stupot1 Posted January 20, 2013 Share Posted January 20, 2013 Looking for someone to help identify this silver medal recently purchased for a couple of quid. Hopefully someone will enlighten me. The reverse is blank. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul wood Posted January 21, 2013 Share Posted January 21, 2013 Its Afghanistani and is dated AH 1293 (1876). I would suspect it is connected with annexation of Baluchistan by the British. A most interesting medal and certainly a steal at a couple of quid. Paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stupot1 Posted January 21, 2013 Author Share Posted January 21, 2013 Aah! Excellent ID thanks. If you have any further thoughts would be most grateful to hear them. It gives me a line of research to look at. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul wood Posted January 22, 2013 Share Posted January 22, 2013 Interestingly the medal bears the toughra of Sher Ali (1863-66. 1868-79), who was ousted by the British in 1879 and died on the way to exile in Russian Turkestan. As far as I am aware this is the earliest Afghanistani medal that I know of. Information on Afghani medals, especially the earlier pieces is virtually non-existent and there is no research lines available. It is possible that a member of this forum may be able to provide a translation, although it is not he easiest of languages to translate. It is quite possible that this medal was soldiers booty from the 2nd Afghan War. Whatever most interesting, The tiger's head blow the legend is reminiscent of the design on the Afghan stamps of the period. If you PM me I will give you my E-mail address and if you can send me an image I may be able to get some help from other sources. Paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ulsterman Posted January 22, 2013 Share Posted January 22, 2013 Interesting! What does Owain think? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul wood Posted January 22, 2013 Share Posted January 22, 2013 A bit of challenge for Owain as the language the medal is written is Pashtu rather than Arabic, the script is similar but otherwise its a bit like comparing English and Romanian. Paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ulsterman Posted January 22, 2013 Share Posted January 22, 2013 Yup, but I thought he had unearthed some reference stuff on Afghanastan few years back.......my memory seems to recall something about a medal with a column on it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul wood Posted January 22, 2013 Share Posted January 22, 2013 Ed Haynes late of this forum is really the main man on Afghani material, I suspect even he might find it challenging. Paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ulsterman Posted January 22, 2013 Share Posted January 22, 2013 Yup, Ed is the Afghan expert. I wonder if he ever got his Loyola Jurgha medal? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TacHel Posted January 22, 2013 Share Posted January 22, 2013 I've sent him a pic of the medal. Hopefully it'll lure him back in here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul wood Posted January 23, 2013 Share Posted January 23, 2013 Thanks for that, I tried to organise that but my computer was not in the mood for doing it. Paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oamotme Posted September 12, 2014 Share Posted September 12, 2014 Gentlemen, I appear to have missed this - the lower inscription reads "Meer Sher Ali" - the "Meer" is probably "Emir" being commander or prince - and fits in with Paul's earlier comments. The upper inscription is difficult and could be in two parts the first letter is illegible but the rest appears to be without "small" vowels "_ H - M h N A" I attach courtesy of "W K P D A" an image of Emir Sher Ali. Kind regards, Owain Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul wood Posted September 15, 2014 Share Posted September 15, 2014 I wouldn't want to be back wind of him on a hot day.Paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heusy68 Posted September 27, 2014 Share Posted September 27, 2014 Hello Gentlemen, Long time ago, I was able to buy this medal on the british web auction site speedbid.com I knew it was a rare medal, then I asked to Prof Tammam of Basel, who replied me that it is the rarest medal in the world (with the always enthusiastic sound of his voice). Actually I do not like the thought "rarest medal in the world", there is plenty of rarities in phaleristic that only a handfull of specimen have survived over the years. This afghan medal is certainly one of the rarest. Mine seems to be mounted with its authentic suspension device, despite I guess that one could have been added late XIX or early XX Century by the soldier or officer who brought it back from Afghanistan to Britain. The medal is in silver, 43 grammes with ribbon & suspension device. The Star is 48 millimeters wide. Hope you'll envoy the photo. Emmanuel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heusy68 Posted September 27, 2014 Share Posted September 27, 2014 These are others view of the same star. Reverse of the pin reads : STERLING The center is a separate very thin piece, that soldered (if so very neatly) or lightly hammered (then lightly polished). It is NOT a crude item at all. The way the craftman who did this piece did it, is very well. All the best. Emmanuel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ulsterman Posted September 29, 2014 Share Posted September 29, 2014 Really, really cool. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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