Kingdom of Araucania and Patagonia

[eitze]

Last month I found a mini bar on epay, which was offered as a piece of a FFL member.

I`m not collecting French minis or anything of the FFL, but the last medal on the bar attracted my interest and so I bought it for a small amount.

It was a piece of the Kingdom of Araucania and Patagonia - only the second I`ve seen by long!

The kingdom was known to me by two booklets from my library:

- Harold Gillingham: Ephemeral Decorations, New York, 1935 (only a copy)

- Roman Freiherr von Prochaska: Die Orden des K?nigreichs Araucanien und Patagonien, without date

The Kingdom was founded by the French lawyer and adventurer Orelie-Antoine de Tounens on November 17, 1860, as he singed a decree creating a "constitutional and hereditary monarchy".

Here you find the history:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingdom_of_Ar...a_and_Patagonia

Next a picture of the complete ribbon bar.

[eitze]

And here is the actual treasure of the bar.

It is the "M?daille d'Honneur Comm?morative" of the Kingdom, which was founded on 02. July 1965 by HRH Prince Philippe in gold. A silver mini does also exist, but it is unclear if it was founded in this class!.

[Guest Rick Research]

Uhhhhh, I'm assuming "H.R.H." does not LIVE in Patagonia? (Ed will love this one! )

[eitze]

And here you see a picture of HRH Prince Philippe on his 80th. birthday.

He is wearing the Breast Star of the Araucanian and Patagonian "Ordre Noble de l'Etoile du Sud".

And a larger picture of a star.

Hope you like it

greetings

eitze

[David S]

Here's the site to the North American Araucanian Royalist Society

http://www.geocities.com/tourtoirac/

[mhohssam]

Hello everyone

I am new to this forum. With that being said, when I was in Egypt, in the historical documents museum in the former royal palace of Abdeen, I saw a brevet conferring Aracuania's order of the iron crown (i believe it is called) on Khedive Ismail Pasha of Egypt....just thought you might find that interesting :D