Iranian Order of August (Nishan-i- Homāyūn)

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Order of August (a.k.a. the Imperial Order or simply Order of Humayun) was founded by Reza Shah Pahlavi on February 15, 1939. Order had 5 classes and obviously was structured after french Légion d'honneur. The main (and most likely the only) manufacturer of order was french firm Arthus Bertrand (official court jeweler ).

It will be interesting to examine different marks that Arthus Bertrand was using through the years.

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Arthus-Bertrand Marks

Its classical hallmark a wheel gear topped by a star Arthus-Bertrand got in 1911.

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Another variant of this mark is a wheel gear topped by a star + (underneath) 800.

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Third variant is a wheel gear topped by a star+ AB&Co + (underneath) 800.

Actually sometimes second variants is the third with void AB&Co

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Very often these marks (due to their tiny size) are practically unreadable and will look like pentagon with something inside

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In addition to the mark "wheel gear topped by a star" Arthus-Bertrand marked its Humayun orders with the company name.

This mark has at least three different variants.

ARTHUS-BERTRAND (convex)

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ARTHUS-BERTRAND (embedded)

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ARTHUS BERTRAND

PARIS (embedded)

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In turn embedded ARTHUS-BERTRAND has two variations

thick letters

thin letters

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Sometimes breast stars and badges of Homāyūn order don’t have ARTHUS-BERTRAND marks, but mark “a wheel gear topped by a star” (although practically unreadable) is always in place (where “place” is pin of the breast star or suspension ring of the badge).

Now let’s examine the order and its variations.

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1^st class (Grand Gordon)

All Humayun orders in all (?) classes have two variations by painting of central medallion (number of sun rays)

• “Five rays” variation

• “360 degree rays” variation

The most common variation is “Five rays” variation.

Here it is.

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Another set

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Rosette

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Another two full sets

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Actually every order is a unique because of manual painting of medallions

Edited June 26, 2013 by JapanX

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A couple of breast stars

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