Ca and Sr-based oxynitride glasses with very high nitrogen content have been synthesized using metal hydrides as primary precursors. Values of Young's modulus, shear modulus, bulk modulus and Poisson's ratio were determined by means of ultrasonic echography. Vickers micro-indentation has been used to characterize hardness and indentation fracture toughness behaviour. Elastic moduli were found to increase linearly with nitrogen content, with the highest value of Young's modulus at 135 GPa, for a Ca-glass with 58 e/o of nitrogen. The Sr-glasses exhibit lower elastic moduli than Ca glasses. Poisson's ratio, hardness, indentation fracture toughness, crack initiation load and surface damage resistance were found to increase with increasing nitrogen content for both glass series.