paul wood

What a nice set, Spink are swine not letting you have a piece of riband. Hope someone can help you. Paul

Last site is very good, however it is more often down than up. Paul

Many thanks Megan, Paul

Not having available sources to N. Koren medals can somebody tell me what the medal is? Paul

I personally have a very uneasy feeling about the coin it seems very much like the fantasy issues that were produced post war for the Channel Islands, allegedly to have been made for the the Todt organisation but in fact made in some numbers by an American entrepreneur in the 1970's (see Currencies of the Anglo-Norman Isles, A. L. T. McCammon, Spink 1984, p. 166).

It looks fine to me. They were made by C.W. Thomas They are not a good quality as the Spink Circular Medal by Bowcher but nice to have ribbon with it Paul

Chris, I am suprised at this because I thought the erstwhile Duke of Albany and Saxe-Coburg-Gotha (Carl Eduard) had an honourary rany which he retained post 1941. Paul

Haynau you are absolutely spot on brief biographical details available on Wikpedia. Paul

Presumably he was a formers Student before enlisting, he certainly wouldn't have had anything masonic as the Fuhrer didn't like such things.

The inscription is in classical Greek and means pledge or surety but no way is it masonic more likely to be a student fraternity. Paul

Looks like a perfectly normal pre 1951 Knight's breast badge to me, probably an issue post liberation. Paul

Dear Paul, If you look at ANS 2 there was a Turkish section which had a virtualy complete group of the Osmanie and Medjidie with scimitars. My suspicion is that the Ottoman Empire adopted such devices more for the benefit of Central Power allies than for their own troops. Certainly they are rare in all cases and extreme caution should be used by anyone thinking of purchasing examples as they have been (the scimitars) extensively faked (not suprising when you can multiply the value of a 5th Class badge by many times). Paul

Kevin, I wonder if they may be badges to commemorate crossing the line (the Equator) Neptune fetures strongly in the ceremony, Paul

PS. SC is "by the consent of the Senate"

It is the Venetian Senate's Student's Merit Medal for Literature. Following the disbandment of the Jesuits in 1773 there was a need to provide something to fill the educational gap they had left. The senate sent state teachers to continue the education. Under the Decree of the Senate 12 May 1781 allowed medals for the best pupils in their fields to be conferred anually. The engraver of the mint Anton Schaeffer was commissioned to make the medals. There were 4 grades of award large gold, large silver, small gold and small silver. The best student received the large gold, next best (your medal) large silver and so forth. The ceremony of conferring the medals took place iin August and was attended by the highest dignateries of the state. Hope this information is of assistance. Paul

The Grand Dukes of Tuscany were members of the Habsburg Lorraine family which were also the ruling house of Austria-Hungary. Maria Theresia married Francis I of Habsburg Lorraine who was also Grand Duke of Tuscany. The last ruling Grand Duke Ferdinand I died in 1908 and therefore were entitled as the head of a Royal House to bestow dynastic decorations. From his exile (in Austria) he bestowed the orders. Hope this is of help. Paul

Could you please illustrate the Hallmarks it would be interesting to see. Paul

Circa 1980 they renovated the Bath chapel, somebody was able to buy all the stall plates from around the Peninsular war/Waterloo period. At the time they were more common than flies round a dung heap Paul

Fot those of us not up to reading Chinese is there a key in English , I would agree most useful books. It would be nice if someone could do the same for Republic and War Lord pieces, I know Barry Weaver is producing a book on the Imperial series. Paul

Have checked the 1920 Navy list under RNR no sign of him there. Paul

I lot of this stuff came out of Ethiopia in the late 1980's and 1990's and was sourced from a European gentleman who worked and lived out there (haven't deen him for about four years). I handled at least 10 UN Korea medals as well as quantities of the Order of the Trinity, King Solomon's Seal, Menelik II and the Star, in all cases no ribands but with UN Korea they are as easy to obtain as dog muck on the pavement. Whether other pople were doing similar things to my man I don't know but I know they were alsoturning up in one or two European auction houses. I don't know whther the supply has now dried up but certainly there are more of them on the market than you would suspect. Paul

The difference is that fake VC's and GC's and the like usually have copy stamped on the reverse. These do not and what is worrying is that these will be being offered in years to come on E bay thus confusing the issue of what is right and what is wrong. Hopefully with China opening more and more up to the west somebody will be able to produce a definitive work on this material with at least an English summary, until this happens we will be at the faker's mercy. Unless a copy is clearly marked as such, even if it is of poor quality, it is potentially going to catch someone out. Paul

I have looked in Guerra "Ordenes y Condecoranciones de Espana". He lists quite a few International Brigade commemoratives but not this one, so ergo I would assume that it is quite rare. Paul