bigjarofwasps

Sergeant Duane 'Baz' Barwood, attached to 903 Expeditionary Air Wing, Royal Air Force died as a result of a rocket attack on the Contingency Operating Base in Basra on Friday 29 February 2008. http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/DefenceN...illedInIraq.htm untitled.bmp

Hi Guys, Can anyone anwser this question for me? Did the German soldiers attached to the BFC, in their various roles, wear the insignia of the BFC or their parent unit? Gordon.

Thought I`d better respond to this one before I get dagged before the Haig on war crimes charges. I certainly didn`t loot or plunder, anythign from Iraq, especially any of their gold....... I was only following orders....no but seriously, this coin was not stolen. In fact I don`t even have one of these coins in my collection, as there way out of my price range. I just came across it whilst surfing the net, thougth it looked nice, and would share it with the forum. But just out of interest Loz, how much can you pick them up for in Iraq? Gordon.

Found this on the Chard website, thought it might be of interest..... http://24carat.co.uk/poundcoinssilverproofsframe.html Its a list of all the designs available. Prices seem to range from ?22 to ?45, I really can`t understand why there so expensive, perhaps someone could shine some light on this for me?

Don`t know if you guys, have come across any of these? Basically its a one pound coin made out of sterling silver by the Royal Mint. Bit pricey for what they are, considering the silver content. I`ve seen them from between ?30 & ?40, will be interesting to see if they hold there price or not. Nice to look at & collect, if your wallet can cope... Various designs available, exactly the same as a normal ?1 coin.

http://www.wehrmacht-awards.com/war_badges...tisan_badge.htm Is well worth a look. Heinrich Himmler reserved the right to award himself the gold badge.

Thanks for your reply L. I think this ingot was minted in the 70`s, would that explain the incorrect flag. What did the flag look like in the 40`s? I think I`m right in thinking that there in the process of making a new one?

...& what about this one, I assume its like our VC?

Can anyone give me any examples as to what this medal would be awarded for. Of greatest interest, would be anything WW2 related?

Hi Guys, Picked this up recently, thought it might be of interest. Can any tell me anything about it? Gordon.

Cheers to everyone who has replied to my thread. I found it all really interesting. Lorenzo, sorry but I have no idea, as I got the picture off the net.

Hi Guys, Can anyone tell me anything about this unit, or point me in the right direction? Did they fight againest the British in Iraq? Gordon.

Hi Guys, Does anyone know what medal(s) were awarded to British soldiers for this campaign? Gordon.

Omani Bedu silver necklace......

A beautiful example of a Thaler made into jewellery. Traditionally silver Yemen jewelry has represented a long term financial investment for families as well as being valued for its protective qualities. It was presented to the bride by the groom's family in the form of a dowry and considered her property and part of the household wealth. Gold is now the dowry gift of choice. Jewelry making in Yemen is closely connected to Jewish craftsmen who settled there in ancient times and for centuries they were responsible for most of the jewelry produced. Techniques such as filigree and granulation were developed before the advent of Islam. When the state of Israel was created in 1948 almost the entire Jewish population in Yemen, including the craftsmen, immigrated. The craftwork produced after this exodus lacked the expertise and refinement of the Jewish craftsmen. Older pieces produced by the Jewish craftsmen are held in high regard and today are referred to as "Jewish work". Some of these ornaments, usually of a particular style, were stamped with the Hebrew name of the maker in Arabic characters. The centuries old techniques are used today by Jewish craftsmen in Israel. Traditional silvermaking techniques are not completely lost in modern day Yemen and on recent visits to Sanaa I have noticed silver ornaments being produced that rival the skill level of the early Jewish craftsmen. ****************************************************** A vintage piece of bedouin jewelry which would have been worn at the forehead. The centerpiece is a Maria Teresa thaler which was the main source of silver for vintage and antique jewelry.

Inscribed by hand with the name C Watts, Baghdad 1917 18 19. This is a time when the British army was stationed in present day Iraq. The coin on the lid of the box is an Ottoman coin dated 1327 which corresponds to 1909.

A 1930`s Iraqi niello solid silver cigarette / cigar / card case.

The case incorporates quality nielloed designs typical of Iraqi silversmiths, ie important local mosques and scenes from the river Tigris and the Shatt-al-Arab waterway. Inscription inside - Abadan December 1936. Abadan was (and still is) an oil terminal and port just on the Iranian side of the shatt al arab.

Solid silver nielloed Box or compact made in Maysan province of southern Iraq by Marsh Arabs. On one side is a type of boat that used to be a typical sight on the Tigris river and the southern marshes near to the border with Iran. On the other side there is a picture of a man riding a camel.

The box incorporates quality designs typical of Iraqi silversmiths, ie important local mosques and scenes from the river Tigris and the Shatt-al-Arab waterway. Iraqi silversmiths were usually Mandean Christian. They typically employed nielloed designs and are acknowledged to have been very skilled. These Silversmiths were based mainly in Baghdad, Basra and around Maysan province which is in the southern marshes. In recent years the number of Mandean Christians in Iraq has fallen dramatically and partly as a result of this, nielloed Iraqi silver has become very collectable and pricey. This box seems to date from the 1920's and it exudes atmosphere.

Thursday, 13 December 2007 Guardsman Stephen Ferguson has died following a road accident in southern Iraq, the Ministry of Defence has said. A member of 1st Battalion The Scots Guards was involved in the accident in Basra province on Wednesday. He had been flown to the UK for treatment after the accident involving a Warrior Armoured Vehicle. The soldier's next of kin have been informed of the death, which takes the number of UK troops killed in operations in Iraq since 2003 to 174. He was initially taken to the field hospital at the UK base at Basra Air Station. There will be a 24-hour period of grace for the soldier's family before more details are released by the MoD. The death comes just three days before British forces are due to hand over control of security in Basra province to the Iraqi authorities. The 4,500 UK troops in Iraq will focus on the training of Iraqi security forces. Numbers will fall to 2,500 from next spring. Last month, two military personnel died when their Puma helicopter crashed near Baghdad. An inquiry will investigate the incident.

Anyone any ideas, where these coins were minted? Shame that they didn`t use silver for the 100 Dinar coin....but I suppose given the circumstances..

Found this example of Niello, thought it might be of interest....

Lorenzo, is anything known about these medals? Who they were awarded to, and for what? Gordon.

I suppose a good place to start might be...