Rusty Greaves

Howdy All, I have sent Magdy Hanafy payment for 3 copies of his book. One copy is already earmarked for EJ, so there are still 2 copies available. Because he selected a wire transfer, my cost for each book is $108 (still below the $150 +$50 shipping thorough Shehabcoin on eBay). He will receive the money after 30 April, when his bank releases it to him. Please send me a personal message (through "Messages" here on GMIC or my email address in my profile) if you wish to get one of the remaining copies and we can arrange the most economical shipping. Cheers, Rusty

Antique Arena responded to an email I sent them about the problematic badge shown in my post here of 9 February, 2024. That badge sold for $1100 at auction. I did identify to them why I felt this is a poorly-cast fraudulent badge that could not have been made by Froment-Meurice. Antique Arena wrote me that "After the sale the lot was canceled and the item was returned to the consignor." So, good for them!

Howdy Jan, Another colleague in our office is Czech. He has to visit Europe occasionally for his mother's health. She is in Belgium, but on his last trip last year he did go to Prague. She does own an apartment in Prague, and something will have to be done about it in the near future. I will check to see if he may have a trip planned that would make it easier to get a copy of the book to you in the near future. I have 2 conferences I must attend in Köln, Germany and Sevilla, Spain. Maybe there is amore economical way to post the book form one of those locations. Sorry, not an easy solution soon, but I wil keep trying to work on this for you. Cheers, Rusty

I'll have to check on this The price Hanafy quoted is for a bulk purchase of 4 books, all shipped to the same foreign destination.

The same February 13, 2024 auction by Heritage Auctions as that noted above (Auction 61371) offered a Mixed Courts badge made by Froment Meurice as Lot 25091 (https://coins.ha.com/itm/islamic-dynasties/ottoman-empire/islamic-dynasties-ottoman-empire-silver-judge-s-badge-nd-unc-/a/61371-25091.s?type=notice-winnernotification). This auction also is archived on the CoinArchives webiste as well (https://www.coinarchives.com/w/lotviewer.php?LotID=6772761&AucID=7878&Lot=25091&Val=bbbeaf5979a6dfc22b36228b8a1cfe68). The description identifies the badge as silver, gives a weight of 158.53 g, and gives its approximate dimensions as ~120 x 85 mm. The actual measurements of this badge are 118 x 88 mm. Owain also let me know about this offering by Heritage Auctions. High-resolution image of the obverse of the Heritage Auctions Mixed Courts badge (Lot 25091). This image, and the following photo of the reverse of the badge, are copyrighted by Heritage Auctions (@2023 Heritage Auctions). Although a bit hard to distinguish, this image does show that this is actually a silver and gold District Courts badge. Vermeil can be seen on the rayed embellishment, the fringe of the mantle, the "embroidered" design on the lateral folds of the mantle, the star above the central tablet, the cords and tassels tying each of the upper corners of the mantle, the central crown, each of the oak and laurel branches, the staffs and distal ornaments of the tugs, the small wreath around the Order of Medjidie element, and the central portion and tugra of the Order of Medjidie (also see the last photo in this post). High-resolution image of the reverse of the Heritage Auctions Mixed Courts badge. Note the tag underneath the tunic pin that reads "F.R." on a small handwritten paper tag glued to the reverse, presumably the original owner of this badge. The auction description notes that the associated case has a gilt (?) "F.R." on the outside of the upper lid. The reverse is marked "FROMENT-MEURICE" above the two large rivets, but there is no diamond-shaped hallmark with the rose and Froment-Meurice name on this badge. The case for the Heritage Auctions District Courts badge. The name "FROMENT-MEURICE" and the shop address at 372 RUE ST HONORÉ, PARIS' is printed in gold on the maroon satin of the interior case lid, above the red velvet bed for the badge. As noted, the outer upper lid also bears the initials "F.R." as seen on the tag affixed to the reverse of the badge. These initials appear to be written in black ink, not gilt. As this is a gold and silver District Court badge, it could only have belonged to a judge, not one of the other court functionaries who wore silver badges. The only judge I have been able to identify who is represented by these initials is the Spanish Judge Frédéric Rauret y Sugastres. He was known to go by Frédéric Rauret. Judge Rauret y Sugastres was named to the Mansourah District Court on 16 September, 1892, transferred to the District Court of Alexandria in 27 March, 1897, and was decommissioned due to health issues on 31 October, 1904. This places Judge Rauret y Sugastres within the period that Froment-Meurice made badges for the Mixed Courts (1875-1913). As his service on the Courts predates the February 1926 publication of the 50th anniversary volume Les Juridictions Mixtes d'Égypte 1876-1926 Livre d'or Édité sous le Patronage du Conseil de l’Ordre des Avocats á l’Occasion du Cinquantenaire des Tribunaux de la Réforme, par le journal des Tribunaux Mixtes. Alexandrie, Egypte, I am confident there is not another Egyptian or European judge with the F.R. initials who could have been the owner of this badge. Above is the only photo I have currently found of Judge Frédéric Rauret y Sugastres. This image comes from the George Sherman Batcheller, 1837-1908, Papers, 1825-1943, bulk, 1858-1908 (SC11218), in the New York State Library Manuscripts and Special Collections in Albany, NY, USA. This photo, taken in Egypt at an unspecified date, is curated in Box 10, Folder 27, and is identified as: "Rauret, Frederic (autographed); Photographer: Fettel & Bernard, Alexandria (Egypt)". I do not know what awards Rauret y Sugastres is wearing in this portrait. George Sherman Batcheller was a U.S. Civil War veteran and jurist who was recommended as a U.S. judge to the Egyptian Mixed Courts by President Ulysses S. Grant in 1875. Batcheller was appointed to the District Court in Cairo on 10 November, 1875. He was decommissioned on 30 November, 1885. Batcheller was apparently re-appointed to the Courts in 1898, I am uncertain which Court he served at that time. He was promoted to President of the Appeals Court in 1902. Batcheller died while still technically still working for the Court, but died in Paris in 1908 The reverse of the studio card portrait of Frédéric Rauret y Sugastres identifying the Fettel and Bernard photo studio in Alexandria (New York State Library Manuscripts and Special Collections in Albany, NY, USA. This photo is in Box 10, Folder 27). The Heritage Auctions Mixed Courts badge was previously sold on 15 October, 2022 by Editions V. Gadoury, Auction 2022, Lot 225, archived on the NumisBids website (https://www.numisbids.com/n.php?p=lot&sid=6035&lot=225). The Gadoury auction illustrated the obverse of this badge (above in a moderate-resolution image) and provided a photo of it in the case (below), there is no image of the reverse of the badge. I previously included both of these Gadoury auction photos as the first two images in my post of 22 September, 2022 on this thread. No mention is made in the Gadoury description of the initials "F.R." on the case nor on the reverse of the badge. Moderate-resolution image of the the Gadoury Auction offering of the same Froment Meurice badge that belonged to Spanish Judge Frédéric Rauret y Sugastres. The distinctions between the silver parts of the badge design and those that are gilt are a bit better defined in the above photo. This image shows the noted damage to the front lower right corner of the case from impact with a right-angled item. Above is a moderate-resolution image of the Heritage Auctions Mixed Courts badge from Auction 61371, Lot 25091. This is a post-auction image that shows well the contrast between the silver and vermeil (gold) in the decoration of this badge. The gilt components on Froment-Meurice District Court badges are different on some other examples. On some badges, the central tablet and the rays around the star are also gilt, a few have the rayed embellishment around the Order of Medjidie gilt, and on a couple the "embroidery" design on the lateral mantle folds are not gilt, some show no vermeil on the oak and laurel branches, or the tugs. There are also differences in which portions of the design are gilt on District Courts badges by other manufacturers.

Below are high-resolution images of the commemorative medal celebrating 50 years of the revised Indigenous Courts in Egypt. I believe this "National", or "Indigenous", Court replaced the former Sharia Law Court and was part of the modernization of Egypt using the French legal code as the basis of law, including the creation of the Egyptian Mixed Courts (replacing the Consular Courts for foreigners) in 1875. I first illustrated an example of this commemorative medal in my post of 27 May, 2022 showing a Horovitz-made Mixed Court badge on a Facebook page of Charmy Photographic. Owain identified the badge and provided an illustration of it in his post on this thread of 28 May, 2022. The photos below are from a 13 February, 2024 auction (#61371, Lot 25230) by Heritage Auctions (https://coins.ha.com/itm/egypt/egypt-fuad-i-gilt-silver-judicial-justice-50th-anniversary-of-the-national-court-medal-1933-dated-unc-/a/61371-25230.s?type=DA-DMC-SixBid-WorldCoins-61371-02122024). Photos, and the description, from this auction also are archived on sixbid.com website (https://www.sixbid.com/en/heritage-auctions-inc/11548/egypt/10066052/fuad-i-gilt-silver-judicial-justice?term&orderCol=lot_number&orderDirection=asc&priceFrom&displayMode=large&auctionSessions=&sidebarIsSticky=false). All three of these images are copyrighted by Heritage Auctions (©2023 Heritage Auctions). Owain brought this auction to my notice, and deserves credit for seeing this offering of an uncommon medal. High-resolution image of the obverse of this medal commemorating 50 years of the Indigenous Courts 1883-1933. In his identification of the medal, Owain felt that the bust of King Fuad 1 represented the obverse. The additional illustration of this medal I reported and illustrated in my post of 31 May, 2022 on this thread (from from pg 337 of Volume 2 of the 1937 publication of the civil codes: I Al-Kitab al-dhahabi l’il-mahakim al-ahliya, 1883-1933. Al-Matba’a al-Amiriyya bu Bulaq, The Golden Book of Civil Courts 1883-1933, published by the Government press [Amiri Press] in Bulaq) shows the pin on the ribbon visible on the face with Fuad's bust. The ribbon in the first illustration I posted of this with the Mixed District Courts badge shows no pin on the face with the royal coat-of-arms with the inscription on either side reading "50th Anniversary of the National (Indigenous) Court"scales of justice, bracketed by the dates 1883-1933, and the motto "Just is the Foundation of Kingship/Governance". These two Heritage Auctions photos also help identify the obverse and reverse of this medal. Reverse of the 50th Anniversary Commemorative medal celebrating 50 years of the Indigenous Courts. As in the publication page shown in my post of 31 May 2022 on this thread, this shows the pin on the ribbon on the face with the bust of King Fuad I. The Heritage Auctions listing identifies the diameter as 42 mm and the weight as 49.24 g. The auction listing identifies the material as gilt silver, however it seems unlikely these medals were gilt and are probably silver with the green enamel. No manufacturer of this commemorative medal has been identified in what literature I have been able to consult. The Heritage Auctions listing included a photo of the case lid for this medal (but this illustration is not on the Sixbid Archive of this listing). The lid has the cipher for Sultan Ahmad Fuad of Egypt that he used between 1917-1922. Afterwards, he became King Fuad I following the British announcement of "semi-independence" of Egypt from the Ottoman Empire but under continued practices essentially identical to the "protectorship" of Britain from 1882-1922.

The staff member from my office was unable to meet with Mandy Hanafy. There are 2 current options. We can wait until October, and my staff member will be back in Cairo and get 4 books for $90 each. Or, I can order now and have 4 copies shipped to the US for $100 each. One person is willing to pay $100 and get a copy soon (with a caveat about better packaging than the eBay seller employed). Please let me know if anyone else interested in a copy has a preference.

Howdy Jan, Congratulations on getting this breast star! These are the 3 Egyptian assay hallmarks. The leftmost is the mark of the Cairo Assay Office purity mark for silver = 900 silver (90%); the center mark is a cat, indicating Egyptian-made silver (used between 1916-1946); the final mark on the right is a date hallmark, "B" = an assay date of 1927-1928.

I am arranging the purchase of 4 copies of Magdy Hanafy's books. One of my staff members is in Cairo until this Friday. I still do not know the precise discount of the book.

Magdy Hanafy has not yet identified a price to me, it depends on how many books are purchased. I have a colleague in Cairo now who is willing to carry a few books home. That also would reduce the price per book. I am checking when she returns to the US.

Howdy All, Magdy Hanafy just contacted me. He has not indicated the price of the book through him, but I will contact him tomorrow. I know that many of you who are interested in the volume have have already purchased them through Shebabcoin on eBay. If anyone still would be interested in trying to put in an order with the author, please let me know, and I will check back with you once I know the price. Cheers, Rusty

Owain is of course completely correct, it is all the proper configuration. If the seller provides a measurement, 70 mm diameter is a 2nd Class breast star and 80 mm is a 1st Class breast star. A 2nd class neck badge & breast star (without the ribbon for the neck badge) with attribution to a specific individual sold in 2021 for 4500 Euros. a 1st Class breast star without the sash badge, sash, or case, ands with enamel damage to one arm, was estimated to fetch 500-800 GBP in March 2023.

still no reply from Magdy Hanafy

Interestingly (although depressing), a badge like the one I recently illustrated in my post here of 16 January, 2024 that was offered by a jeweler in Cairo, Egypt was just sold at a 16 December, 2023 auction (Lot 0165) by Antique Arena Inc. in Brooklyn, NY. The listing is archived on the liveauctioneers website (https://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/166660205_antique-egyptian-suez-canal-grand-insignia-of-a-judge). High-resolution photos were included in that listing, identifying this as an “Antique Egyptian Suez Canal Grand Insignia of a Judge”. Its’ materials are stated to be silver and vermeil. The dimensions are given as approximately 3 7/8 x 2 3/4 in (98.425 x 69.85 mm) and it weighs 112 g. The size of this badge is too small compared with the sizes of Froment-Meurice badges and the similarly larger sizes of badges made by all other makers as well (Rudolf Stobbe, Wolf Horovitz, Zivy Frères & Cie., D. Ialanos, A. de Leo & A. Kassandrinos, and including badges representing 4 additional as yet unidentified manufacturers). Most authentic badges range between 112-118 mm in height and 85-90 mm in width. The smaller size of the Antique Arena example also results in the much lighter weight of this badge. All badges for which weights have been published in auction descriptions range between 141.76 to 173.05 g, with a single heavier outlier of a Zivy Frères vermeil badge at 290 g. I have included below 3 photos that show the supposed “FROMENT-MEURICE” maker’s mark on the reverse of the Antique Arena badge that also is anomalous. In my previous 16 January post I suggested the rayed embellishment on that badge might be original. However, I obviously did not look at the lack of rivets in the photo provided, and maybe the angle makes it less clear that the proportions of the maker's name to the overall badge size were odd. The measurements in the Antique Arena description and the photographs show this is a solid cast piece lacking the 3-part construction seen on all other Mixed Courts badges. There are many examples of the workmanship of Maison Froment-Meurice who originally designed this insignia for the Mixed Courts. They represent the highest quality examples of these badges. As with the piece I illustrated above in my post of 16 January, the execution of all aspects of this Antique Arena badge is quite odd and glaringly inconsistent compared with any other bonafide examples of the Mixed Courts badges by Froment-Meurice or any other manufacturer. The attribution to Maison Froment-Meurice is impossible because of the large number of anomalous design and execution differences compared with the many online images of unquestionable examples of that maker’s work. These images are of higher quality than those I received from Egypt and allow comparisons of the details of this faked badge with other examples on this thread. The appearance of this example and that from Egypt makes me suspect recent work by someone getting at least of a few of these poor copies onto the market. Above is a high-resolution image of the obverse of the Antique Arena badge showing clearly the many anomalous design elements and workmanship of this badges. The image can be zoomed for more unpleasant surprises. The obverse of this badge exhibits many casting defects such as pinholes, misruns (i.e., the medial cord on the left tassel attachment to the mantle corner, and the cord on the medial tassel on the right corner), flash, and vein defects, unambiguously indicating it is not struck. The inconsistencies in design and workmanship compared with real Froment-Meurice made regalia that I noted in my 16 January 20204 post are much more evident in this high-resolution image. As I do not believe this badge is authentic, I am uninterested in cataloguing the design and manufacturing anomalies. I no longer think the central tablet may be original, but the calligraphy is copied from an uncommon form seen on 5 unmarked badges shown in this thread that are not identified yet with any manufacturer. I will confirm that there is no texturing indicating fur on the interior of the mantle, the ermine tails are mere lozenge suggestions, the “fringe” on the mantle is only executed as texture dots (as are the tassels) rather than as detailed yarns, the frame around the central tablet is unevenly and poorly executed, and the "tugra" inside the Order of Medjidie element is a shapeless excrescence. Above are two high-resolution photos of the reverse of the Antique Arena badge that also shows several aspects of the workmanship that indicates this is not an authentic Froment-Meurice badge. One of the most glaring anomalies is the proportion of the “FROMENT-MEURICE” mark on the reverse to the overall badge size. This mark is clearly too large compared with the proportions of the maker’s marks on genuine Froment-Meurice badges. Note the lack of rivets that hold the 3-part construction in place on authentic FM badges, and used by all other makers. Additionally, small defects (blowholes, pinholes, veins, and possibly flash) can be seen that also indicate this badge was cast. While a cast Mixed Courts badge I came across online made me initially suspect it was a more recent copy, the appearance of a second with its case marked with the manufacturer made me change my mind that it was likely the work of a manufacturer (Union de Graveurs, D. Ialanos, A. de Leo & A. Kassandrinos, Alexandria) producing a more economical badge for judges and other court officials (see my post of 3 February, 2022). Those 2 cast badges do exhibit rivets holding the 3-piece construction together, and a higher level of craftsmanship than is evident on the Antique Arena badge. In this case, the attempt to mark a cast badge as the work of Froment-Meurice with such glaring design inconsistencies is clearly just fraud. For comparison within this post, above are high-resolution images of the obverse and reverse of an authentic Émile Froment-Meurice badge. This example is from a 19 June, 2022 auction by Helios Auctions (Auction #33). This is a cropped version of the copyrighted image on the invaluable.com website (https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot/a-rare-ottoman-empire-egypt-judges-badge-by-frome-2d040dba00, ©Invaluable LLC.), the listing is also archived on the liveauctioneers.com website (https://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/130336279_a-rare-ottoman-empire-egypt-judge-s-badge-by-froment-meurice). I previously illustrated and described this badge in my post on this thread of 19 June, 2022. Close-up of the stamped lettering of the alleged “FROMENT-MEURICE” maker’s mark on the Antique Arena badge. This shows forms of the letters that are much less carefully executed than those punched on genuine badges from that atelier. It is common for there to be variability in punches as they wear out and new ones are made, so that maker’s marks will show slight differences. However, this appears to be an example of a less carefully made punch that has thicker letters and greater crowding of several letters than seen on genuine examples. In addition to many visible blowholes and pinholes, this photo shows vein defects from casting, running downward from between the “EU”, and between the “CE” in “MEURICE”. Also note the parallel scratches in the margins of the recessed panel, possibly representing removal of flash or to make this piece appear more worn (also visible in the other 2 images of the reverse of the Antique Arena badge shown above). Above is a high-resolution image of the reverse of the badge from the 19 June, 2022 auction by Helios Auctions showing the "FROMENT-MEURICE" maker's mark on a genuine badge. This image can be zoomed for comparison with the Antique Arena badge's reverse. The letters are crisper and less crowded than shown on the Antique Arena example. Above is another example of an authentic Froment-Meurice mark, showing normal variation representing different wear on punches and imperfect or idiosyncratic strikes. (From an unsold example that has been offered on eBay for many years for a very high price and with some damage to the enamel on the central tablet inscription: https://www.ebay.com/itm/324752955655). Above is an alternate form of the maker’s mark on a genuine Froment-Meurice badge. Several Badges exhibit a lower placement of the “FROMENT-MEURICE” mark below the two large rivets and the diamond-shaped symbol with the Froment-Meurice name and a central rose. From a badge attributed to a Greek official (judge?) with the Mixed Courts, Apostolo N. Gennaropolou, from an archived listing on the WorthPoint website of a 2014 eBay offering (https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/ottoman-empire-egypt-khedivate-judges-982926374).

Thanks for the expert review Owain! I'm still trying to get a response from the author to see about any other source for this volume besides eBay.