ARAB MEDALS -- Somalia

[Ed_Haynes]

While it may seem a strange "Arab" State, Somalia is a member of the Arab League, and so I include it here. As with many other Arab awards, good sources do not exist and online sources are extremely limited.

http://faculty.winthrop.edu/haynese/medals/somalia.html

http://www.medals.org.uk/somalia/somalia.htm

http://www.omsa.org/photopost/showgallery.php?cat=637

http://www.netdialogue.com/yy/Africa/Somali/Somali.htm

http://www.coleccionesmilitares.com/cintas/cintasaf.htm#a and go to page 4 of the general Africa page

[Ed_Haynes]

Medal for the War with Ethiopia, 1964-65

For war January to April 1964.

Obverse: Bronze circular medal, 33 mm. Somali coat of arms and the inscription ?REPUBBLICA SOMALIA?.

Reverse: Inscription around the edge: ?CAMPAGNA SOMALO-ETIOPICA? and, in the center, ?GENNAIO / APRILE / 1964?, with two palm crossed branches at the bottom.

Ribbon: 35 mm, half yellow (left), half blue (right).

[Dave Danner]

Order of the Star of Somalia, from the recent La Galerie Numismatique auction. Yuri Yashnev's site (on Ed's list) also has images of some other classes of this order.

[Ed_Haynes]

More on the Order of the Somali Star:

Established: Unknown. Known to have been manufactured by Pozzi (Rome, Italy).

Obverse: Five-pointed white and blue enameled star (each point half white and half blue), leopard in the center, walking to the left. Suspended by a crescent and star OR crescent and enameled wreath enclosing a large ?S?? Two varieties here, but what dates?

Reverse: Inscription ?RS?.

Ribbon: Equal stripes: blue, white, blue.

-- grand cross ? sash, sash badge, and breast star

-- commander -= neck badge

-- officer - breast badge, rosette (?)

-- knight - breast badge

[Ed_Haynes]

Medal for the Republic of Somalia

Prersumably for independence?

Obverse: Circular medal. The Somali coat of arms and, above, ?REPUBLICA SOMALIA?. Integral suspension loop.

Reverse: Within a laurel (left) and oak (right) wreath, the inscription ?1? / LUGLIO / 1960?.

Ribbon: Fifteen thin stripes, alternating light blue and white (blue outermost). That is, eight light blue stripes and seven white stripes.

[ilja559]

Medal of the Supreme Revolutionary Council.

[Antonio Prieto]

National Medal for the Security Sector Reform

Medalla nacional para la Reforma del Sector de la Seguridad (Somalia)

Created in 2011, in bronze (gilt finished). 36 mm diameter

[Megan]

Yet another area that needs more work!!!!

[chechaco1]

1950-1960

[chechaco1]

[922F]

Does material concerning  SOMALILAND [1991-present, a non-recognized state, territory mostly the former State of Somaliland earlier known as British Somaliland, capital, Hargeysa] merit a separate thread?   Apparently, the entity recently awarded medals to nationals for superior service.  Poor images [from https://www.govsomaliland.org/] herewith suggest that obverse features the national flag.

[Megan]

Had a look at Somalia ODM today, started tearing hair out. Little documentation or references to be found.

 

It appears that once idenpendence was gained there was a short-lived Republic of Somalia (1960-61?) followed by a Democratic Republic of Somalia (1969-1991), which had different medals entirely. If there was something inbetween, apart from a lot of brawling, I've not found it yet.

 

The Order of the Somali Star, which pops up all the time when you start searching, apparently belongs in the first Republic of Somaila. I don't think it survived past then.

 

Of course, after writing this I then turn up a pile of medals from both the Republic and the Federal Republic, as well as the Italian Protectorate that preceeded them, in a couple of recent Spinks catalogues. As the dear souls at Spinks allow me to use their images, I shall sift through them and try to make head or tail of them in due course.

 

But dearly beloved is waving beer at me so not right now 🍺

[oamotme]

Good Morning Megan,

 

Further to your post I would advise that I am having a small booklet published on Somali awards. This is based on my exhibit at the OMRS Convention last September,

Somalia The Awards of a Failed State

An attempt to document & display the awards of the Somali peoples from 1950 the time of the British Somaliland Protectorate & Italian Administration of the United Nations Trusteeship, through to independence in 1960 as the Somali Republic, the 1969 military coup & declaration of the Somali Democratic Republic, to the nation’s collapse in 1991.

 

I was pleased to have been awarded a Gold Medal for the exhibit. Somali awards are a bit of a niche topic! As and when the booklet sees the light of day I will let you know.

 

Kind regards,

 

Owain

 

[Megan]

That will be useful...

[Megan]

Now trying to organise what I have discovered so far which will appear on my website shortly.

 

Owain, do you want my notes or shall I post them as a PDF here?

[Megan]

I'm puzzled. (what's new, you might ask, especially where Somalia is concerned).

 

What on earth is this?

 

So far, I have 3 identifications for the beastie - found as a neck badge or chest badge, also aa a star.

 

Owain Raw-Rees (2003) identifies the chest badge version as being the Star of Military Merit from the Republic of Somalia era (1960-1969), thinking that it may be a sample.

 

However  there's a more widely identified and more likely candidate for the Star of Military Merit:

 

eMedals, offering a neck badge version as part of the Dr Albert Goodwin Sale, identified it as the Order of the Somali Star, which it most definitely is not!

 

Spinks think - according to the catalogue for Sale 23001 earlier this year - that it is the Order of Somali Solidarity from the United Nations Trust Territory/Italian Fiduciary Administration (1950-60) period!

 

Given the neck badge and star, not to mention the enamel, makes it being an order a bit more likely. The star is of Italian manufacture (the same manufacturer as made stars for the Order of the Somali Star...).

 

 

So, does it date back to the UN Trust Territory (which was administered by the Italians) or is it something the current, disorganised, Federal Republic of Somalia has come up with but which hasn't been documented enough for anyone to identify the few specimens we've seen so far?

 

Edited May 1, 2023 by Megan
Got interrupted by lunch!

[oamotme]

Megan,

Hey presto.....as sold by me - they are the UNTT/IFA - Order of Somali Solidarity - Law 7 of 30 Sep. & Decree 116 of 17 Nov. 1956 - short lived and obsolete upon proclamation of the Somali Republic.

Owain

 

[Megan]

Magic, Owain.

 

Now to go finish up that page on the website with a bit more confidence that I've got that bit right!!!!

 

Was it 3 classes? So far I've found pictures of a breast state, a neck badge, and a chest badge bereft of its ribbon.

Edited May 1, 2023 by Megan
Thought of a question :)

[Megan]

Now been having fun, by the simple trick of translating the name of the law into Italian I've lucked into a database of old Somalian laws. now busy translating

 

So far

 

LAW No. 5 of 20 January 1963 Establishment of decorations for military valour (which seems to be the Republic of Somalia updating awards instituted during the UN Trust Territory period...)

 

DECREE OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC 18 June 1966, no. 271 Establishment of the Somali-Ethiopian Campaign Medal January-April 1964.

 

Wading through the rest. made more difficult as they seem to have issued decrees every time someone receives an award! Nice if you want to do recipient research but I'm more interested in the medals themselves.

 

[oamotme]

Megan,

In the early 1970's the decrees  change from Italian to Somali and really are a challenge to translate!

Sadly the series of laws is incomplete with photocopied pages overlapping and in some instances missing and also misfiled but at least some can be found

Owain 

[oamotme]

Megan,

I note  you refer to Decree 271 of 18 June 1966, Establishment of the Somali-Ethiopian Campaign Medal January-April 1964. On the Italian legal website this law is noted but not accessible and on the Somali website most if not all of the decrees for 1964 are missing. The words 'needle' and 'haystack' come to mind!

I am currently reviewing a draft edition of my Somali booklet.

Owain

.

 

[Megan]

Correct, I found that it wasn't actually available either. Most frustrating. GRRRR.

[oamotme]

Megan,

Some progress - some 36 pages - really no more than an overview and a guide - checking for typos and formatting.........

Owain

[Megan]

Looking good, Owain.

 

My notes (the properly organised written up ones) have only reached 21 pages. Curse the marking monster, it might be bigger if I didn't have papers to grade....

 

Bacl to work now