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Antonio,

Thanks - I'll search the Arabic Internet when back in Riyadh, however I suspect that whilst ribbons have been awarded the medals have not and remain images on certificates.

Owain

PS 'tamreen' is the Arabic for exercise so third from right is 'Exercise Decoration'.

Antonio,

Bottom row right to left:

Hajj Decoration - only certificate issued no medal produced.

Centenary Decoration.

Tamreen Exercise Decoration - no evidence that it has been manufactured.

Tabuk 1 Exercise Decoration - no evidence that it has been manufactured.

Friendship 1 Exercise Decoration - no evidence that it has been manufactured.

Jazirah Force Shield Decoration - no evidence that it has been manufactured.

I am in UK at the moment but will follow up on my return to Riyadh next week.

Regards, Owain

Antonio,

Yes a recent new award - the order of the wall - an award to recognise service in securing the state of Kuwait. Initially a British company was involved but I think production went elsewhere and the finished product is not of good quality .

Regards, Owain

Mark, Many thanks indeed. I will try and track down the post WW1 awards and if she is not there then I suspect she is the 3 June 1916 award and see if I can track down a medal card - this would also men that she is entitled to a War & Victory too. I'll keep everyone posted. Again thank you. Owain

Gentlemen,

I am currently researching the awards of my great great aunt May Evans (1884-1980) but am having difficulty in locating her ARRC (Associate Royal Red Cross) award notification. To date I have the following:

MBE LG 2 January 1933 - Miss May Evans, Senior Nursing Sister, Nursing Home, Baghdad, Iraq (no mention of ARRC).

Iraq Order of Rafidain 5th Class Civil LG 12 March 1937 - Miss May Evans MBE ARRC 'valuable services rendered by her as Senior Nursing Sister in the Iraqi Health Service'.

MiD LG 23 September 1943 Mrs May Chadwick MBE 'in recognition of distinguished services in Persia-Iraq' (no mention of ARRC). 

May married in Baghdad in 1939 Major Charles Rowlad Chadwick, sometime Inspector General of the Iraqi Veterinary Services, also OBE later CBE and Rafidain 4th Class.

I do not believe she held any military rank in Iraq during WW2 and thus her MiD if worn would not have been on a medal ribbon.

Thank you for any assitance provided.

owain

Gentlemen,

I have been meaning to add these images for a while - I took them when I was last back in UK.

They are of my Order of Ismail,  3rd Class,  by Bichay.  The case outside notes,  'Farouk The First',  and inside the manufacturer is stated as Tewfiq Bichay,  but the name on the reverse of the badge is Fahmy Tewfiq Bichay - the son of Tewfiq Bichay.

Owain

Merci beaucoup. In addition to being worn on miniatures, the 'galon' (new word to me) is also worn in undress uniform when only the ribbons are worn.

With regard to the Order of the Nile, from my experience the badge of the 4th and the 5th class is the same with the class being differentiated by the rosette on the ribbon and the designation on the case of the award.

I attach another miniature group which I displayed in a Romanian thread on GMIC last year - there is also a Nile here - from the 'galon' it is a 2nd Class award.

Regards, Owain

In essence the wings and rosettes designate the class or degree of an order when worn in miniature:

• Gold & rosette - 1st Class
• Half gold / half silver - 2nd Class
• Silver - 3rd Class
• Rosette only - 4th Class
• Ribbon only - 5th class

As to what their technical term is, upon reflection I have no idea - there is probably a French word for them.

Owain

Thanks for the Saleroom link - this example - see below (copyright Baldwins), and indeed the 'royalark' example - see below (copyright royalark), are like my suspensionless example. A visible difference is the tail on the Q of Sadiq on the reverse upper inscription - it extends both ways on the 'original' and the lower inscription Sadiq Q has a longer tail on the 'original'. Yes, the pair on offer would be nice as fillers but the price of $100 and $600 respectively does not make them a sensible purchase.  Owain

Paul,

Great to see you back on line.

What do you think? Are the one with suspension original? They look different to my 'without' suspension piece - mine has higher definition - e.g. moustache and epaulettes.  I think they are copies???

Owain

• Upper inscription - "Peoples Democratic Republic of Yemen"
• Lower inscription - "Order of State of/for Labour Excellence" (State Order of Excellent Work)

Gentlemen,

I have had for some years one of these medals in bronze/copper but missing its suspension - see below.

Recently I have been offered 'as is' a silver and bronze/copper examples of the medals complete with suspension. I am well aware that over the years a number of the Bahawalpur series of medals have been copied or reproduced. To be fair to vendor, with whom I have excellent dealings over many years, he has stated the pair are 'as is' and he makes no claim as to their status.

Perhaps one of you may have a view? My 'gut feel' is that the pair have a more recent past.

Kind regards,

Owain

Gentlemen, Are the reverse letters "RMBI" - Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution? Regards, Owain

Chris, Thanks for the update - I tried the Arabic internet with various translations but so far no success - I'll persevere! Owain

My understanding, at least for the UK (maximum 4 stars can be worn), is senior star at 12 o'clock and then in order of precedence/seniority at 9 o'clock, 3 o'clock and 6 o'clock. However as Fuad is not answerable to any authority he can wear them as he wishes. Farouk's stars are in order of precedence but ideally the Mohammed Ali should have been above the other two stars - but he was king........, Owain

Nick,

It is the Order of Devotion and according to my limited research - no access to any instituting laws, it is a three class civil award - 1st class gilt & purple ribbon, 2nd class silvered & yellow ribbon and 3rd class bronze with blue ribbon - but I am not 100% sure that the ribbon sequence is correct although I have an attributed 1st Class award and certificate  the ribbon is purple . It would appear that the PDRY awards system is in accordance with Law 45 of 1978 but to date I have been unable to source a copy of this law.

Kind regards,

Owain

It is a nice picture and the stars are being worn in, I believe, the correct order of precedence - the sash appears to be one of watered silk. Owain

Good morning from Riyadh,

The Arabic reads, 'Al Nil' (the Nile).

The miniature of the Republican Order of the Nile is a scarce item as the order is a one class order - star, sash and sash badge. I attach an image of miniature group to a South American minister or similar which includes such a miniature.

Kind regards,

Owain

P.S. Over the years I have acquired piecemeal - a full size breast star, a sash,  a case,  but no sash badge...........if there is one out there please let me know!

Peter,

Subsequent to the 1948 war six pointed stars, which had also been a feature of Arabic design, were no longer deemed acceptable.

Owain

Further this order I attach and image of the bronze piece I obtained from the American Numismatic Society auction at Morton & Eden in 2007. This is, I believe, a very early piece, but as to whether it is a specimen or not, I do not know, however as can be seen from the image there is no space for any name to be engraved.

Regards,

Owain

Hi - what you mention is interesting. I have never seen such an example of the Order of Merit with a space for a name to be engraved - do you have any images? All, of the six pointed stars that I have or have seen have the common reverse. Regards, Owain

Gentlemen,

A small group just landed - nothing out of the ordinary, but a pleasing set with a wound badge device.

Regards,

Owain

922F,

Good post - yes two types of the Order of Merit. Many years ago I met with Bichay in his retirement in Canada and he specifically mentioned this award noting that he had advised or had been advised that post 1948 a 6 pointed star regardless of historical precedent could/would no longer be acceptable and thus the design was amended to 5 pointed star. I attach below some more examples

Regards,

Owain

Gentlemen,

Some more miniatures. These were one of the many lots offered at the Spink auction in December 2017- with an estimate of between some GBP100-200.  I bid GBP500 thinking I would be in with a serious chance - they were knocked down at 800 or so - plus hammer almost GBP1,000 for nine minatures - surreal.

They consist of

1st Row:- Military Star of Sultan or King Foud (no image of the reverse to ascertain which version);  2 x Military Stars of the Republic (the first has the correct suspension as a bar/clasp on the ribbon and the second is missing its suspension);  Medal Commemorating the Eradication of the Gambiae Mosquito 1945.

2nd Row:-  Military Medal of the Republic 2nd Class; Medal of Duty 2nd Class; Medal for Meritorious Acts 2nd Class; Medal Commemorating the Cholera Epidemic 1947" ; Khedive Abbas Hilmi's Bravery Medal 1913.

.....and I only wanted the Fouad Military Star & Medal for Meritorious Acts.......next time, deo volente.

Owain

Good morning from Riyadh,

Yes, a nice pair but my own bid was unsuccessful. Ah well, never mind. Presumably the pair was bestowed upon some manner of civilian administrator in the 1920's or thereabouts. I am assuming the Nile miniature was made in the UK as the Arabic, although recognisable as 'Al Nil' (The Nile), is not correct.

I took the picture of the above gold and silver Mohammed Ali Medals from the display at the Abdine Palace in Cairo.

Kind regards,

Owain