off but without his name attached them so it might prove difficult to connect them to him.

 

I would love to find his Victorian Order.

Do you happen to know the number on his Vickie?

 

Allan

[manayunkman]

47 minutes ago, Allan H. said:

Do you happen to know the number on his Vickie?

 

Allan

No Allan I don’t.

 

Is there a way to find out?

[History Man]

amazing

[manayunkman]

1 hour ago, History Man said:

amazing

Thank you 

[GAZOO]

Absolutely a treasure, thanks for sharing. Hate to see these groups get parted out
good luck on putting it back together, I will keep an eye out, Not that I expect to
find any of it but will be on the look out just in case 

[manayunkman]

52 minutes ago, GAZOO said:

Absolutely a treasure, thanks for sharing. Hate to see these groups get parted out
good luck on putting it back together, I will keep an eye out, Not that I expect to
find any of it but will be on the look out just in case 

I wish I knew where the sale originated.

 

There is one unsubstantiated claim that he willed all his medals OMSA and someone there sold them but I find that hard to believe.

 

Thank you for your desire to help.

 

Peter

[Jeffrey Ryan]

On 5/9/2022 at 8:36 PM, manayunkman said:

James Charles Risk aka Jim Risk grew up in Forest Hills, New York. 
 

In 1936 he graduated from Dartmouth and after graduate school at Harvard he taught at MIT.

 

All during this time he studied and became an authority on Royal Orders and Decorations.

 

He joined the Navy in 1940 and was soon serving in the North Atlantic on escort duty followed with participation in the invasion of Sicily. 
 

While serving he wrote his book and published it in 1943 on British Royal Orders.

 

As the next chapter in his Navy career opens he writes the administrative  history of Mediterranean Naval Operations which in turn leads to his appointment to the Allied Commission On The Democratization Of Italy and Naval protocol officer between the Vatican and Quirinal palace.

 

He developed a warm friendships with Pope Pious XII, King Umberto and the Duke of Wellington who would sit in the front row with him for the Garter service at Windsor.

 

He served in Vietnam before the war and went on a hunting party with Emperor Bao Dai who publicly disrobed in front of his guests at a sumptuous dinner out in the jungle.

 

After the war Queen Elizabeth enlisted his services to catalogue and put the nations Royal orders and decorations  back in order.

 

They had to be found first because they had been hidden during the war in several locations.

 

He was able to identify the orders and he knew who their recipients were.

 

He cleaned, repaired, replaced ribbons and placed them back in order.

 

The Queen was so impressed by his work and attention to detail that she would often visit him even giving him a nick name.

 

She bestowed on him the Royal Victorian Order making him the first American recipient at the time.

 

After the war his numismatic abilities led to a 35 year career with Stacks Coin in New York City and during this time he discovered the lost Proof set of coins given to the King Of Siam by President Jackson in 1834 and wrote many books and articles about coins and medals.

 

A man who had a very interesting life.

 

These are his medals 

 

[Jeffrey Ryan]

I was a close friend of Jim Risk’s for 40 years.  There are a couple of minor mistakes in the very nice obituary.  He bequeathed me some very good insignia and some other things.  Please call me at (212) 929-2090 

 

Jeffrey Ryan.  

[manayunkman]

The call has been made and I’m currently waiting for some information that will help me correct some mistakes I made in the bio.

 

Thank you Mr Ryan

 

 

 

1 hour ago, Jeffrey Ryan said:

I was a close friend of Jim Risk’s for 40 years.  There are a couple of minor mistakes in the very nice obituary.  He bequeathed me some very good insignia and some other things.  Please call me at (212) 929-2090 

 

Jeffrey Ryan.  

 

[Jeffrey Ryan]

I was a close friend of Jim Risk’s, and am one of his heirs.  He did receive the Order of The Saints Maurice and Lazarus and the Order of The Crown of Italy from HM King Umberto II in 1946.  Both in the grade of Cavaliere (Knight).   He was for many years the American Delegate for the Dynastic Orders of the Royal House of Savoy, the Italian Royal Family.  He was promoted periodically and eventually reached the grade of Cavaliere di Gran Croce (Knight Grand Cross) in the Order of The Saints Maurice and Lazarus - the insignia you have.  The other one you have is his insignia of a Grand Officer of the Order.   He had a large collection of “Mauriziano” insignia, including some that he described as “historic”, and including the Knight’s Cross that was given to him by The King.   The Order of The Crown of Italy is no longer conferred by the Dukes of Savoy.   Jim’s full size medal group you have does not include his Venerable Order of St. John insignia or his Royal Victorian Order (Commander- Honorary) insignia.  He had those added to his miniature group, which he wore on formal occasions. 

[Jeffrey Ryan]

In reviewing the other posts I see there is interest in Jim’s Royal Victorian Order Commander neck badge which he received in a private audience with The Queen in 1977.  I don’t recall it’s number, but he told me he spoke to someone he knew at the Central Chancellery of the Orders of Knighthood and asked that they dig out the oldest one they could find that was in good condition.   That’s the one he got.  I don’t know what happened to it.   

[Monte3]

I had the good fortune to know Jim Risk since 1960. 

 

[manayunkman]

On 1/2/2025 at 3:24 PM, Monte3 said:

I had the good fortune to know Jim Risk since 1960. 

 

Thank you for posting this photograph, for one it has the clearest picture of his miniature medal bar.

 

Please share any information you might have. 
 

Again thank you for joining the forum and sharing.

[Monte3]

20 May 1946 _Quirinal Palace-Rome_King Umberto II awards Commander of the Order of the Crown of Italy_to_ Lt Comdr James C Risk USNR

 

20 May 1946_Quirinal Palace-Rome_ Lt Comdr James C Risk USNR with King Umberto II_ Commodore H W Ziroli & Staff

 

[manayunkman]

38 minutes ago, Monte3 said:

20 May 1946 _Quirinal Palace-Rome_King Umberto II awards Commander of the Order of the Crown of Italy_to_ Lt Comdr James C Risk USNR

 

20 May 1946_Quirinal Palace-Rome_ Lt Comdr James C Risk USNR with King Umberto II_ Commodore H W Ziroli & Staff

 

Thank you so much for the photos.

 

Thats great stuff to me.

[manayunkman]

2 hours ago, Monte3 said:

20 May 1946 _Quirinal Palace-Rome_King Umberto II awards Commander of the Order of the Crown of Italy_to_ Lt Comdr James C Risk USNR

 

20 May 1946_Quirinal Palace-Rome_ Lt Comdr James C Risk USNR with King Umberto II_ Commodore H W Ziroli & Staff

 

PM sent

[Monte3]

Grant of Arms by HM Queen Elizabeth II to James Charles Risk, College of Arms, London, 1990

 

 

[Monte3]

On 2/9/2023 at 7:19 PM, manayunkman said:

I wish I knew where the sale originated.

 

There is one unsubstantiated claim that he willed all his medals OMSA and someone there sold them but I find that hard to believe.

 

Thank you for your desire to help.

 

Peter

 

That "claim" is totally false. His medals were not willed to OMSA. 

Monte3

[Monte3]

Jim Risk's miniature medals as worn.

 

 

[manayunkman]

32 minutes ago, Monte3 said:

Jim Risk's miniature medals as worn.

 

 

Thank you Monte for this excellent picture, I often wondered what it looked like.

[Monte3]

You're welcome. The set has its own peculiarities. The Commander of the Royal Victorian Order was awarded in 1977 and the Venerable Order of St. John in the early '90's. The Commander of the Order of Merit of the Order of the Knights of Malta was a late '90's award for humanitarian services in WWII. The Sacred Military Constantian Order of St. George (Knight of Grace, 1947) was awarded for similar humanitarian aid services. Jim's Dad was Canadian and Jim was brought up in an Anglophile home, complete with pictures of King George V. Jim's maternal ancestors made uniforms for the Union during the American Civil War.

 

The Naval Reserve Medal was placed before the campaign medals. 

 

Jim was the first US service man to receive permission to wear the Constantian Order in uniform, setting a precedent that would be used again decades later by an Army recipient. 

[jmpmstr]

On 7/9/2022 at 4:25 PM, jmpmstr said:

Is this the same James C Risk of NYC coin broker fame in encyclopedias? I recall the amazing photos in my parents’ encyclopedia set in the orders and medals section. 

Just for kicks, this is the encyclopedia set my parents had that housed the decorations section I used to read almost daily. The pictures he provided were magical to me as a kid. The orders section on B

ritish orders always captured my attention. Garter et al were just the cat's meow. Thank you for indulging me here