heusy68

Hello Bob, Yes for sure Paleis Het Loo is a wonderfull Orders & Medals Museum and the Palace with its park is beautifull too. Do not forget that the Palace itself is open at 11.00 AM with visit of the private appartement of King Wilhelm III,but the Orders & Medals Museum is open only at 2.00 PM !!!! For people who like exotic Orders like me,it's a pleasure,lots of items from Pakistan,Surinam,Indonesia,Nepal,Rwanda....and also a lot a lot of classical Orders also from the Napoleonic time. The bad point is that they have only a small booklet with some photo of their collection and this booklet is only in dutch (I mean not even in english). But a visit to Belgian Army Museum is worth also ( www.klm-mra.be ) and you can have acess to a lot of pictures. Also the recently re-open the Musée d'Armes in the city of Liège where there is a very nice collection of Orders. Also not that far is the Musée de la Légion d'Honneur in Paris who is a jewel since it re-opening in december 2006 (the avalable displaying surface has been multiplied by 5 by the use of drawers) with now pieces from the Spada Collection on exhibition. Emmanuel

I made a mistake in measuring the size,it's 60 x 60 millimeters (not 40).And it correspond to the dimension given by the book of Kleitman. When I took the size ,it was between 10 & 4 on my "slide rule",I was tired,so I wrote 40 for 4 centimeters,but of course it's 60 millimeters. I saw an amazing romanian collection in a shop in Lausanne,and mine is similar to the one I showed to you.Do you have one to show to compare ? Emmanuel

Hello sir, What is your opinion about my Michael the Brave 1st Class 2nd Type ? Fake or genuine ? Size : 40 x 40 millimeters.Thickness : 2 millimeters.Weight : 23,5 grammes. You can see on pictures of reverse that the articulation of the pin is different,much elaborated. Emmanuel

Hello Sir, I'am the person who bought this commander of Order of the Star 2nd type from the Maurice Couve de Murville auction by Spink in april 2006.I do not keep communist award document,and by evidence there could have been a mistake as the document for Order of the Star 2nd Class (communist) didn't matched the Commander which was a Carol II.But you have to know that before WWII Maurice Couve de Murville had already a high position in the administration and he got a few commander & officers from half dozen of countries before WWII.You can check the Spink catalogue online (I guess still probabely available on their website). Most strange is that the communist award document,I removed it from e-bay before the end because a belgian fellow called me to purchased it as direct sale.As this person is a good fellow I said "yes" to him and he bought it. By the way the Commandor I bought is 100 % genuine and romanian made with its case of issue. Maybe Maurice Couve the Murville throw away the communist Order of the Star he got in the 60ies after the revolution in 1989.But one thing is sure,none of the few awards given to him prior to WWII were with their award document. Emmanuel

Hello Sir,all the Police Medals of Bahamas were made by Toye Kenning's of London in silver (there is their hallmarks on reverse).For the awards of the Royal Bahamas Defense Force (R.B.D.F.) I guess it's Spink,but there is no mark on reverse attachment system and no mark on medal too. Actually the medals from the R.B.D.F are not in silver,but in silvered metal. Emmanuel

Hello Sir, Yes they were made in the UK,but not by Spink & not Fattorini.I have the case which goes with the Officer,but I do not have time to look in all the amount of case I have.But there is an inscription to a Judge of the Supreme Court for that Officer. Also the Grand Commander set Megan posted the picture is the set awarded to Chiang Kai Chek President of Republic of China in 1972.All the decoration of Chang Kai Chek are displayed in the Chang Kai Chek Memorial in Taipeh,and you can take pictures.And believe me he got a lot of awards. Nowday Gambia is among the very few country that recognise the Republic of China as the onliest China and who have no diplomatic relation with the People's Republic of China.The current President of Gambia,HE J.J.Jammeh visited Taipeh in 1996 and he was invested with Order of the Brilliant Jade and the then President of Republic of China was awarded Grand Commander of the Order of the Republic of Gambia. Quality of awards of Gambia is very high for a so poor country,here I post Gambia Long Service & Good Conduct which is made of heavy silver (40 grammes!!) and very thick (3 millimeters).I now have take the weight of a british campaign medal,it's about 35 grammes!! Before I began to collect I went to Banjul in 1984 (by Taxi from Senegal,and I have crossed the river on a small boat to go to the city,and amazing experience in itself).But in the early 90ies Gambia began to be a low cost destination for belgian & french tourist (cheaper than Senegal). When you were in Sierra Leone were you interested by Orders & Medals already ? I have some of them too.At a time Orders from Sierra Leone were made by Huguenin in Switzerland,and now by Cleave from London,but most of the medals were ever made by Spink and some of them come to market,directly out of the Spink drawers,when Spink was bought by a Singaporean Company in 2002. From Sierra Leone prior the Republic was established (1971) we have very few datas except ribbon charts and the commonly seen General Service Medal. Thanks. Emmanuel

Usually the breast star of the Order of the Star of Anjouan is 8 pointed. A few months agao,on a very well known internet site sale,this breast star came (6 points). I never saw such a model before,and I didn't boughtit,but I kept the picture. So you can now enjoy it. Do not ask for size,hallmark or anything else.I just keep the picture as a memento. Emmanuel

Here are 2 specimen of Order of the Star of Anjouan from the version after 1899. The knight at left is early (before 1914) and the officer is not a recent ones too. Most of those made in the 50ies & 60ies were made of bronze-gilt,not silver. But again you have lots lots of variation in size,finishing,reverse (concave or convex)... Emmanuel

Hello Gentlemen, The Order of the Star of Anjouan has been made with lots of variations.Including some with the word "royal" missing.To add to confusion the Republic of Comoros reinstituted the Order of the Star of Anjouan as its highest ranking award in 1992.There is even a Grand Master Collar now (for the President of Comoros only).The 1992 version is without the word "royal" of course and of cruder workmanship. I agree with James,the Order of the Star of Anjouan was created in 1874,and reorganised on 18 june 1892.The Order of the Star of Anjouan was then after recognised & allowed by Council of Minister of France 12 September 1896 & declared a Colonial Order. (Source : Les Ordres Coloniaux Fran?ais by Brasiet & Brunet Paris 1899 ). For memory France established its full Protectorate on Comoros (for the 4 islands) on 6 January 1886. The 1st ribbon was red bordered in white.By a decision of 11 July 1898,the Concil of the Order of the Legion of Honour had imposed that the decoration of the Order of the Star of Anjouan could NOT anymore be worn without its ribbon. The ribbon changed from the red bordered in white,to the bleu one with 2 tiny orange stripes towards edge around 1899. I have to add that in 99,8 % of the badge you can see the right hand in the center,but it exist a very rare variation with the left hand. Here I include picture of the 1st Type of Order of the Star of Anjouan (unfortunately they aren't mine). The 1st picture has only the Motto : "Sultan d'Anjouan" and is supposed to be a model given before 1886 (Protectorate).The second picture has the motto (also enameled in green) : Ordre Rotal de l'Etoile d'Anjouan Comores. The 1st is in silver,the 2nd in silver gilt. But watch carefully those pictures,it's the left hand which is on center !!! Do not ask picture of reverse,or hallmarks,they are NOT mine. Emmanuel

Here we have Medaille of Military Merit.Instituted by Ordonnance N?81-02 of 6 june 1981 & modify by Law N?90-28 of 24 november 1990. This Medal is awarded to Officer & NCO for 20 Years of Irreproachable Service. This Medal can be awarded after only 15 years if the soldier has also been awarded the Wounded Medal. I have add a picture of the side,so you can see,it's 2 part construction.Very well made for a modern award. Emmanuel

And here we have Medaille de l'A.L.N. or Medal of A.L.N. which was National Liberation Army (A.L.N.) This medal was instituted by the same law 84-03 of 2 january 1984 than the Resistance Medal. But no-one could apply for both !!! The A.L.N. Medal was for military fighting units (against the french army),and the Resistant Medal was for the civil who were doing sabotage or similar action against the french. These medals are sometimes numbered on reverse. Emmanuel

Hello Elvis, This medal is Medaille du Resistant or Resistance Member Medal (Teilnehmer der Resistanz gegen Franzosichen) Instituted only on 2 january 1984 (Law 84-03). Emmanuel

And its reverse.

Hello Gentlemen, Lots of people have heard about,but nobody seems to have kept a file concerning this medal.Hopefully I did print the page of the catalogue which was then online.It was auctionned in may 2003 in Germany.The starting price was 1250 euro,and if my memory is good it was sold 2000 euro ( +20 % of course).In that auction there was 6 others hawaian Order (Kalakaua & Kapiolani) The catalogue discribed it.Dimension : 43,5 x 31 millimeter.Weight : 16 grammes in silver.The catalogue said that only 6 specimen of this medal are known. I have to add that Order of Kalakaua Knight have their ribbon with wider bleu stripes.The ribbon on this medal looks more like Order of San Marino Reverse picture will follow. Emmanuel

And this is the one which was sold at UBS auction in november 08. I include the picture,just to show the difference in workmanship and script on white band too. Emmanuel

Hello Gentlemen, I have to add that real one are silver-gilt,so never never the reverse should looks silvered !!! On real one,even if tarnished by oxydation of silver,it ever remained a little bit of gilt. Also the reverse double pin is an horror,and the throat & breast of the tiger MUST be enameled too. The "funny" people who manufacture them in China should be fired from a well-known internet site sale.Those people are so stupid that they have manufactured "mix" of japanese & chinese Order. Hopefully as long as I have able to see,they have only manufactured breast star.But recently appears on the well-known internet sale site,a breast star of the Order of Merit (Wherlich page 94),that was a fake too,but that was sold very very expensive. Unfortunately China is not the onliest country that has seen its rare award faked. I have in mind Commander of the Order of Merit of Katanga,Commandor of the Icelandic Falcon Kingdom era,Finland White Rose with lion facing eachothers !! and the so many fakes of German Imperial Order,but as I'am not specialised in Germany,I'll let to people who know better than me,the job to aware collectors. Shame on those who make them. Emmanuel

Hello Gentlemen, Unfortunately this piece is not in my collection,but in the collection of a friend. It is Order of the Union of Burma neck badge (2nd class).It is in gold and reverse is plain (except a rivet).That Order of Union of Burma was awarded to a minister of the ex-communist countries in the 50ies. It's the onliest I had the chance to have in hand,actually its size is more or less comparable to a C.I.E. (Companion of the Indian Empire). Emmanuel

Hello James, yes it is,but only about Kingdom of Madagascar.Almost all the black and white picture are coming from this book published in the 70ies + also the book published about the Decoration at the Museum of Dijon (France) where the grand crosses of Sadi Carnot (President of France around 1889-94) are on display.Concerning coulour pictures,there is even one which comes from me. But beware the Order of Radama with white ribbon with bleu stripe is a later copy.Actually the Order of Radama was still in the production catalogue of Company Delande in 1934. How to distinguish later production than from the real one ? Before 1879,the french export hallmark for silver item,is the head of greek god Hermes (you can also see this god on the first stamps of the third republic of France).It's a god with a helmet.Also the real one are always gilded and very shiny (no silver patina). Also the real ribbon (red with tiny horizontal white stripes) has never been re-done later. Emmanuel

The book on Madagscar is now for sale on e-bay : 220401564938 but 99 euro is a little bit expensive. I think Daniel Renault ( shop Platt Numismatic , rue de Richelieu in Paris still has some for 25 or 35 euro ) If you are interested ,tell me and I can call this shop,then if you have a paypal account you pay me and then I can got 1 for you,I go to Paris the next time on 7 or 8 may. Emmanuel

Hello Norman,information not so hard to get. Try the site of Ed Emering for info in english : www.themedalhound.com then click medal index,then click french overseas,then country name.Ed has gathering pictures from his own collection and different collaborator. In french you have the book of Nicolas de Roffignac on African Post Independence Awards,a very well made and very helpfull book (still available to buy on different book supplier in Europe),with lots of black and white pictures of lots of African Medals and Orders.But it is in french,which is for me no problem,but despite this fact,this book was a succes of sale in the english speaking world simply because it is the onliest.Spink still has this book in stock,but they are not the onliest.If you give me your e-mail,I can pass the info to the author Nicolas de Roffignac,and then he can send you a book (signed). Also a very good booklet published in the 70ies by the Madagascar Numismatic Society with lots of pictures (also still available in Paris and also on a well known internet sale site). If someone would have the good idea to post pictures of Orders of Swaziland (they now have 5 Orders),that would be great,because for us in Europe,that is really difficult to get. Emmanuel

Hello Dragomir,you can send the file to me,and I will re-size them. My e-mail : svieta@skynet.be Emmanuel

This is a breast star of National Order of Madagascar current type,and it is locally made,and there is lots of variation,because they are made one by one (when they need to award one actually). The way they are made is very local...but under the current law of Madagascar National awards have to be made on ths island. Emmanuel