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Thanks for posting this remarkable Red Star! Awarded in 1969......any idea why Filipov received this award? Major Sino-Soviet border disputes earlier that year or left-over from '68's Prague Spring?

My pleasure. Given that yours is on what looks to be a 'seasoned' red ribbon, perhaps a suspension for a royal Order of Christ commander.

Linasl, you probaby are searching Republican [post 1910] Portugese orders' insignia images. http://coins-la-galerie-numismatique.com/orders-medals/order-christ-275 offers an image of a royal [pre-1910] Order of Christ miniature knight badge with a Sacred Heart suspension. Here is a royal Avis Order commander with one----http://www.faleristica.org/?attachment_id=1234. I refer to web images as I cannot seem to post them. Neck badge & Grand Cross Sacred Heart suspensions are about 25-30mm diameter; knight & officer insignia have 10 to 20 mm diameter Sacred Heart suspensions. Sometimes royal badges had crown suspensions and sometimes Sacred Heart suspensions; stars, except for Villa Vicosa, usually display a Sacred Heart. Note the Heart on the royal Christ star on the 2nd web-page header.

Most probably a detached Sacred Heart suspension from a royal Portugese Order. Note especially what may be a hook at the bottom reverse for securing a pendant. Usually about 25-30mm diameter.

You're most welcome! If you wish to collect all 5 classes, online dealers or auctions sometimes offer this award, often as 'unknown medal' or 'Monaco decoration'. Knight & Officer insignia are relatively easy to locate but the stars are, as one would expect, hard to find. Grand Officers' distinctions are an officer's breast badge + star and Grand Crosses a star, badge [same size as commander] & sash.

Yeah, and ID tag holders seem the preferred AF hanging system!! ....oooops, sorry Jeff..... Now if he was a Marine....... Just ex-Army humor......

Interesting acquisition. Often described as Médaille associative du Mouvement de Résistance "Combat", reportedly an award of one of the biggest WW II French Resistance groups' veterans' organizations. Apparently a typical French-style 5 class decoration, earlier pieces [1950s-70s?] usually enameled both sides. Beside actual veterans, membership criteria can include those who materially assisted the organization, financial supporters and perhaps veterans of post-WW II Algerian and Indo-Chinese expeditions. Insignia made in Belgium at one time [Fisch]. Often ribbon has a narrow central black stripe, significance unknown. Internet likely has more information on the movement: Some French collector sites offer a bit more information on insignia.

I'm fairly sure some of his offerings are recent [year to month old] made like the Boxer, Man. Red Cross & as you mention, some Auspicious Clouds. I'm no expert on these type ribbons but the Enthronment & Korean Annexation look and feel like old silk....must try the burn test. I bought 2 varieites of Auspicious Clouds from him, one like the image and one that matches old stock...... Various auctions and ribbon banks [like OMSA] sometimes have old original materials but that's sort of luck of the draw. Couldn't find replacements anywhere else & these fill the void cheaply....

Obergefreiter's bar likely includes a Bulgarian Soldier's Cross for Bravery [a comparatively small silver or white medal cross on a light blue ribbon with silver side stripes], not a Military Bravery Order piece. The bar most likely originally belonged to an enlisted man or NCO. Several detailed discussions regarding the Cross already exist on GMIC. It was not a 'been there' type award. If, on the other hand, it is an enameled cross, then it is probably a 4th class, second division [red enamel] or much rarer 3rd class, second division [white enamel] Order of Military Bravery--almost certainly awarded to an officer. dedehansen appears to be thinking of the Bulgarian Order of Military Bravery, almost always awarded to officers and in the 2nd class [neck badge]a very scarce award for general and above officers. The Soldier's Cross for Bravery affiliated to the Order is often described as the 'enlisted' version. "Correct" lst class Soldier's Crosses are gilt with a bow on the ribbon; 2nd class -- same without bow, 3rd class, silver [ed] with a bow on the ribbon; 4th class -- same without bow. Very few full-size German bars have Crosses with bows, probably due to both infrequent awards and unfamiliarity with mounting them.

АЛЕКСАНДР ХАРИТОНЧУК [Alexander Haritonchuk?] shimanisu@mail.ru has a variety of apparently original & more recent replacement Japanese & Manchukuo ribbons. He sells directly to individuals and on eBay, see item 300871725973 for what's on hand. I've dealt with him several times & am fully satisfied. Keep in mind postal transit time are usually unpredictable.

Thanks to all for this informative and highly useful information!!

Bob seems to have cornered Skenderbeg mini & ribbon group market!! All very interesting groups. Post 13 green ribbon, given context of other awards, is most likely a Hungarian Regency Merit Order; rosette 'wings' imply neck badge & star or grand commander level award. Or maybe green with envy due to Bob's good fortune.... Some people believe that a small swastika device on German Eagle ribbons means pin-back award and the larger size [as here] means a neck badge.... Any other theory?

Always a pleasure, mon ami!!

Jeff, Often called Serbian/Yugoslav Order of St. Andrew or varients [for charitable work or for those wounded in war, or .....maybe for a contribution of money for good works]. Most sources say unofficial but 'tolerated' by former royalist govts, some say founded in exile by an organization under Peter II's 'patronage.' Ribbon usually like your example. Dragomir probably knows more accurate information.

All very exciting additions! For the bar above, hard to say precisely what class Bulgarian Soldiers Bravery Cross, if that's what it was, accompanied it---most likely a 4th class. Bulgarian published sources emphasize very low award numbers for gilt ones [lst and 2nd class]. 'Silver' ones [3rd & 4th class] were relatively often awarded to allies. For Bulgarians and---in theory---others, the lst & 3rd class would have a bow on the ribbon. If a Saxon medic owned this bar, the Bulgar Bravery cross [if a statutory piece] would be without swords--nearly impossible to find an original whatever the class. If a Merit Medal on Bravery ribbon, then most likely 5th [bronze with crown] or 6th [bronze] class. Next candidates are 4th [silver] or least likely 3rd [silver with crown] class. First and 2nd classes are probably rarer than 'medical' Bravery Crosses.

You've identified the British awards in the top and middle row. Bottom row - French Legion of Honor, Egypt Nile, Italian Military Valor Medal, & Hedjaz Order of El Nahda. Legion of Honor, Nile & El Nahda all 5 class awards so suspect lack of rosettes and 'wings' indicates they are all 5th class awards. Italian Military Valor Medal awarded in 3 classes, gold, silver & bronze--the color of the small star on the ribbon usually identifies the level of the award [here appears to be silver].

Thank you for this useful contribution! N.S. Meyers of New York [out of business since the 1990s] is among the manufacturers of these awards; have seen their mark on all but the Valor Medal.

Again, Very Nice Nick!!! Thank you!

Combine with suggestions at thread Mystery Ribbon on a TR/Olympic Ribbon Bar: Allgemeines Ehrenzeichen, Großherzog Ernst Ludwig, Für Tapferkeit Hesse-Darmstadt - Ernest-Ludwig Bravery Medal? But why here w/o other WWI awards?? Or maybe.......MANCHUKUO Auspicious Clouds?? A 1938? Manchukuo Handbook lists the number of awards to foreigners including a few Germans. Sorry can't seem to add images of either award/ribbon but GMIC search will reveal some.

Check ebay lot 120944755905 for this ribbon bar & a full size but unmounted group!! Cannot determine whether full size pieces are an unique original awarded group based on ribbon or metal condition and lack of mounting evidence. On the other hand, reverse of ribbon bar seems to indicate it has been assembled for some time. Orders, other than the Military Order of Savoy and its present iteration as the Military Order of Italy, do not necessarily precede medals [even campaign medals!] in the Italian award mounting system. Auction catalogs & Internet images [e.g. EBAY 230852776509] of many Italian mounted groups offer evidence of this practice. Italy's Libya campaign medal, instituted in 1913 by Royal Decree 1144, continued to be awarded through 1938-42? for military, police, some civil & related services in suppressing Libyan Senussi and other anti-colonial forces. Typical Italian style date bars [specific dates and award authority unclear to me] could be affixed to the ribbon indicating exact time of award. Most examples lack these bars however. Bear in mind that the Italian Turkish War medal ribbon is the same as the Libya medal. However, if ebay lot 120944755905 is 'correct', this ribbon bar represents a Libyan campaign medal.

30 years ago, 1+ [very basic] reading & 2+ [minimal communication] speaking, today: 0 reading & 1- speaking. Owain, among others, probably has much better translation abilities/connections.

Allgemeines Ehrenzeichen, Großherzog Ernst Ludwig, Für Tapferkeit Hesse-Darmstadt - Ernest-Ludwig Bravery Medal? But why here w/o other WWI awards?? Or maybe.......MANCHUKUO Auspicious Clouds?? A 1938? Manchukuo Handbook lists the number of awards to foreigners including a few Germans. Sorry can't seem to add images of either award/ribbon but GMIC search will reveal some.

Items shown in posts 85 & 86 above are two different divisions of the same award issued by Columbia for participation in the Korean police action. The Medalla por Servicios en Guerra Internacional [Medal for Service in War Overseas] was established by 1952 Decree number 812 in 2 divisions. The Columbian coat-of-arms appears in the obverse centers. Apparently issued only for the Korean action, so far, each bears an inscription & design relating to that specific conflict on the reverse. The divisions reward either valor [Cruz de Hierro--Iron Cross-type insignia] or meritorious acts [Estrella de Bronce--Bronze Star-type insignia].

Chris, Thank you for your information--was totally unaware Protocol had been reprinted in any edition/language! That should make it somewhat easier to find copies. Do you know if Olson reprinted "Uniform"? I do not find it in Books in Print or bookfinder.com or alibris.

Peter, The correct ribbon color for The Royal Egyptian Medal for Distinguished Service is indeed violet usually a shade slightly darker than the standard French Academic Palmes ribbon color. Jeff's example may have a replacement ribbon. Source: "Protocol". Chris refers to a book published on behalf of the royal Egyptian Office of the Grand Chamberlain in 1947 entitled "Protocol"-- likely the most authoritative and comprehensive reference on the subject. This book appeared in Arabic, English and French editions, all with colored illustrations of each degree of each award. A similar volume, "Uniform" describes royal Egyptian military and civil ranks and insigniae. Both are very rare books, Fahmy Bichay owned the only copies of "Uniform" [Arabic & English versions] I've ever seen. A few copies of "Protocol" exist in national libraries [usually in the legal section since catalogers appear to default to listing based on decrees and laws relating to awards]. A few collectors have copies as well, usually in French or English. A hardbound publication, all editions originally had red hardboard covers with the title [in the appropriate language] embossed in gilt. The Republic of Egypt distributed a similar lavishly illustrated soft cover book [printed in the UK] in the late 1970s. This book had Arabic and English editions. Some English copies include a French précis. Editions originally had glossy blue paper covers with the title [in the appropriate language] embossed in gilt. Unfortunately, this work does not include or cite all applicable laws & regulations in any language and the English & French versions suffer from clumsy and incomplete translation. To my understanding, these two references form the bedrock for Egyptian award study. As to why they do not appear on-line..........