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Most likely, you have a bronze-gilt officer or 4th class badge made about 1900-1908 in Vienna by Schwertner. This opinion based on the badge's overall appearance, the 'Czarist' type suspension crown and that the reverse side oakleaves are not enameled.

Thank you for posting Henry Tufton Godden's biography/service record and images of his other decorations!! You are fortunate to have these family awards indeed!! You are correct that the DSO is his, most certainly confirmed by the central cypher--that of Queen Victoria. It may be possible to find the original citation for his DSO -- several persons research British military archives for reasonable fees. Though I have little expertise with those matters, other GMIC members may be able to assist with researchers' names and contact information.

First, Detlev, a magnificant bar and wonderful to have to holder's identity!! The Bulgarian piece, probably made by Schwertner of Vienna judging by the center and enamel work, so maybe a pre-1910 and, at least, very likely a pre-1914 award. It is worn reversed on this bar with the obverse turned to the wearer's chest. Reason may be the bar constructor's ignorance or owner's dislike of Prince/Tsar Ferdinand whose monogram appears in the obverse center. Usually awarded in this grade/situation to foreign officers training Bulgarian forces, as a courtesy, or for other peace time service. On the regular [not Military Bravery] ribbon, an option introduced in 1915 and lacking the the 'war decoration' instituted in 1917 for this class. The 'war decoration' consists of a green enamel laurel wreath similar to that of the Imperial Austrian Red Cross award placed around the center medallion. In that variation, the center medallion motto ring base color of green [as in this example] changes to white. Most collectors call this award the Bulgarian Order of Military Merit. The actual decoration name may be rendered as 'the [bulgarian] National Order of Merit, Military Division' and in this case a '5th class with crown.' Prince Ferdinand created this Military Division of the National Order in 1900. Works by Acovic, Petrov, and Denkov--among others--provide detailed analysis of this Order.

I do not know what these insignia actually represent but have seen them identified as an "Order of the Crown of Crete" and a "Patriarch's Order of the Crown", both what some call 'self-styled' orders Several similar stars, though not as well made as yours, exist with one being offered recently on eBay. The badge looks similar to some Coptic Egyptian church awards [bichay of Cairo made these type insignia up to about 1985]---is the other side the same as your badge image? Does either piece have maker or hallmarks?

You are most certainly welcome. Thank you for sharing images of these beautiful awards! Based on the award dates, it is possible that your relative was seconded to the Khedival administration in some capacity. Most members would appreciate viewing, or a list of, any other medals associated with your relative that you may have or know about. That would help place them in context.

You have two excellent condition, cased Ottoman awards. The one in the red case is indeed a 3rd class Medjidie and the other, a 3rd class Osmanie. Both appear to be of 1890s-1910s manufacture. Given the provenance, these are very likely the actual awards earned by your relative.

French citizens AND foreigners may wear miniatures of the type kindly shown by Graf--although Graf's example is a deluxe model with a brilliant at the wreath top and brilliants replacing the usual white enamel in the badge body. French award statutes usually specify miniature design and display parameters, especially for order insignia. Miniature display method----National usages usually determine whether badges are suspended from a ribbon attached to a bar OR whether they are directly attached to a small chain. French [and most other national] practice almost always uses the bar with ribbon method nowadays. This approach allows the grade of an award to be clearly indicated by appurtenances attached to the ribbon [Graf's commander ribbon shows the rosette upon a silver bullion tape canapé; a knight uses a simple ribbon, an officer a simple rosette, a grand officer a rosette upon a half silver-half gold canapé, and a grand cross a rosette upon a gold canapé]. In most cases, chain display makes award grade difficult to determine. Before WW I, the chain method was often used in mainland Europe [Austria, for example, even had special miniature chains designed for use with specific orders when worn in miniature] while the UK and other countries used the ribbon method more often. Of course plenty of exceptions can be found. German miniature groups of that era seem to be split into both types, maybe depending on the wearer's individual state origin?

Firemedals' identification seems on target, especially if the Ike jacket was worn while the owner served in a State Guard unit. I've no idea whether the following fits in a U.S. context but perhaps will be of some use as it relates to a European WW II connection. It's true that medal ribbon 'on hand' was/is used as needs be and that French manufacturers supplied some U.S. ribbon. Some U.S. veterans got involved in foreign veteran societies. The ribbon in question is sometimes seen on the Franco-British Association Cross, a WW II veteran's organization membership award. [Founded in 1933, the Franco-British Association aimed to improve relations between the two countries. During and after WW II, its activities included maintaining ties between military veterans of the two nations and their Allies.] The ribbon was intended to suggest both the British France-Germany Star ribbon and the French Legion of Honor ribbon. However, the Cross is most often seen with the ribbon imaged below. [French tricolor + British blue, white,red suggestive of the 'Red Duster' flag]. French members often wore the ribbon with the tricolor to the left [as shown below] while British members reversed the ribbon so that the tri-color appeared on the right. See http://fr.geneawiki....Britannique.jpg A tricolor red white blue ribbon also is reported with this award.

A fine looking, excellent combination! You have had good fortune to locate a sash quite compatible with your set!!!

Thanks to you both, a pleasure to assist. I agree with Markus that Military Agent's serrated or dentated end Menelik sash [item 5-6325] conforms most closely with your set's presumptive origin. British and German export sashes usually most frequently use fringed ends, like Military Agent's item number 5-6321.

The first Military Agent sash appears French assembled and the second one German made..... Your choice may depend on whether you have a French or German set. Even though it has no maker mark, I tend to think your set is of late French [1970s] manufacture based on the reverse finish, pin shape & crown attachment rivets. Since the mid-late 1950s, at least, almost no sashes are made of 'real silk' in any case--usually they are rayon synthetic material often with a printed morie pattern. At best, silk on cotton is used.

Thank you for your continuing work, Emmanuel!

This sash color/dimension is quite correct and the price much cheaper than what Bertrand or Bacqueville would charge for a complete sash!

Sincere thanks for an excellent presentation of a largely overlooked award! The coat of arms issue, widely debated at one time in Uruguay, revealed wide-spread displeasure over use of 'Argentinian color shades' and 'desexing' of stallion horse & bull ox!

If a Bertrand or Chobillon made piece [1920s-1970s], their mark usually seen on star pin and badge suspension ring [another GMIC page details French maker marks]. If silver gilt, very likely there's a hallmark in same locations as well. Bronze gilt base material pieces, after about 1950, will have maker's marks only. Other makers possibly include German [Dreschler in 1970s?], Italian [Gardino in 1930s] and British firms at least. A star with a Bichay of Cairo inscription exists, so probably 1940-50 issue. Da Costa of Lisbon currently manufactures this award, usually in silver-gilt. Their 'maker plate' appears on the star pin hinge attachment boss underside. Visit the official Imperial Ethiopian [Crown Council of Ethiopia] website for more info. Numbers of awards are difficult to determine given loss of most records in Addis, numbers awarded in exile, et cetera. The award remains active under Crown Council of Ethiopia aegis. Based on image posted alone [quality of enamel and metal work plus weight] your example likely appears to be a post 1950, probably bronze-gilt, Bertrand set. Next most likely maker, Dreschler or related firm. If you need a sash, both Bertrand and Bacqueville of Paris may have material for sale.

This is a star to the 'pseudo' Order of the Holy Ghost dating from the 1990s to about 2008. Several internet sites discuss this order. A visit to Guy Stair Sainty's websites or a look at his remarks in Burke on pseudo orders probably offer the most accessible information. [While Stair Sainty is perhaps not entirely objective in evaluating such 'orders', he almost always has accurate factual information on the who, what, where, when and why of these things.] Besides stars & badges, collars of this order exist. A collar recently sold on French eBay for about 80 euros.

What appears to be a gilt Kingdom type military badge on offer at eBay USA -- 220990921482. Vendor claims it's a commander but doesn't provide measurements; if image scale is inches, then maybe it's an officer grade.

Material regarding an Order of the Crown of Tunisia did not surface in the course of a 3 hour long briefing at the Tunisian Ministry of Information [with participation by a senior secretary of the Tunisian Orders Chancery] conducted in 1972 although documention on all other Beyical orders was freely and generously provided. In 1979, Colonel Guyadier reported [maybe in Sabretache?] that a pretender to the throne, Rechad Al Mahdi, awarded the Order of Glory and the Order of the Crown to his [financial] supporters. Don't recall any further information. Most authorities opine that Rechad Al Mahdi is/was not the 'true' pretender however. The former Tunisian law of succession stated that the 'eldest prince' became bey & possessor of Tunis. See http://newsgroups.de...2/msg01706.html for further discussion. At one point in the 1980s, Rechad Al Mahdi, or his supporters on his behalf, claimed the Libyan throne as well. This claim evaporated when adherents of Crown Prince Sayyid Muhammad al-Rida bin Sayyid Hasan al-Rida al-Mahdi al-Senoussi, then in his early 20s, rebutted.

If you have not already seen the thread Order of Albrecht the Bear (Anhalt) a look there may be useful. As to sashes, most pre-1940 made sash material is markedly thicker than more recent material, usually composed of silk on silk [warp & woof] material sewn with silk thread. It is true that plenty of old stock is still around and it is possible to fabricate silk on silk material today--at a price. However, even most high quality modern made sashes are all rayon or rayon on cotton. Some have a printed morie 'watered' pattern but that is generally only on one side. The 1980s Bear sashes I referenced are made of rayon---burning a loose thread will reveal the composition --and have very, if not exactly, similar zig-zag [pinking] finishing to the sash 'tails'. These appear about 2/3 to 1/2 the thickness of pre-1920 made material. I do not have Gerd Scharfenberg's 1999 Die Orden und Ehrenzeichen der Anhaltischen Staaten available: That work includes images of original badges. It may discuss differences between original and copy badges. Detailed analysis of differences between original and copy Albert the Bear insignia exists in several German language SDA/BDOS Journal reports and I seem to recall that at least one article on the subject appeared in the JOMSA [perhaps in the 1970s?]. I do not have access to any of this material but another GMIC member may have them available. Commander badges seem to be the most often copied pieces. Some copied lower classes lack detail. Original badges have certainly been 'married' with replacement sashes.

Sash, as Saschaw notes, curious and quite similar to those sold by E. Blass, among others, from 1989-2003. Price in 2003 was about US$30.

Wied awards in far greater numbers than reported by Klietmann, according to Prisoner of Durazzo & sources as unimpeachable as Madam Durham and the Black Eagle Ordens Sekratar!!! Obviously, Prisoner of Durazzo relies heavily upon the Six Month Kingdom and Madame D's published research! Nonetheless......

Seems Andreas Thies' latest auction catalog offers an Aftab set. Images now on-line at his site.

Many thanks for the http://deutsches-weh...rchiv.de/7.html contact!!!

Interesting & highly useful post!! The "Uniformen-Markt" contains valuable information [including on non-German topics] not readily available elsewhere. For example, Drs. Neubecker and Klietmann contributed much information from 'official sources', including dispatches from German ministries, embassies & consulates, that no longer exists at the point of origin. Laurence, I see the CD on offer via Amazon, Germany & ask if you know of a cheaper price than 90 euros?

Yes, thank you, the link works now. The ribbon appears to be a very dark blue, similar to Leopold II tint, so #7 is not Peruvian. I agree that the rosette seems to be 2 lateral thin red lines brought together in the center and that usually rosettes have the same pattern (reduced) as the full size ribbon. With the Admiral's service record, perhaps an as yet unknown Naval Merit Order of Merit? But not a NATO country?