Megan

That's a fine array! Did you know that there's a 'Post Your Own' thread in the Lounge area where GMIC members put pictures of their own medals? Please come and share yours with everyone there.

Windu has now very kindly sent me some nice pictures, so I shall be working on the Indonesian section of my site for a bit... delayed by having just got a job which is boding fair to be a real dream job at the University of Aston, creating distance learning courses! As things progress, I'll post on GMIC as well, though.

The key concept they introduced from the outset was 'policing by consent' - this was not imposed on citizens, but done for and by them.

Loads that I have never heard of let alone seen, thank you for sharing.

Interesting... must go over the piece on my site to see if I have it right!

Good to hear from you Windu... glad that you are OK. Any chance of some pictures of individual awards (as in, ones that would work on my website)?

Fascinating thread - fortunately those nice images were still on the Poly website (and now reside on my hard drive too). Thank you, folks.

Aargh.... scampers off to website.

Thank you, Nick. Claudius, may I very gently make a 'thin ice' warning... so far the Russians have denied their involvement in what I think we'd all agree was a tragedy, and it's not an appropriate topic for discussion on this forum. Let the accident investigators do their work. Time will tell (maybe) who was responsible for that, but there is enough debate on the matter elsewhere - visit the BBC website for some of the more restrained comments! We here are interested in a high Russian award and its recent bestowal on a unit of their military that has, in their high command's opinion, served their nation well. Shall we leave it at that? Please.... (especially as I have to go out in half an hour, which is NOT an excuse for you lot to start bickering again... )

Gentlemen!!! I'm awake now and no, you are not going to bicker like this. Please stop it AT ONCE!!! Nick, do you have any further FACTS about the circumstances of the award, please? (Yes, I do read Russian by the way...)

Gentlemen, please! It seems I'm not allowed to go to bed: as soon as I go offline for the night you start bickering. In stating the reasons for which an award has been made you are not being political, it is only if you were unwise enough to say what you thought of those reasons that you would be treading on thin ice, GMIC rules-wise. Award ceremonies and documents help put a particular 'gong' into context, and are appropriate subject matter.

Do you have a date for these regulations, Antonio?

I have also found this badge: Now this says 'Order of the Sea Eagle' but looks very like the Order of the Eagle shown on the previous page. Perhaps it's the same order? No idea what class it's supposed to be, but it was made by Spink & is hallmarked 1995 - it's from the DNW website, dear souls have given me the run of their catalogues

President Jonathan wearing Grand Commander of the Order of the Most Ancient Welwitschia Mirabilis. I believe the lady in the blue dress is his wife. I can only find references to a Grand Commander of this order, so am not sure if it is a one-class order - as it seems to be for the President of Namibia and other heads of state it may well be. Yet references often refer to Grand Commander as the 'First Class' - why say that if there are no others?

Fascinating...

Some lovely pictures... but not many that I can use for the website Please keep eyes out!

Perhaps it is just as well that my hair is already grey!!! Hopefully I shall be able to add to what is around...

Got distracted by the Kingdom of Tonga... but I think Serbia might be next on the list of areas of my site to develop! (Along with the Kingdom of Afghanistan...)

Thank you so much - fascinating!

Thank you...

I have a section at the bottom of the Russian Federation list for unofficial awards... it's growing ever larger!

Hmm... back to the Russian section of my site, it seems...

Are you talking about the Lower Austria Military Merit Medal (Erinerungsmedaille für Niederösterreichische Aufgebot 1797)? The one with a half red, half white ribbon? (Unless you are reading Barac's Iron Book, which gives a yellow ribbon with 2 black stripes... and which doesn't mention the Tyrol one at all!) This one, I mean:

So, does the Niederösterreich one also come in 3 classes? Must go update the webpage for the Tyrol one to show the 3 classes, and start looking for pictures of the large & small gold ones.

Commemorative Medal for the Defenders of the Tyrol 1797 Erinnerungsmedaille für die Tiroler Verteidiger 1797 The Commemorative Medal for the Defenders of the Tyrol was created by order of Emperor Francis II in 1797 to reward the Tyrolean volunteers who resisted the Revolutionary French forces under General Barthélemy Joubert who were advancing into Austria over the Julian Alps by Napoleon’s command following their victory in northern Italy. It consists of a large circular silver medal with a circular loop for ribbon suspension. The obverse shows the laurel-crowned head of Emperor Francis II facing right encircled by the inscription ‘FRANZ II R. K. ERZH. ZU OEST. GEF. GRAF VON TYROL’ (Francis II, Duke of Austria, Count of Tyrol), signed ‘I. N. WIRT. F’ (for the great Viennese medalist to the Imperial Court and Chief Engraver at the Vienna Mint, Johann Nepomuk Wirt, 1750-1811). The reverse is inscribed ‘DEN / TAPFEREN / VERTHEIDIGERN / DES / VATERLANDES’ (The Brave Defenders of the Fatherland) and dated ‘MDCCXCVII’ (1797) within a circular laurel wreath. The diameter of the medal is 38.91mm (1.53 inches). The ribbon is yellow with 3 black stripes. [Picture credit: Morton & Eden]