ARAB MEDALS -- Egypt

[Ed_Haynes]

Continuing the Arab country-by-country threads.

A few sources to start with:

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

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

http://www.omsa.org/photopost/showgallery.php?cat=691

http://www.medals.lava.pl/eg/eg2.htm

http://www.netdialogue.com/yy/Africa/Egypt/EgyptMain.htm

http://www.4dw.net/royalark/Egypt/orders.htm

Edited January 12, 2007 by Ed_Haynes

[Ed_Haynes]

Wisam Nigam al-'Askariia / Military Star

The Military Star of Fuad I was originally intended for award to Egyptian and foreign officers for mention in dispatches or distinguished service in the field or before the enemy, with courage and a spirit of self-sacrifice. In broad terms, the Military Star can be seen as having been patterned after the British Distinguished Service Order. It was, of course, redesigned with the fall of the monarchy. With the redesign and restructuring which came with the 1952 revolution, the award came to be awarded to any officer for exceptional service with courage and a spirit of self-sacrifice. Whenever possible, the award is to be personally presented by the president of the republic. The star can be awarded posthumously or to foreigners.

Established: By King Ahmad Fuad I in Royal Order of 6 December 1919, revised and redesigned on 9 July 1953 and amended by Law No. 12 of 1972.

Obverse: A five-pointed gilt star, enameled white. The center is enameled blue with crossed swords in gilt, surrounded by a red circlet with a gilt wreath. Above all a gilt crown. Suspended from a straight bar suspender. After 1953, the 45-mm star has been of bronze with blue-enameled points, with the center swords replaced with the Egyptian eagle (after 1971, hawk), and the suspension crown removed. Each point has two crossed swords. The suspension is a ornate enameled bar in the form of a pair of "Pharonic" falcon's wings, with a disk in the center bearing a pair of crossed swords.

Reverse: Until 1953, a gold Arabic inscription on purple enamel. Afer 1953, plain except for award details and the serial number of the decoration.

Ribbon: 37 mm, moir?, five equal 6 mm stripes of blue, yellow, black, yellow, blue, with thin (1 mm) yellow edges.

Military Star of Fuad I, 1919-1953

Military Star, 1953--

Egyptian eagle, 1953-58

U.A.R. eagle, 1958-71

hawk, post-1971 (shown below?)

Edited January 12, 2007 by Ed_Haynes

[Ed_Haynes]

Medal of Muhammad Ali

Awarded for service 19-26 November 1949. Commemorating the centenary of Muhammad Ali. Revised under the Republic?

Established: By King Faruq, November 1949, later revised and continued under the Republic.

Ribbon: 1?" moir? equal stripes of red, dark green, red.

[Ed_Haynes]

Medal for the Coronation of King Faruq, 1936

King Faruq was crowned as "King of Egypt and Sudan, Sovereign of Nubia, of Kordofan and or Darfur" on 28 April 1936. King Faruq abdicated after the revolution on 23 July 1952 and died in Rome on 18 March 1965.

Established: Manufactured by Kramer (Cairo, Egypt).

Obverse: Silver, 35 mm circular medal. Facing portrait of the king wearing fez and tuxedo, below, an Arabic inscription. Suspended by a ring.

Reverse: At top, a crown with crescent with three stars above. A five-line Arabic inscription. Below, "KRAMER CAIRO".

Ribbon: 36 mm, black with two thin medium blue stripes. Black 4 mm, medium blue 3 mm, black 22 mm, medium blue 3 mm, black 4 mm.

[Ed_Haynes]

Twentieth Anniversary of the Revolution

Commemorating the 20th anniversary of the revolution, 1972.

Established: 1972?

Obverse: Circular 33 mm bronze medal, in the center the eagle of the republic, surrounded by twenty stars. Above, the Arabic inscription and, below, a wreath. Suspended by a ring suspension.

Reverse: A scene of a muscular arm holding a submachine gun and, behind, a hydroelectric dam (Aswan) and sun rising over a building on a hill (the Muhammad Ali Mosque in Cairo?).

Ribbon: 36 mm, light blue with edge stripes (reading inward) of black, white, red, and central stripes of (left to right) red, white, black. Black 2? mm, white 2 mm, red 2 mm, light blue 7 mm, red 3? mm, white 2 mm, black 3? mm, light blue 7 mm, red 2 mm, white 2 mm, black 2? mm. When worn as a ribbon bar, a circular brass disk with "20" ("20") is usually added to the ribbon bar.

[Ed_Haynes]

Medalyet Falasteen / Palestine Medal

Awarded to Egyptian armed forces personnel who served in the 1948-49 Arab-Israeli War. In 1953, with the revolution, the design of the medal was altered, with the earlier reverse being worn as the obverse of the medal.

Established: 1948?, revised ????

Obverse: 36 x 45 mm, bronze, seven-sided, with unequal sides, seeming "off balance" to the left (until 1953). first variety: King Faruq facing left [not, as it has sometimes been described, Nasser!], between the Egyptian parliament building (to the right) and the Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem (to the left); above "Medalyet / Falasteen", or "Palestine / Medal". second variety: three soldiers, with civilians gathered around them, dated "1948-1347" or "1948-1347" (the reverse of the pre-1953 variety).

Reverse: first variety: three soldiers, with civilians gathered around them, dated "1948-1347" or "1948-1347" (the obverse of the post-1953 variety). second variety: blank.

Ribbon: 35 mm, equal stripes (5 mm each) of green, red, yellow, red, green. A brass lotus blossom has been observed worn on ribbon bars representing this medal, though it is unknown what this represents.

first variety with the king on the obverse (shown below)

second variety with the old reverse moved to the obverse

[Ed_Haynes]

Medal of Distinction

Awarded to those who render valuable service to the state, especially in the fields of acience, arts, literature, agriculture, industry, commerce, sports, public services, and public order and security.

Established: Established in 1966 and classified as a civil medal by Law No. 12 of 1972.

Obverse: Circular 35-mm medal, a metaphorical scene depicting the beneficial spread of knowledge and culture among the people. (???!) Suspended by a straight bar from a ring in the form of an ancient Egyptian helment (crown?). (This description is pretty forced, but it is "official" = gag.)

Reverse: The name of the medal, above an indication of the class and, below, the date of creation.

Ribbon: 37-mm moir?, white with 10-mm green edge stripes: 10 mm green, 17 mm white, 10 mm green.

first class - gilt (shown below)

second class - silver

third class - bronze

[Dave Danner]

Wisam Nigam al-'Askariia / Military Star

Star is najma (نجمة) in Arabic. In the Cairo dialect dominant in Egypt, "j"s become "g"s, but the word is still feminine. So وسام النجمة العسكرية is wisaam al-nagma al-`askariyya.

Arabic transliteration isn't really well-standardized, though, given not just the dialect differences and lack of an agreed set of correspondences for letters (aa or A for the long "a", for example), but also the objectives: do you transliterate to facilitate spelling or pronounciation? If the latter, for example, an-nagma is preferable since the "l" of al- is lost before certain consonants.

[Ed_Haynes]

Star is najma (نجمة) in Arabic. In the Cairo dialect dominant in Egypt, "j"s become "g"s, but the word is still feminine. So وسام النجمة العسكرية is wisaam al-nagma al-`askariyya.

Arabic transliteration isn't really well-standardized, though, given not just the dialect differences and lack of an agreed set of correspondences for letters (aa or A for the long "a", for example), but also the objectives: do you transliterate to facilitate spelling or pronounciation? If the latter, for example, an-nagma is preferable since the "l" of al- is lost before certain consonants.

Thanks, Dave, it is difficult. And 'tis far from "rocket science". I have tended to go with the English transliteration that the majority of relevant friends in-country have tended to prefer (when such is available). For Egypt, I have been guided by the major late (and lamented) manufacturer of ODM in Cairo. I do this even if what I habitually use is linguisitically deviant. And I don't mind corrections, differences, alternatives. Honestly, I'd prefer just to show the Arabic and be done with it. (How do you do it? I have lost out on all such efforts, producing just gibberish. Using Hindi is worse.)

Edited January 12, 2007 by Ed_Haynes

[Dave Danner]

Thanks, Dave, it is difficult. And 'tis far from "rocket science". I have tended to go with the English transliteration that the majority of relevant friends in-country have tended to prefer (when such is available). For Egypt, I have been guided by the major late (and lamented) manufacturer of ODM in Cairo. I do this even if what I habitually use is linguisitically deviant. And I don't mind corrections, differences, alternatives. Honestly, I'd prefer just to show the Arabic and be done with it. (How do you do it? I have lost out on all such efforts, producing just gibberish. Using Hindi is worse.)

Not very well. Copying and pasting and fixing and getting frustrated because "backspace" doesn't always go back in the Arabic text.

Medal of Muhammad Ali

On this one, I would call it the Commemorative Medal of Muhammad Ali, except there's another word at the end I can't make out on the reverse. The first four words are ____ميدالية ذكرى محمد علي ال or mīdāliyya dikrā muhammad `alī al-_____, followed by the word I can't make out. So it is "Commemorative Medal of Muhammad Ali the _____." Dikrā (dhikrā or ?ikrā in standard Arabic) means remembrance or recollection.

The obverse has Muhammad Ali the Great (al-kabīr) on the left side and King Farouk I (al-malik fārūq al-'awwal)on the right. Farouk still seems to be the standard Western spelling of his name, based on the Wikipedia entry.

[Ed_Haynes]

Here's a nice Egyptian group (better had one medal not been stripped!) that is not mine (alas), but that lives with a friend:

[TerryG]

Medalyet Falasteen / Palestine Medal

I have one of these also but it is not really my collecting "thing". Any idea of the current value?

[Dave Danner]

I have one of these also but it is not really my collecting "thing". Any idea of the current value?

In one of the many sales because I needed money at the time but which I now regret, about a decade ago I sold both the Kingdom type (as shown) and the Republic type (as described, uniface with the old reverse moved to the front). The pair went for about $80. They're likely worth more now, given inflation and the fact that there hasn't exactly been a flood of Egyptian medals on the market to drive the price down. Of course, price also depends on demand, so "value" depends on what someone is willing to pay.

[Ed_Haynes]

Nut al-Tadrib / Medal of Training

Granted to those who, with their units, achieve a high standard of training or to those injured as a result of training.

Established: 1959, revised by Law No. 6 of 1973. Obverse: 32 mm circular medal with a (rather "busy") depiction of a leaping soldier in full battle gear and, below, barbed wire, a sword, an open book, and a quill pen. To the right is a crescent, points downward, and sixteen smaller stars, a warship, and two explosions. Above the soldier are two open parachutes and, to the left, a sun, tank, and two more explosions.

Reverse: The Egyptian eagle or hawk and, on either side, "1959-1379" or "1959-1379", the date(s) of establishment of the medal; below, the inscription "Nut al-Tadrib" or "The Medal of Training". Suspended by an ornate suspender from a straight bar. The medal is hallmarked to the botton of the reverse.

Ribbon: 39 mm, white with two equally proportioned red stripes: 7.5 mm white, 8 mm red, 8 mm white, 8 mm red, 7.5 mm white.

U.A.R. eagle, 1959-71 (1973?):

--- first class - gold - suspended from a swiveling suspender (SHOWN BELOW)

--- second class - silver

--- third class - bronze

hawk, post-1971 (1973?):

--- first class - gold - suspended from a swiveling suspender

--- second class - silver

--- third class - bronze

[Ed_Haynes]

Nishan al-Ziraah / Order of Agriculture

This order seems to have been quite rarely awarded, in part because the goals of the order were viewed less than sympathetically by Great Britain, Egypt's imperial "protector". Awards continued under the Republic.

Established: By King Ahmad Fuad I in Royal Order No. 61 of 1932 (or 1923?). Redesigned after the revolution.

Obverse: A five-armed cross, enameled white with red diamonds on each arm and a silver crescent and three stars at the end of each arm. In the central red-, green-, and white-enameled medallion, Arabic inscription. Suspended (for the two higher classes) from an emameled crown. After the revolution, this was substituted by an green-enameled lotus flower.

Ribbon: Light green, with three separate edge stripes thin pink, yellow, and thin pink. The colors are sometimes described as darker?

Commander - neck badge (SHOWN BELOW)

Officer - breast badge with ribbon rosette

Knight - breast badge without crown suspension

[Ed_Haynes]

Nuut al-Waagib al-'Askarii / Medal of Military Duty

This represents a direct continuation of the royalist Medal for Devotion to Duty in its military aspects. The civilian aspect of the pre-Revolutionary award is continued as the Medal of Civil Duty. Awarded for faithful and courageous performance of non-combattant duty to members of the armed forces, regardless of rank. This includes potential awards to cadets at service academies. Can be awarded posthumously and to foreigners.

Established: Reformulated on 9 July 1953 and revised by ??? of 1959 and by Law No. 6 of 1973.

Obverse: Circular 31 mm medal, an upright sword above a pair of wings with a wreath beneath these, the whole surrounded by ten stars. Suspended by an ornate suspender from a straight bar.

Reverse: At the top, an Arabic legend indicating the name of the issuing nation; this changes over time, as is detailed below. In the center "Nuut al-Waagib al-'Askarii" or "The Medal Military of Duty", and below "1953-1372" or "1953-1372", the date(s) of establishment of the medal (A.H. and C.E.).

Ribbon: After 1953, the old ribbon was continued for the civil class, while a new ribbon was established for the military class by adding a narrow red stripe toward each edge. For the military awards it is 36 mm, medium blue with a thin red stripe toward each edge: 5 mm blue, 3 mm red, 20 mm blue, 3 mm red, 5 mm blue.

reverse inscription "???, 1953-59:

--- silver-gilt

--- silver

--- bronze

reverse inscription "Al-Jamhuriya al-'Arabiya al-Matahada" or "United Arab Republic", 1959-71 (actually altered in 1973?):

--- silver-gilt

--- silver (SHOWN BELOW)

--- bronze

reverse inscription "Jamhuriya Misr al-Arabiya" or "The Arab Republic of Egypt", after 1971 (actually altered in 1973?):

--- silver-gilt

--- silver

--- bronze

[Ed_Haynes]

Midalat Al-Khidmat al-Tawilat wa al-Qarafat al-Hasanat / Medal of Long Service and Good Example

Granted to those members of the armed forces who serve a minimum of twenty years. The first class is awarded to commissioned officers and the second class to others.

Established: 1959, revised by Law No.6 of 1972.

Obverse: Circular medal, 37 mm. Within a circle and border of twenty stars, the eagle or hawk emblem of the republic. Suspended by an ornate suspender from a straight-bar suspender (also reported in a ring-suspension variety?).

Reverse: At the top, the Arabic inscription indicating the issuing body, as detaile dbelow. In the center, "Al-Khidmat al-Tawilat / wa al-Qarafat al-Hasanat" or "Long Service and Good Example", and below "1959-1378" or "1959-1378", the date(s) of establishment of the medal (A.H. and C.E.). The medal is often hallmarked to the left.

Ribbon: 37 mm, white, with narrow edge stripe of (reading inward) of red, white, and black: 2.5 mm red, 2.5 mm white, 2.5 mm black, 22 mm white, 2.5 mm black, 2.5 mm white, 2.5 mm red.

1959-71 U.A.R. eagle and reverse inscription "Al-Jamhuriya al-'Arabiya al-Matahada" or "United Arab Republic":

--- first class - silver - awarded to commissioned officers

--- second class - bronze - awarded to non-commissioned officers and privates

post-1971 hawk and reverse inscription "Jamhuriya Misr al-Arabiya" or "The Arab Republic of Egypt":

--- first class - silver - awarded to commissioned officers (SHOWN BELOW)

--- second class - bronze - awarded to non-commissioned officers and privates

[Ed_Haynes]

Wisam Negma Sinna' / Order of the Sinai Star

The highest award for bravery in battle, it is awarded to any member of the armed forces for exceptional courage in battle which results in the infliction of casualties upon the enemy. All awards were bestowed by the president, Anwar al-Sadat. The star may also be awarded posthumously and to foreigners. The first class carries a monthly pension of ?E20, while the second class carried a similar payment of ?E10. Sons or heirs of holders of this award receive free education, free land travel, air and sea travel at 50% cost, free medical treatment, and general priority in the provision of state-rendered services. While the badge was, officially, worn as a breast badge, the late Egyptian President Anwar al-Sadat (with whom the award is closely identified) wore the badge as a neck badge. The actual badge he wore was the second class Sinai Star which had been posthumnously awarded to his half brother. This decoration is often, and incorrectly, referred to as the "Suez Star". This error in nomenclature reflects the award's close symbolic identification with the 1973 war and the heroic Egyptian crossing of the Suez Canal as the first step in the reconquest of the Sinai Peninsula.

Established: By Law No. 12 of 1972, revised 17 February 1974, by President Anwar al-Sadat.

Obverse: An eight-pointed star, dark green-enameled (it looks almost black), with slightly different designs for each class, as detailed below.

Reverse: Plain, but with provision for engraving the award details.

Ribbon: 37 mm, three equal stripes: red, white, black. When worn as a ribbon bar, the stripes are horizontal: red, white, and black, where a gold republican eagle is worn to represent a first class award.

Awards: It is, at present, difficult to distinguish by classes, but at least 54 (25 posthumous) were awarded for the 1973 war with Israel (although total awards for this conflict may have been as high as 200). The only documented awards since that conflict came in 1978 for an airline rescue attempt in Cyprus when 15 posthumous awards were made (2 to the Air Force and 13 to Army commandos). In 1983, President Mohammed Hosni Mubarak was awarded the first class.

first class - a 45-mm gold dark green-enameled badge, in the circular enameled center, a map of the Sinai Peninsula, the legend "Nigan al-Sinna'" or"Sinai Star", and with square-pointed gold rays between the points. Suspended from a wide straight-bar ornate suspender by an ornamental Egyptian eagle (hawk?).

second class - a 46-mm gold dark green-enameled star, in the center "Sinai / 1973" in gold. Suspended by a simple, almost wire-like, straight-bar suspender.

[Ed_Haynes]

Order of Merit

Awarded for valuable services to Egypt.

Established: Established by Law No. 528 of 1953, amended by Law No. 12 of 1972. Known to have been manufactured by Bichay (Cairo, Egypt).

Obverse: A ten-pointed star, with alternating points of alternately rayed gold and faceted silver. In the center, a five-point star with curved sides and a blue-enameled center with a gilt Arabic legend "Merit". Suspended by an eagle (until 1972) or hawk (after 1972).

Ribbon: Red moir? with edge stripes (reading inward) of thin black and white.

Grand Cordon/first class - sash (worn over ??? shoulder), 60-mm sash badge, and 80-mm star (worn on left breast)

second class - 55-mm neck badge (38-mm ribbon) and 70-mm breast star (worn on left breast)

third class - 55-mm neck badge (38-mm ribbon)

fourth class - 45-mm breast badge worn on 38-mm ribbon with rosette

fifth class - 45-mm breast badge worn on 38-mm ribbon (SHOWN BELOW)

[Ed_Haynes]

Nishan al-Kemal / Order of the Virtues

Established as an award of merit for women only.

Established: By Sultan Husayn Kamil in 1915 (or 1913?), Modified in Royal Order No. 7 of 1923. Reestablished by Law No. 528 of 1953 and amended by Law No. 12 of 1972.

Obverse: A star of ten gold ornamental lotus flowers, alternately enameled blue and white. In the center, white with "El-Kemal" or "The Virtues" in blue. In the points of the breast star of the two upper classes are the words "Charity", "Duty", "Devotion", "Nobility", and "Pity". Before 1954, it was suspended by a gold and enamel crown; after that date, the crown was removed.

Ribbon: Light gray moir? with gold tissue edging. Also reported as red moir? edged with gold.

first design with crown (1915-54):

--- Superior Class - 100-mm sash (worn over right shoulder), 45-mm sash badge, and 70-mm gold, enamel, and precious stone-set breast star (worn on left breast) - set with jewels with dark and light blue-enameled flower designs - center is a blue inscription on white - granted to the wives of heads of state, crown princes, or vice presidents

--- Grand Cordon/first class - 80-mm sash (worn over right shoulder), 45-mm sash badge, and 70-mm gold and enamel breast star (worn on left breast) - dark and light blue-enameled flower designs - center is a blue inscription on white - granted to the wives or premiers and ministers

--- second class - 55-mm badge worn on a 31-mm breast bow with ribbon rosette - gold and light blue-enameled flower designs - center is a dark blue inscription on light blue - granted to the wives of ambassadors

--- third class - 45-mm badge worn on a 31-mm breast bow - medium blue and light blue-enameled flower designs - center is medium blue on light blue - awarded to wives of diplomatic counselors and attaches

second design without crown (1954--):

--- Supreme Class - 100-mm sash (worn over right shoulder), 45-mm sash badge, and 70-mm gold, enamel, and precious stone-set breast star (worn on left breast) - set with jewels with dark and light blue-enameled flower designs -granted to the wives of heads of state, crown princes, or vice presidents

--- first class - 80-mm sash (worn over right shoulder), 45-mm sash badge, and 70-mm gold and enamel breast star (worn on left breast) - dark and light blue-enameled flower designs - granted to the wives or premiers and ministers

--- second class - 55-mm badge worn on a 31-mm breast bow with ribbon rosette - gold and light blue-enameled flower designs - granted to the wives of ambassadors

--- third class - 45-mm badge worn on a 31-mm breast bow - medium blue and light blue-enameled flower designs - awarded to wives of diplomatic counselors and attaches (SHOWN BELOW)

[Ed_Haynes]

Nishan al-Sinaa wa al-Tigara / Order of Industry and Commerce

A rpoyal award continued under the Republic.

Established: By King Ahmad Fuad I in Royal Order No. 63 of 1932. Redesigned after the Revolution. Known to have been manufactured by Bichay (Cairo, Egypt).

Obverse: A five-pointed, orange-enameled silver-gilt star; the points are curved with medium ornaments on each and forming a second five pointed star within the orange outer star. Behind this, faceted silver rays between each point. In the red- and white-enameled center a gold Arabic inscription. Suspended from a silver cog wheel, gold caduceus, and gold laurel branch.

Ribbon: Blue, yellow edge stripes and narrow green edges.

Commander - neck badge

Officer - breast badge with ribbon rosette

Knight - breast badge

[Ed_Haynes]

Bronze Star for Egypt, 1882

Awarded to Egyptian and allied (=- Briotish and "imperial") troops for the campaigns between 16 July and 14 September 1882.

Established: By Khedive Tawfiq Muhammad, with the nominal authorization of the Ottoman Sultan. Manufactured by Jenkins (Birmingham, England).

Obverse: A five-pointed bronze star, point downward and suspended by a crescent and star from a straight suspension bar. In the center, a depiction of the Sphinx and three pyramids. Around it, the inscription "EGYPT 1882".

Reverse: The Khedive's monogram, "T.M." with a crown above.

Ribbon: 39 mm, dark blue.

[Ed_Haynes]

October 6 Memorial Medal

Awarded to all armed forces personnel in service between 6 October 1973 and 2 February 1974. The medal can also be awarded to foreigners who actively contributed to the war effort, including combat service.

Established: 19 February 1974?

Ribbon: 38 mm, moire an 11 mm yellow central stripe with a central 3 mm thin blue stripe; edge stripes (reading inward) of black (1 mm) and red (11 mm). When worn as a ribbon bar, a brass disk with the number ?6? (?6?) is (sometimes? why?) worn on the ribbon.

[Dave Danner]

Trying to find ones that I have images already scanned of, since my scanner is down.

Order of the Republic

Order of the Nile

[Ed_Haynes]

While I must admit I am not overly fond of miniatures, this is a cute little one, and one I could not pass up. (Especially as a gift from the delightful shop-owner, a wise man now missed by many.)

Medal for Devotion to Duty-

Awarded for good services to the State, both civil and military.

Established: By King Ahmad Fuad I in 1920 and modified by Royal Order No. 9 of 1923 and Royal Order No. 23 of 1930.

Obverse: The state coat of arms, with the date "1337" or "1337 [A.H.]" above. Surrounded by an Arabic inscription. Suspended from a broad plain straight-bar suspender.

Reverse: Arabic inscription.

Ribbon: The original (pre-1953) ribbon is 1-3/8" medium blue moir?. This ribbon is continued with the Medal of Civic Duty after the Revolution.

• gold (miniature shown)
• silver
• bronze