Megan

Fascinating information - thank you all for this information.

This is a fine array and showing even more types than I'd heard about! Thank you everyone for sharing this magnificent collection.

Instituted on 30 August 1919, this medal marks 9 years' service in the Special Constabulary, with at least 50 duties being served each year. Wartime service counts treble. Although instituted afterwards, those who had served as 'Specials' during WW1 received a bar THE GREAT WAR 1914-18. There are 10 versions: George V Type 1 - awarded1919-1930 George V Type 2 - 1930-1937 George VI Type 1 - 1937-1948 George VI Type 2 - Elizabeth II Type 1 Elizabeth II Type 2 Elizabeth II Type 2 for Ulster - 1956 Elizabeth II Type 2 for the RUC - 1982 Elizabeth II Type 2 for the PSNI - 2001-2022. Charles III The medal is bronze, 36mm in diameter. The obverse bears the appropriate sovereign's head, the types having variations of inscription. The reverse is common, being inscribed FOR FAITHFUL SERVICE IN THE SPECIAL CONSTABULARY within a partial laurel wreath, apart for the 3 Elizabeth II versions for Northern Ireland, which have different wording, replacing "SPECIAL CONSTABULARY" with the name of the force - ULSTER SPECIAL CONSTABULARY, ROYAL ULSTER CONSTABULARY RESERVE, or POLICE RESERVE OF NORTHERN IRELAND. Does anyone know if there's a PSNI variant of the Charles III version? (I do have images of most of these, but my main computer is in the shop having its hard drive repaired/replaced!)

Excellent... I'll have to look out for that!

From the Kingdom of Egypt, the Order of the Nile (نیشان النیل/Nishan al-Nil), which was instituted on 14 April 1915 and awarded in five classes for services to the nation. Here we have the Grand Officer star, Commander, Officer, and Knight.

From the Kingdom of Egypt, the Military Star of Fuad I (وسام نجم العسكریل ألخكاب ألفاظ الأول) which was instituted on 6 December 1919 as the Order of the Military Star of Sultan Fouad I, being renamed in 1922. It was awarded in a single class to officers for mention in dispatches or distinguished service in the field or before the enemy with courage and a spirit of self-sacrifice. The decoration consists of a gilt five-pointed star enamelled white on both sides. On the obverse, a central, blue-enamelled disk bears crossed gilt swords surrounded by a red-enamelled circlet on which there is a crowned gilt laurel wreath. On the reverse, the disk is also blue with an inscription in Arabic. Suspension is a straight bar and the ribbon is yellow with a black central stripe and blue edge stripes.

Not state issued, but may be semi-official. Ukraine has a long tradition of multiple issuers of awards. As well as the actual state, you have various government ministries with their own panoply of awards, which are generally regarded as official (at least, the government makes periodic attempts to rein them in!), then cities and regions issue their own... and the past few years has seen a spate of army commanders at various levels presenting their own awards to the troops under their command! Many of these sit somewhere between an award and a 'membership badge' for the formation in question. Then there are several manufacturers who produce medals that you can purchase, and who also do commission work - they supply many of the semi-official awards I was talking about, and offer design services to, well, anyone who wants to award medals! It's a bit of a nightmare trying to keep track. I just collect the images, then ask lots of questions to try to bottom out who's awarding them, for what, and to whom...

Lovely stuff, Graf - hoping to find images of these in due course.

From Tunisia, the Order of 7th November 1978, which was instituted on 2 July 1988 and awarded in five classes for contributions to the re–establishment of the sovereignty of the people, the reinforcement of democracy and to those who consolidated the gains of 7 November 1987 following the death of President Bourguiba. It was discontinued in 2011 following the Arab Spring revolution - possibly due to President Zine el Abidine Ben Ali being fond of wearing the jewelled collar in official portraits! Here is the Class 1 star:

From Belgium, the Military Decoration (Décoration militaire, Militair Ereteken) on the ribbon for long service, Type 2 - as shown by the central medallion on the reverse, which bears the LII cypher of Leopold II and the inverted chevron of the Class 1 award for 15 years of service.

From Jamaica, the Order of Jamaica, which was instituted on 18 July 1969 and is awarded in a single class to any Jamaican citizen of outstanding distinction or upon any distinguished citizen of a country other than Jamaica (as an honorary member). The odd thing is that awardees receive the badge on a plain green neck ribbon but also wear - at the same time - a sash which is green with a yellow edged black central stripe over the right should, this has no badge attached. Several Jamaican orders have a similar arrangement. Here's the neck badge:

From Argentina, the Rio Negro and Patagonia Campaign Medal, 1878-1881 (Medalla por la campana del Rio Negro y Patagonia). It was instituted on 27 October 1881 and awarded the following year for participation in the expedition to Rio Negro and Patagonia, dislodging Indians, and getting control of the region in three classes awarded on the basis of the recipient's rank. Here's the gold medal for Generals.

From Canada, the Order of Military Merit (Ordre du Mérite Militaire), which was instituted on 1 July 1972 and is awarded in three classes for conspicuous merit and exceptional service by members of the Canadian Armed Forces. The badge on a bow is that of the Sovereign of the Order, as worn by the late Queen Elizabeth II. It's likely that King Charles III would wear the same badge on a neck ribbon.... but probably a bit larger, the Queen's badge was the size of an Officer's badge! The badge on a neck ribbon is the Commander class. The Officer is the gold one on a chest ribbon, the silver is the Member.

From the Kingdom of Bulgaria, the National Order for Military Merit(Орден За военна заслуга). This was instituted on 18 May 1900 - but intended as a military branch of the existing National Order of Civil Merit hence its reverse bears the institution date of that order, 2 August 1891! Over time a range of variations were brought in, but for tonight, the Grand Cross Star and the Class 2 (or Grand Officer) badge and star of the first type. The sharp-eyed amonst you may wonder why I'm not calling the Grand Cross "Class 1" when I'm using Class 2 for the Grand Officer... there is madness in my method. You see, they added an extra class, the Grand Cross, above the original Class 1, which got renamed as the Great Cross and looked like a Grand Cross to anyone not looking closely. The new Grand Cross class has a sash and badge virtually identical to the Class 1, but its star had the additional gold pieces you can see here. The badge for the Grand Officer is an Urdy cross enamelled crimson with a circular centre and crossed swords between the arms of the cross. On the obverse, the centre is enamelled crimson and bears the cypher of the founder, Ferdinand I, in white, surrounded by a green ring which bears the inscription ЗА ВОЕННА ЗАСЛУГА [FOR MILITARY MERIT]. The reverse has a crimson centre on which there is a gold lion rampant with a Saxon shield on its chest, surrounded by a green ring inscribed 2 АВГУСТЪ 1891 [2 AUGUST 1891].The star is silver, a rayed star of four points bearing the obverse of the badge described above.

From the Kingdom of Bulgaria, the National Order for Civil Merit (Орден За гражданска заслуга), instituted on 2 August 1891 and awarded to civil servants, clergymen, diplomats, foreign nationals and others for services to the nation and the Monarch. Here is the Class 2 and Class 3 insignia of the Type 2 (1909-1937) of the order.