Ed_Haynes

Yes. With the "Orchid", very Chinese. The others are much more self-consciously "Manchu".

Nice! And those senior Manchuguo awards (not really "Japan") were made in such small numbers.

An amazing photo. Seeing these faces across the centurioes . . . wow!

Actually, I just sent off an e-mail to try to find out.

Also anxiously awaiting more information here! If it was to a Mongolian, he was a Biggie. More got the Soviet variety than the Russian Federation one.

However, as we all know, "Buy the medal, not the story". And always try to confirm with research. For this one, it won't be easy, probably impossible.

Our friend in New Jersey has one for $7400 and a (non-matching) certificate for $470. So . . . ????

But a fascinating sociological commentary, like the "commorative" medals being produced in the US and UK (and ??? and ???) for those who don't feel their medal group (or ????) is long enough.

Though I'd think that today's Russia had enough medals (at all levels) to satisfy anyone's "needs"?

Thanks!

Thanks for this.

Purely (impurely?) commercial, or made up at the request of some organization?

Surely nothing official.

(Wish it were possible to get some of these. )

New arrivals, discussed in more detail over in the Russian Federation sub-forum.

Maybe this thread should be moved there? (I don't have that Power.)

Very tentative identification. Help???

Note that the rimmon seems to be the same as that for the Medal ?120th Anniversary of I. V. Stalin?.

Tentative identification.

Thanks, everyone!

Much fascinating new information here and a lot to chew on.

Thanks!

Yes, a very nice and interesting set.

Done. No problem. Good to see this.

Wonderful! Truly.

Thanks.

Oh! While far FAR from anything I collect, those are nice to see.

Thanks to all for their posting!

Are they named? (Stupid question, perhaps ....)

No problem. It is just that it may be easier for the China experts here to make a call with more detailed images. Chinese awards have become dangerous territory.

I have a perliminary opinion, but I am far from "expert"!

Can you show a closeup on both obverse and reverse, please.

The medal is the French colonial medal, the M?daille comm?morative de la campagne d'Indochine.

For more, see http://www.france-phaleristique.com/indo.htm

The clasps, as far as I know, are quite unofficial inventions.

Nothing Vietnamese.

I suspect many foreigners used the ubiquitous Afghan tricolor ribbon on things to which it didn't belong, simply because it was available. This has certerinly been done into the 1980s, at least. Earlier, so little information was available on Afghanm awards (for example to the British) that it was general policy in the 19th century just to let recipients use whatever ribbons they wished for Afghan awards (especially since the wearing permission was usually tightly regulated for these awards and there were few legitimate wearers of Afghan awards -- not everyone that was given an award would be premitted to wear it under all circumstances).

Moreover, I think we here (as elsewhere) risk making a tremedous error in expecting too much scientific standardization in the colors used with ribbons from any place (at least until the post-WWII period, and maybe later that that). Color quality could and would vary from manufacturer to manufacturer and from batch to batch and often you just got as close as you could or, if that wasn't poissible, used whatever was at hand. This really isn't rocket science, never was.

There is tremendous confusion and misunderstanding over these royal Afghan awards. James has given the best summary possible, given current knowledge. A shame the records are lost.

It would be as easy (actually, easier) to scan this material as a PDF as to photocopy it.

Very VERY interesting! Thanks to both of you.

How do you distinguish between "military" and "civil" topis? In India, at least, that line was elusive and shops made and sold what they did.

Very interesting publication!

Do as you will. If killing my initial post is required, I do understand. But I'm not sure that was the issue at hand?

I do still have an interest in (and a quest for) this medal.

There would certainly be an interest among OMSA members, a society which holds Eric in the respect he deserves.