Megan

Next is the Dignity of the Chancellor of the Order (Amid), who also gets to wear a Collar, a Sash Badge or a Star. Here's the Collar:

Here is the neck badge - interestingly, the actual badge is a simpler form of the insignia (perhaps the whole thing is a bit heavy to hang round your neck!):

And the Star: The interesting thing is that according to the regulations (I found the original text of the law establishing the Order) it could be worn as a Collar or as the Breast Star (here) or as a sash badge or as a neck badge.

Now, a real treat! I just had an e-mail with some glorious pictures of the Dignity insignia of the Order. So, with many thanks to Heike Holsten-Stephan, here they are. First, the Collar of the Dignity for the President of the Republic (Sadr):

Thanks, Lars - I'll drop him a line and ask...

I think it was, Michael. When King Christian X instituted the Order, he appointed himself Grand Master and had a Collar - which alternated the blue oval with a falcon with his own monogram. I have a not-very-good picture of it, and a clear image of a couple of the links, which will be posted in due course failing my finding anything better! The revised statutes of 1944 do state Grand Master and may be awarded to foreign Heads of State. 'Ordinary' recipients of the Grand Cross have never been awarded it, as far as I can see.

And the reverse: This shows the other major change in the insignia - the legend on the reverse now reads Seytjándi Juní 1944 (17 June 1944), the date on which Iceland gained her independence. Off to research the pre-1944 insignia now...

Finally, the Knight. Here's the post-1944 insignia:

The Grand Knight with Star star also did not change in 1944. Here it is:

The Grand Knight with Star and Grand Knight classes both wear a neck badge, the Grand Knight with Star also has... a star. As far as I can tell the badge is the same for both classes. (I am looking for a better image....)

And the Grand Cross Star, which didn't change at all!

Here is the Grand Cross badge (post-1944): The insignia changed very little with Iceland's independence, the most obvious is that the badge originally had a Danish Royal Crown over a stylised rosette, while the post-1944 version has a fleur-de-lys instead.

Hin Íslenzka Fálkaorda This was instituted 3 July 1921 by King Christian X of Denmark and Iceland. The statutes were revised on 11 July 1944 after Iceland became a republic. It is awarded for services to Iceland or to humanity, to both Icelandic citizens and foreigners in 4 classes (Grand Cross, Grand Knight with Star, Grand Knight & Knight). The President of Iceland serves as Grand Master and apart from the President, the Collar of the Order is only conferred on foreign Heads of State. But here it is:

In a rather successful burst of Google-fu, I have found the 1 June 1991 issue of the JOURNAL OFFICIEL DE LA RÉPUBLIQUE ALGERIENNE This has details of the Médaille de blessé sans citation as depicted in Emmanuel's post above, and some other medals as well. Now to sit down & translate it... But got distracted by a further burst of Google-fu, here's the Algerian website with ALL their official stuff: http://www.joradp.dz/

Ooh, magic, both of you!! Many thanks. I have been delving as well since I made the initial post. In a law of 2 January 1984, a set of 4 medals relating to the war for independence was instituted. They are known collectively as Les médailles des Moudjahidine (Medals of the Mujahedeen) and between them mark the various contributions individual Algerians made. The first is the Medal for Martyrs of the War of Liberation (Médaille de martyr de la guerre de libération nationale) which is indeed a table medal given in commemoration of those who lost their lives. It is 100mm in diameter. The obverse depicts a crescent and star within an ornamental frame and a ring of thirty-two sword rays surrounded by a text from the Holy Qur'an. The reverse shows the dates 1954-1962 and a serial number. Next is the Medal for the Gravely Wounded, Invalids of War (Médaille de grand blessé, mutilé de guerre). As you can imagine, that's awarded to anyone seriously injured during the struggle for independence. There are also 2 'service' medals, awarded depending on how the individual served: the Medal of the Army of National Liberation and the Medal of the Resistance, and as Emmanuel says, you couldn't receive both. The Friends of the Algerian Revolution Medal came later, being instituted on 30 June 1987 and being awarded to foreigners who supported the struggle for independence either materially or by speaking out in support. However, it appears to have had a half white, half green ribbon with white edges. The half green, half red ribbon with or without star seems to be the Medal of Honour, instituted 24 November 1990 and awarded for 25 years' service to the state. The star indicates service in the armed forces, and the version without star is awarded for civilian service. The Medal of the Wounded with Citation has a different ribbon, white with 2 narrow red edge stripes and a star, otherwise the actual medal is the same. The research continues...

Instituted 30 June 1987, and awarded to foreigners who supported Algeria's struggle for independence. [Picture credit: Ed Haynes]

I am having difficulty finding out about current Algerian ODM, or sorting out the order of precedence for those I have found out about. Anyone able to help? So far my very tentative version is: National Order of Merit Medal for Martyrs of the War of National Liberation Medal for the Gravely Wounded, Invalids of War Medal of the Army of National Liberation Medal of the Resistance Medal of the Friends of the Algerian Revolution Medal for Veterans of the Revolution Medal of Military Merit Medal of Honour Medal of the National People's Army Medal of the Wounded with Army Citation Medal of the Wounded Even pictures of Algerians wearing medals are rare, here's one that I have found: Suggestions for improvements, or other ODM to add, would be appreciated.

Despite gaining independence from France in 1962, it was not until 1984 that the Algerians got around to establishing much in the way of any decorations of their own. There is a single order, the National Order of Merit (Ordre du Mérite National) which is awarded for all manner of services to the country. It was instituted 2 January 1984 and is quite complex, with three classes of 'Dignity' - each with collar, sash with badge and star - as well as Commander, Officer and Knight grades. Only one of Dignity classes is an actual award - for foreign heads of state - while the other two are the insignia of the President of Algeria and the Chancellor of the Order. Each Dignity is subtly different in insignia, however. All I have found thus far is a picture of the Knight: [Picture credit: Eric Semon] The reverse is plain.

'dewan majlis' is 'council chambers' in Malaysian....

Or here: http://www.medals.org.uk/canada/canada001.htm

British...

The Accumulated Campaign Service Medal was insituted in January 1994 and since then has been awarded for 36 months of repeat operational service for which the General Service Medal 1962 with appropriate clasp or the Operational Service Medal is awarded. It has just been announced (1 July 2011) that the amount of service required for award will be reduced to 24 months. Anyone serving on or after 1 January 2008 who has appropriate qualifying service will be eligible. Service marked by the following medals qualifies: General Service Medal with clasps: Northern Ireland, Dhofar, Lebanon, Mine Clearance Gulf of Suez, Gulf, Kuwait, N Iraq & S Turkey, or Air Operations Iraq OSM Sierra Leone OSM Afghanistan OSM Democratic Republic of Congo The Iraq Medal Multinational campaign medals - approved since 1 April 2000 The ribbon is being changed to one with a double gold stripe instead of the single one currently used. Bars will be awarded for each additional 24 months' qualifying service.

As the UK prepares for HM The Queen's Diamond Jubilee, I've started musing on which milestones various nations commemorate by issuing medals. In the UK, it is the events relating to the Sovereign's reign: Coronations and Jubilees (along with a few state visits and Durbars, back when foreign travel, even if you happen to be a King, was a very big deal). In Sweden, another constitutional monarchy, they have a different approach. The milestones they mark with a medal are very personal - significant birthdays of their monarch, weddings and wedding anniversaries... and even funerals. There's nothing about their monarch's connection with the nation. The award of such medals is also more personal: family members and people who organise or attend celebrations for whatever milestone is being marked being the only recipients. Norway does both: there are birthday AND reign anniversary medals! Medals were issued to mark King Haakon VII's Coronation (1906), Silver Jubilee (1933), Gold Jubilee (1955) and his 70th birthday. Thailand too marks a mixture of State and personal milestones in their Royal Family's lives with the issue of medals - adding such occasions as the investiture of a Crown Prince to the expected coronations, jubilees and birthdays; along with one to mark 'The Longest Reign' in 1988. As well as a fine memorial of Royal history, these series of medals give a fascinating insight as to the role of the monarchy in different countries around the world... and probably scope for a whole book not just a blog entry!

Everyone has their own reasons for liking or disliking a particular period, and there are several downchecks to contemporary Russian ODM. Some folks don't like modern. Some do not like to have to come to grips with what is quite a challenging language (any one where you have to learn an alphabet as well as the words is that bit harder...). Some are daunted by the sheer number of pieces they're putting out. Me, I already get by in Russian, am happy cataloguing away, and as interested in present-day as historical. But you know that already Drat, came here to start a blog and got sidetracked. Now I have to go out... maybe later!

Fascinating... not seen these before. Er, Jeff, any chance you'd give permission to use the images on my site?