Megan

Interesting that some life has just been blown into this thread, 'cos I've been working on my Philippines section too! A quick question: Emmanuel shows 2 types of the Philippines National Police Medal of Valour. Yet all the documentation I can find only describes the second type (on a neck ribbon/cravat), and claim as the date of institution for this award 23 September 1993, citing a document NAPOLCOM Memorandum Circular No. 93-018, dated September 23, 1993, concerning honours and awards of the police.... in which the Type 2 as shown by Emmanuel is described! Needless to say I have an image of the Type 1 which I am just about to put up, but I am confused. When was it instituted? And was 1993 when it was replaced by Type 2 rather than when the actual award was instituted? At the moment the only Type 1 images I've seen are Emmanuel's and the one I have - source Spinks Auction 21001 lot 1132 (Spinks have given me the run of their catalogues, the darlings!).

The King appears to be going for simplicity in his official iconography. The new stamps have just been released: No crown, not on his head or even anywhere on the stamp. It's the same portrait as on what coinage has so far been seem... so it seems likely that it will also be used for medals.

Thank you for the decrees... where are you finding them?

Proud service indeed. Thank you.

Useful chart: bookmarked for future reference Thanks, Antonio.

Saw this in the most recent copy (Feb 2023) of Soldier magazine: "VETERANS of the UK’s nuclear test programme of the 1950s and 60s have welcomed news that they are to be issued with their own campaign medal. Senior defence officials said they expected to release the full qualifying criteria for the decoration in the coming weeks. Around 22,000 former British and Commonwealth personnel are expected to be eligible. Troops and civilians who deployed to areas including Christmas and Malden Islands, as well as Maralinga and Emu Field, will be among those in line for the award, which can also be presented posthumously to relatives. The move is part of a wider programme to commemorate the nuclear test era. This year will also see the Office for Veterans Affairs launch a special history project to give those involved a chance to tell their stories. As reported in this magazine, troops who supported the atom and hydrogen bomb tests in the Pacific and Australia between 1952 and 1967 have long been campaigning for greater recognition. Many claim to have suffered serious illnesses as a result of the programme. Doug Hern, who served on Christmas Island during the Op Grapple hydrogen bomb detonations in 1957 and 1958, said he was pleased that a medal was finally being issued. The former Royal Navy Serviceman and ex-national secretary of the British Nuclear Test Veterans’ Association told Soldier: “Obviously the passage of time has tempered any significant celebration, but this is good news. “As much as anything, the new decoration is an acknowledgement that those who served on these operations were an active part of the Cold War. “It is also good to see that the award is part of a wider package focusing on the era, which includes the forthcoming history project for our veterans.” The new medal was announced by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak during a special event at the National Memorial Arboretum marking 70 years since the first test. The PM told veterans their contribution during a volatile era had helped “preserve peace”. “This medal is an enduring symbol of our country’s gratitude to every person who played a part and the loved ones who supported them,” he added. Ref: FEBRUARY 2023 soldiermagazine.co.uk p.15.

There's long been a tradition in Ukraine that virtually any organisation is entitled to issue its own awards. In the military, you get them from the Ministry of Defence, from the Chiefs of Staff, often from those commanding districts or specialisms.... and then the various regions and settlements are chipping in with their own awards to those who have defended them. Back in 2012 the then President of the country tried to rein them in and succeeded in curtailing some Ministerial excesses but only for a short period, and everyone else carried on regardless. It's difficult to tell what is 'official' and what isn't. It's wild.... and a struggle to document! So thanks to everyone posting whatever they find. Time tor another update to my website, methinks!

Long Service Medal - yours is the civilian version in silver for 15 years. Ribbon is dark blue with white edges and white central stripe. Sorry, cannot help with your third question. The military one has a dark blue ribbon with white edges. The reverse has a crown and dagger above the words AWARDED TO.

You're quite right, Zulu_00. The cypher has already been designed, so they just need to mint them. Police, Fire, and Ambulance medals will need new obverses. And my website will need updating!

Having just added the later version to my website, here's an image of the beast:

ATO = Anti Terrorist Operations, the term given to post-2014 operations in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions where Russian tried to set up puppet 'republics' (complete, of course, with their own award systems). I need to settle down and sort through this thread and add them to my website. Hope you lot will help!

Most of the New Year Honours relate to orders whose design doesn't change as the monarch does, it's just BEMs, Royal Victorian Medals and the like which require a new obverse.

In the picture on the right end of the note, King Charles appears to be wearing the mantle of the Order of the Garter.

If you don't want to wade through the entire ministerial order, there's a summary here: https://www.ukrmilitary.com/2022/12/mou-new-medals.html Which, of course, I found AFTER I'd waded through the entire military order, of course!

Brilliant, that was quick, Antonio!!! As of November 2022, the awards issued by the Ukranian Ministry of Defence are: - Cross of Special Merits Decoration "For Exemplary Service" Iron Cross Knight's Cross Military Cross Cross of Valour Medal "For Wounds" Cross of Honour Medal "Golden Trident" Medal "For Strengthening Defence Capability" Star of Military Brotherhood" Medal "Defender of Ukraine" Medal "For Defence Assistance" Cross of the Land Forces Corss of the Air Force Cross of the Naval Forces Cross of Special Operations Forces Cross of Territorial Defence Forces Cross of Logistics Forces Cross of Support Forces Cross of Medical Forces Cross of Airborne Assault Troops Cross of the Communications and Cyber Security Forces Cross of Missile Troops and Artillery Cross of the State Special Transport Service Medal "Warrior-Peacemaker" Medal "Service Veteran" Medal "20 Years of Conscientious Service" Medal "15 Years of Conscientious Service" Medal "10 Years of Conscientious Service" Most of these are completely new, even those previously existing have been redesigned!

I'm off on a cruise to the Canaries over Christmas & New Year. Given the amount I had to pay for the drinks package I expect to be half-pickled for most of the trip. Gotta get one's money's worth, after all. I am taking a laptop, but no idea how good the wifi will be.

Medal for Meritorious Acts, instituted in 1917 & awarded in 3 classes for service to the state, acts of courage, lifesaving and long service. This is Class 2.

In essence, the Ukrainian Ministry of Defence has revamped their entire awards system, only keeping some of the existing ones, changing others, and introducing a whole lot more with an emphasis on actual 'warfighting' awards, something they've been historically light on. I only have 2 days before I go away, but will try & amend my website pages to reflect the changes (or at least make a start), a proper write-up here may have to wait until the new year. hint: Google translate isn't too bad at Ukrainian if you're struggling. And if you are after pictures, there are sketches of all the awards at the end of the document, just keep scrolling down! I prefer actual photos for my website, so everyone keep your eyes out for them, please!

Oh my - and just when I am about to go on holiday and won't have access to my website! This always happens just when I am about to go away Thanks for this, I shall see how much I can read before I leave. And bookmark the rest for when I get back,

Great images, Emmanuel. The medal 'Faith in the Cause' was created to honour members of the Colombian Army who have been distinguished for their outstanding service, as well as to honour foreign military members who have earned the gratitude of the national army of Colombia. To confuse the issue nicely, there are several different awards - one for the Armed Forces, then a separate one for each of the 3 branches of service: Army, Navy & Air Force - which all bear the name Medalla "Fé en la Causa"! The Army were first, in 2011. creating the award as part of a 'hearts & minds' campaign to convince the nation that the Army was their friend, full of honourable and upstanding individuals. This is the one shown in the Facebook page you referenced, and its full title is Medalla "Fé en la Causa" del Ejército Nacional. The other 2 services got in on the act in 2012, instituting the Medalla "Fé en la Causa" de la Armada Nacional and the Medalla "Fé en la Causa" de la Fuerza Aérea. I did find an image of the Air Force medal on a Colombian medal sales site, with a pale blue ribbon with narrow red, blue, and yellow edges. Then in 2014, there appeared the Medalla "Fé en la Causa" del Comando General de la Fuerzas Militar which I've seen in award ceremony pictures as both a neck & a chest award. It is a red-enamelled cross on a purple ribbon with narrow yellow, blue, and red edges. Still looking for a decent image of that too.

A proud display of a lifetime of service. Congratulations!

I recognise the Medal "For Assistance to the Armed Forces of Ukraine" - it's already on my website. Instituted on 21 May 2008[1], this award was discontinued in the 2012 reforms and eventually reinstated on 9 December 2015[2]. The same insignia was used throughout. The insignia consists of an 8-pointed rayed star, 38mm in diameter. In the centre of the obverse there is a gilt, red-enamelled cross resting on a gilt wreath, this has a central roundel enamelled blue bearing the Trident national symbol. The reverse is plain, inscribed ЗА СПРИЯННЯ ЗБРОЙНІ СИЛИ УКРАЇНИ [FOR ASSISTANCE TO THE ARMED FORCES OF UKRAINE]. [1] Order of the Minister of Defence of Ukraine № 218 of 21 May 2008. [2] Order of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine № 705 of 9 December 2015 “On Amendments to the Order of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine of 11 March 2013 № 165”

This is a fascinating resource, thanks for posting the link. Mostly about uniforms & insignia but there is a good section on Estonian Defence Forces' decorations at the back!

It's still growing... got the State Awards done (except new ones appear), some Ministry of Defence and some Ministry of Internal Affairs. Still hunting other ministry awards and then there are all the cities, etc. There will be a PDF eventually. I may even investigate print on demand for those who prefer a 'dead tree' book. That way you don't have the expense of a print run and the real advantage is that it never goes out of print! And you can add new stuff when it appears, just change the master PDF. Are the Facebook medal groups easy to find? Maybe I shall try it next year.

Things can get confusing! Looks like the person in your picture is wearing a uniform - OMAC? - in which case awards should be worn according to the regulations of the organisation whose uniform is being worn. In civilian dress, it is more up to the individual which of the awards they have received to wear. There is an order of precendence for awards from their own nation and other nations, which ought to be followed; and all national governmental awards should take precedence over those of non-governmental bodies... except possibly at events run by said bodies. In Australia, it's customary for non-national awards to be worn on the right breast, which can lead to an unbalanced look on such as firefighters or law enforcement officers who have been honoured by their organisations or states, but have few or no national awards. The matter gets even more complex when an individual adds in 'private purchase' medals to the mix!