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Paul,

They have gone to a good home. I am hopeful of getting a photo of Dr. Firth as and when and indeed if it arrives I will post it for you and others to see.

Kind regards,

Owain

Excellent Emmanuel - you really are the expert when it comes to African awards.

Regards, Owain

And finally....A pair of cased gold cufflinks, each with a row of claw set sapphires to the centre, to a textured ground, with swivel fittings, hinged fitted case by Joaillerie Nagil Tabbah Beyrouth (2) Est : £130.00 - £180.00 00 – Bid £225 – Hammer - £350

As you will note I bid on all of these and without success except for the already mentioned medals and also the watch and watch chain.

Further to contact with the auctioneers I have gained the following information about Dr. Firth and also hope the get a picture of him in due course.

"My uncle, who went to school at Malvern College, trained at St Georges' Hospital in London (Hyde Park Corner) and was awarded the Hunter Medal (which we still have). During the war he was posted to Egypt and we think he was attached to the Inns of Court Regiment. He was sent home to recover from a serious illness.. On his return he was posted to the British Military Hospital in Baghdad and lived in a house formerly rented by Agatha Christie. He was a Major in the RAMC and worked under Sir Harry Sinderson who was Physician to the Iraqi Royal Household.

When he returned home he set up as a private family doctor in Mayfair and maintained his Iraqi connections through the Iraqi Embassy. He was Faisal's guardian while the future King was at Harrow School. After the assassinations he cut all his ties with the Iraqi Embassy but kept his relations with the royalist army officers who remained in London."

Regards, Owain.

A high carat gold gentleman's signet ring, with a niello enamel portrait of King Ghazi I to the oval head, to tapered gadrooned shoulders. Tested as approximately 22ct gold. Finger size approximately P-Q

Est : £280.00 - £350.00 00 – Bid £450 – Hammer - £700

A high carat gold rectangular cigarette case, c.1950, the round cornered, rectangular hinged case approximately 131 x 86mm, decorated with a niello portrait of HRH Abdullah, Regent and Crown Prince of Iraq, in officer's uniform to the front cover, and Iraqi royal coat of arms to the back case, tested as approximately 22ct gold

This case was made by the court jewellers, Sigal, with the niello work carried out by local Amara craftsmen, and presented to the vendor by HRH Abdullah, Regent and Crown Prince of Iraq, for Christmas 1950/1 saying 'I have had my picture put on it so that you will never forget me'

Est : £6000.00 - £7000.00 00 – No Bid – Hammer - Unsold

Gentlemen,

In addition to the medals there were a number of accompanying lots:

A gold telescopic action propelling pencil, with a square section body, with ruler markings from 0-6 inch, tested as approximately 14ct gold

Est : £120.00 - £180.0000 – Bid £225 – Hammer - £280

A cased rolled gold Elgin open faced pocket watch, with a cream dial, gilt Arabic numerals and hands with subsidiary seconds dial. Case marked 'Keystone No. 51748, Movement No. 36762605'. Hand engraved to the back case with a crown, facsimile signature and date. Suspended on a gold fancy bar link watch chain with a bolt ring clasp, replacement rolled gold swivel clasp broken, chain tested as approximately 14ct gold.

This watch was presented to the vendor in London 1959 by Col. Salman Dargazelli 'on behalf of the Free Iraqi Officers'. It had been presented to him in 1941 by the Regent of Iraq in recognition of his loyalty in the Rashid Ali revolt. Col. Dargazelli returned to Baghdad under promise of safety, but was shot dead by Saddam Hussein in person.

Est : £100.00 - £200.00 00 – Bid £300 – Hammer - £310

More to follow.........

Dear Megan, Gavin and Brian,

May thanks t you all for your input on this matter - ii is much appreciated. I have moved very rapidly from zero knowledge to being comfortable with attempting a deal. I'll see the vendor again in a couple of weeks - he is now traveling and I'll report back as to what success I have.

Kind regards, Owain

Lorenzo,

I purchased the group last year for $1,275 which was i think a fair price for me as purchasre and frio the vendor . I have a lone unnamed star from ten years ago at $250.

Recently I have been offered a named single star for $1,650 which to my mind is far to much - I think a common sense price would be about $500 to $750 but I am well aware that Baghdad based prices are not very sensible.

I have a miniature which I paid, I think, $100 - I must be mad!.

Regards, Owain

I attach image of reverse of Bravery Star,

Owain.

Gentlemen,

Another group of Iraqi medals mounted and with a name :

• Iraq Bravery Star 2nd Type named to "Mulazim Thani (2nd.Lt., Habeeb Dhahir, 2nd Battalion".
• Faisal II Police Distinguished Service Medal
• Active Service Medal
• Faisal II Police Long Service Medal
• Faisal II Coronation Medal

As there are no WW2 medals nor a Rafidain Order I would suggest a career commencing after WW2 and possibly coming to an end with the 1958 Revolution.

The uniform ribbon bar is in a different order.

Regards.

Owain

Thanks Lukasz for the information - any idea what a good price would be? It isn't silver thus no bullion value - sometimes here in Saudi / Yemen / Oman I have been sold medals by weight!

Regards, Owain

Many thanks Megan. Has anyone any idea as to the value of such a set?

Will,

Yes, lots of potential for research and I hope to get a pciture of Dr. Dixon Firth in due course - possibly some supporting documentation as well, but not guaranteed.

Lorenzo,

You are correct - a UK issue miniature Faisal Coronation. In the past I have seen one similar full size group to the British Butler at the Iraqi Embassy - I think it consisted of Royal Victorian Medal or British Empire Medal, a couple of WW2 medals, the Rafidain Medal and Faisal Coronation Medal - I was broke at the time and thus couldn't afford to bid!. I now have 3 full size UK manufactured coronation medasl - out of 5,000 = 0.06%!

I am sorry I cannot post any further images as the medals are in UK and I am in Riyadh - I will actually get to hold them when I next visit UK in August / September.

Regards,

Owain

Gentlemen,

I attach the image of a nice Rafidain group, plus miniatures which I have recently purchased, awarded to Dr. Dixon Firth, sometime Medical Officer with the Royal Iraqi Household after the the Second World War:

• UK Defence Medal 1939-45
• UK War Medal 1939-45
• Iraq Order of the Rafidain 5th Class Civil ( with blutack affixing ribbon crown to suspension!)
• Iraq Active Service Medal
• Iraq Faisal Coronation Medal

The table medal is one of a series issued during the early years of King Faisal II reign commemorating various civil works.

Regards,

Owain

I attach an image of Type 1. I think this example may have been made by either Bertoni (Italy), IKOM, (Zagreb) or Fattorini (UK).

Regards,

Owain

Chris,

I suspect that when Gaddafi renamed the Republic a Jamahariya and changed the flag from red, white, black to plain green the award kept a white central stripe to allow the script to be read more easily. As you say not the most attractive of awards - very functional but I suspect a relatively scare piece - I have not seen this particular Type 2 for sale elsewhere.

Regards,

Owain

Two more images.

Gentlemen,

Some success in the Riyadh souk the Libyan Order of Good Work. A nice cased 2nd Type.

Type 1 Republic of Libya - with red, black white centre

Type 2 Jamahariya of Libya - with green, white green centre

No makers marks on this piece but possibly by the Italian manufacturers Bertoni. The central inscription is a quotation for the Koran Chapter 5, Verse 10,

"Unto him (God) ascend all good words, and the righteous deed does he exalt.To Him mount up (all) Words of Purity; is He Who exalts each Deed of Righteousness"

This award is seen on some of the photographs on Gadaffi when in uniform.

Kind regards,

Owain

Gentlemen,

The Arab world is my focus and hence I request the more knowledgeable amongst you for any identification on this cased award on sale in the souk here in Riyadh. All in excellent condition including the presentation case - breast stat, neck badge with neck ribbon..It is an individually hand crafted set in silver with gold embellishments and most attractive. Can anyone confirm the identification and relative scarceness of such a set? Any ideas? The vendor had various other Egyptian awards some of which I purchased and I am led to believe he bought a job lot of awards in Cairo some 10 or 15 years ago. No price given as yet but if I could get a good deal I may be tempted if only out of curiosity and it really is a most attractive handcrafted set .

Kind regards and thanks,

Owain

Gentlemen,

The Arab world is my focus and hence I request the more knowledgeable amongst you for any identification on this cased award on sale in the souk here in Riyadh. All in good condition includng the presentation case - breast stat, similar neck badge with embellished suspension and neck ribbon. The only anomaly appears to be the ribbon brooch which does not match the neck ribbon. Any ideas? The vendor had various other Egyptian awards some of which I purchased and I am led to believe he bought a job lot of awards in Cairo some 10 or 15 years ago. I am aware that the North Koreans were involved in the establishment of the Military Musuem in Cairo and thus may have had other involvement with the Egyptian military hence this award. No price given as yet but if I could get a good deal I may be tempted if only out of curiosity .

Kind regards and thanks,

Owain

Just off to the airport........

The circular mark - too indistinct for me to recognise an image - is suggestive to me of European manufacture - not British - possibly French - is it a "swan" - the Frech export mark?

Or could it possibly of eastern European manufacture?

Owain

Here photos of the original sizes. I have asked colleagues from Russia to find a photo of these veterans of better quality.

Thanks - signing out now, I'll be back later. Owain

Great image of the reverse and it would appear to have a mark on the pin but unclear.

I would surmise that following the overthrow of Sallal in 1967 the Egyptian sponsored awards of Saba, Marib and medals of Bravery and Liberation became obslote atnd the ruling Republican Council instituted a new award of Marib to replace the previous series and thereby make a break with the Sallall (Nasser supported) regime. Once the civil war was over, the early 1970 series was possibly an attempt to have a unifying series of awards and the second type you illustrate became obsolete.

Great information, as this implies / infers/ proves that there are three distinct issues of the Order of Marib - the GMIC proves its worth yet again. This is the first documentary evidence I have of the award - really excellent news. It would appear to be a very short lived award. Any idea who made it?

Nice picture of Pavlovich - with star, thus dating the issuance to 1967-9 - between the end of the Civil War and the 1971/2 review of the YAR honours sytem - any award certificate?