The study examines the evolution of Romanian decorations during the reign of Carol I, viewed as a system. Previous research has focused on a single order or a single medal. Our article aims to move beyond this useful but limited perspective and examine the overall evolution of the Romanian system of decorations. This allows us to identify the stages in the formation of this system, the reasons that led to its evolution, as well as the issues that hindered the development of the Romanian system of decorations. To complete this study, a comprehensive inventory was compiled of all legislative acts pertaining to orders and medals from 1866 to 1914; the statistical analysis of this data played a significant role in identifying certain stages in the evolution of the system of decorations. Each stage is analysed separately, with a focus on its distinctive characteristics. This approach has allowed us to highlight the essential role played by the lack of sovereignty prior to 1877, as well as the intensity and scope of the transformations that took place in just a few years after independence was achieved. Our research demonstrates that, in the final stage we had identified, domestic needs (related to modernization and the importance that certain professional categories acquired in the eyes of the state leadership) were the primary considerations in shaping the Romanian system of decorations.