heusy68

Hello Gentlemen, Here is Mauritania National Order ( on ribbon bar of the general it's upper row at left ). Here you can see a 3rd Class ( commander grade ).Lower grade miss the surmounting crescent & star. Emmanuel

Hello Gentlmen, Just to mention about Saudi Arabia Naval Medal. It's a 3 classes awards,but when it's the 2nd class medal (here on the left side),the medal is silvered and also the palm tree with crossed sabre must be silvered too. On 1st class medal (on the right side),the medal is gilded and the palm tree with sabre on ribbon must be gilded too. Actually those medal are often found without their ribbon,and it's not so easy to get them from their manufacturer (Arthus Bertrand). Reverse is blank. Emmanuel

Hello Gentlemen, Sorry but it is not Yemen,it's Burma/Myanmar. The one at left is a kind of Meritorious Service Medal,the one in the middle is Valourous Fighter Star (it's the translation from reverse) and the one on right is a Long Service award for the 3 service of the armed forces. The one on the right is not so easy to get in Rangoon market,but those on center & right yes. Actually almost never with their ribbon,but OMSA ribbon branch has some of them. Actually ribbon are correct for those medal,I went to their Military Museum ( very boring communist like museum ),but at least there is 1 showcase with a group of awards,and I took notes (pictures forbidden). The day I arrived in Rangoon in february 2006,there was a wedding party at my hotel,and I was with the groom in the lift.He was to my opinion N.C.O. (he was in uniform with shoulder rank) and he was wearing the medal which is on center and also the one on the right. Emmanuel

Would you want me to ask my friend in Beirut if he still has that medal ? I'am more or less sure he would or could be keen to sell. Emmanuel

Hello Lorenzo I agree with Owain,the dealers of Baghdad are completely "nuts" in their price. Ounce a friend from Beirut forwarded me a picture he got on his cell-phone.It was the Hedjaz Medal of Ma'an ( a medal from 1920 ).The seller in Baghdad wanted 2000 US $ !!!! What a joke ! That medal you can found it in France on medal show for 60 to 100 euro ,and I got mine on e-bay for 40 euro. Do never pay what they want,bargain,bargain,even if it take hours. I ounce bargained in the lobby of my hotel in Cairo for about 3 hours.The seller wanted 600 US $ for an egyptian medal,after 3 hours I was so fed-up,but I got the medal for 80 US $ + 100 Egyptian Pounds for the gas of his car (total +/- 92 US $).The staff of the hotel seeing me bargaining for 3 hours were so laughing to watch at me,but they congratulate me after.Usually westerners don't bargain so long. I'am sure if you bargain for 3 hours in Baghdad you will get this medal for 200 US $. And if my memory is good,one of my friend in beirut has this Sport Academy Medal also (which he didn't pay 900 US $...believe me). Emmanuel

And the reverse of the Rama VII Royal Cypher Medal

Hello Gentlemen,there are a lot of Thai Royal Cypher Medals (each king except Rama VIII has its own). Here I can post a Thai Royal Cypher Rama VII ( 1925-35 ) of fourth class. The center is in gold.On next topic I will post the reverse of it. First class is entierly set with diamonds,second class has red enamel cypher with surround set with diamonds,third class has royal cypher in gold,but also enameled in red (no diamond on thrid class). Fifth class is entirely silver. Emmanuel

Hello , Great Find I really never heard about that site. But were those medal actually manufactured,or were they manufactured without enameling colour ? Anyway very interesting. But I doubt Rwanda Armed Force have a shop where we could buy them.... In Belgium & France none of these never came to market as yet. Do you have such others web site from african ministries of defense or Chancellery ,but with display of their awards ? Not Burkina Faso,not Kenya,not Cabo Verde,not South Africa (those we have). Emmanuel

Here is the Gambia Order of the Republic 1st Class set complete,as it is shown on display in Chang Kai Chek Memorial. In this museum visitors are allowed to take picture. Emmanuel

That specific book with multiple picture by page,I do not have. What I have is the book printed by Fattorini of Birmingham for the Government of Ghana (same picture),but 1 picture by page. For those who do not know,the medal manufacturer Fattorini of Birmingham is (was ?) the onliest manufacturer for Ghana Medals & Orders in the late 60ies,70ies & 80ies. It seems the contract for the Ghana 50 th Years of Independence Medal was given to another company. Emmanuel

I agree Concerning Derg regime ribbon,I have to say that we will almost never be 100 % sure of which ribbon is correct with which medal. The Civil Long Service,Police Long Service,Wound Medal we know,but others are still a little bit confuse. Also some didn't liked the official ribbon,like those turkish servicemen who replaced the ribbon of their Korea War UN Medal in turkish by a plain red one,because they didn't liked a ribbon which matches too much the greek flag. On few documented award you may also be disapointed when you discover that there is a mistake in the Prieto listing or also in the Gaszewski listing (for this last one there is some mistake in the malaysian states ribbons).Sometimes you discover the mistake ounce you see,or discuss with an officer of this country. It's ever a hard job. Emmanuel

What do you mean ? Because if it is on the site of a dealer it MUST be right,and I must be wrong ? emedals , Barry Turk has this medal on its site with an orange with darker stripes ribbon (ref IO272). But guess what lots of dealers know few about medals but what they KNOW is that it is always difficult to sell a medal without ribbon,so they put any loose ribbon that cannot be "clearly indentify" on it. Don't you know ? Also believe me Barry Turk don't care at all of so exotic stuff. There is a good web site for ribbon,the one of Mr Prieto,there is a few mistake but he do a great job. Actually orange ribbon with dark bleu stripes is the ribbon for Rwanda Medal of service and from Pattiala Royal Household Medal. Actually for Rwanda there cannot be any mistake,as the medal was manufactured by Arthus Bertrand and also because I took hours to copy and make some sketches of ribbons colours (from their ribbon books),just to keep records of ribbons of medals and orders that come never or almost never on market. Emmanuel

Here is a picture of the small neck badge which is in gold. It seems that the Order of Volta has now chnaged of ribbon colour ( sky blue with tricolour edged stripes ). Emmanuel

Here is Order of the Volta from Ghana.It's Companion grade. It is in original case by Fattorini of Birmingham.The sash badge is in silver-gilt,but the small neck badge is in gold.That particular one was on auction in october 2008 and was not sold. Emmanuel

Here is Lesotho Order of Ramatseatsana ( officers rank ). As long as I know at origin the Orders of Lesotho were in 3 grades and insignas were as this : Knight Commander ( corresponding to +/- G.B.E ). Commander ( corresponding to +/- C.B.E.) Officer ( corresponding to +/- M.B.E.) I took corresponding with Order of the Bristih Empire,because it's a well known award that everyone know. I saw ounce an Order of Mohlomi ( reported as Achievment Order in the Wherlich,which is an error ),as a breast badge (only silvered),with same ribbon colour as the one posted by Megan which is actually a Commander. From the picture of the Professor who was awarded Order of the Mohlomi in 2006,it is clear that they have change the ribbon coulour to match with their change of flag.And they might have introduced a garde of Commander with Star .... ? It's only a supposition for this last ones. Emmanuel

Here is Uganda Nalubale Medal whith what I believe is its original ribbon ( I'am 99 % sure ). Emmanuel

To be complete I post the Togo : Military Merit Medal. Emmanuel

Here is a picture from Order of the Pearl of Africa ( Uganda ). Courtesy of Spink. Emmanuel

Here I can show Togo : Order of Academic Palm Unique design and I never saw another one.Manufacturer unknown. Ribbon is correct. Emmanuel

This is a better picture of Order of Merit of Togo (officer grade). For us who live in France or near France,they are easier to get,as Arthus Bertrand,Marie Stuart & Baqueville were selling them in the past to anyone who asked for (now not anymore). Arthus Bertrand is nowdays agreiing to sell only Comoros Order of the Green Crescent (very expensive). Also in France we have lots of medal fair and those pieces have either been awarded,or stored by dealers,and are from time to time available for sale.By those pieces I mean National Order of african countries.I also mean that specific merit medals & specific merit orders are seldom offered for sale. Also flea market in Paris is good for those who want to found things (but nowdays you would have to be lucky,as most of the people now put things for sale on ebay). As long as I know in South Africa,there is not that much Orders & Medals from neighbouring countries offered for sale. Emmanuel

It's Singapore Armed Force Overseas service Medal with Non Operational ribbon. There is no difference,it's just obverse & reverse of the same medal. Most of the Singapore Medal are swiveling. Emmanuel

On the left is Singapore Police Medal for Overseas Service current type (if my memory is good post 1996). On the right it's Singapore Armes Force Overseas Service Medal current type. Before there was a different ribbon for operational & non operational mission,now not anymore. The current Singapore Armed Force Overseas Service Medal current type is always named on reverse. Emmanuel

Here I can show the Kuwait Liberation Order 2nd Class. It's in metal gilt (not gold!) and there should be an enameled device on ribbon. I founded it in Milano like that. First Class is a neck badge with red enameled arms,and looks +/- similar to Kuwait National Defense Order (which is a breast decoration). Emmanuel

I agree,concerning ribbon of Lesotho they have change them ( somewhen 4 to 10 years ago ). Skinner Company who manufactured the Order of Lesotho in the 70ies,80ies did not manufacture them anymore. Emmanuel