Things from the desert

[Eric K.]

Hello Everyone

Here's some stuff I found lying around in Iraq.

Middle Eastern awards are waaaay over my head.

I don't know the rarity,price, or anything else about these, not even the country of origin on some of these, I'm assuming they're all pretty common stuff.

I'm not sure whats  interesting to you guys that collect Arab/Middle Eastern medals, so let me know if i'm a millionaire! hehe  

If anyone wants better pics let me know.

 

 

First off is my little box that I keep all my stuff in. I  can't believe it made it back in one piece and is probably my favorite piece out of everything.I was told it's Hungarian?

The little blue cased coin is really shiny and hard to photograph, If anyone can read what's on it that would be great!

Edited January 17, 2015 by Eric K.

[Eric K.]

Can't come back without some good old Saddam images. The left one is about the size of a saucer

Edited January 17, 2015 by Eric K.

[Eric K.]

Group photo.

 

I like the medal on the second pic. far right with red and white ribbon.The quality is better than the rest and to me it looks like the oldest of the lot.

 

The red and black ribboned medals are found EVERYWHERE

Edited January 18, 2015 by Eric K.

[Eric K.]

Honestly I'm really not that interested in what they are, I just thought you guys might like to check them out.

Edited January 18, 2015 by Eric K.

[oamotme]

Eric,

 

The medallion in the blue box, issued by the Central Bank of Iraq is to commemorate, in 1971, the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Iraq Army. The green and gold ribbon is for the military issue medal but it appears that you have 1st class ribbon (gold) on  second class medal (silver).

 

The bronze medallion appears to be Ba'ath Party issued piece commemorating the 1968 revolution/coup when Saddam's cronies took power inscribed with such phrases as "One Arab Nation" and "Unity Freedom, Socialism".

 

Your medals are a basic mix of royal and republican medals and a few Syrian ones to. The red and black ribbons are the republican bravery medals which were amended to the red, white, green and black ones for the Gulf War and have the added script "God is Great" and "Mother of Battle".

 

Regards,

 

Owain

 

P.S. The first word on the box is "Bulgarski......

Edited January 20, 2015 by oamotme

[Eric K.]

Thanks, I didn't expect this info, interesting. So Bulgarian, not Hungarian I was close.

 

Eric

[Mervyn Mitton]

Eric  -  a few years ago one of our US members got into trouble for possessing Iraqi items.  Many were pottery items but, I

expect medals would have been included.  Last we heard they were trying to prosecute him.  Please use caution in what you

post.   Mervyn

[Eric K.]

Hmmmm good to know..these are all 100% legit....... nothing looted

I appreciate the heads up!

Eric

[oamotme]

Eric,

 

The medal on the top right is the Syrian 1948 Arab Israeli war medal.

 

Regards,

 

Owain

[Chris Boonzaier]

I think the items that caused the Problems were more in the "national Treasures" line, no military items as such.

[peter monahan]

That would make sense, Chris.  The National Museum of Iraq was pretty comprehensively looted during the late unpleasantness and much of the stuff would have been Babylonian, Sumerian and so on.  Lots of 'pottery' and such like and, as far as I know, not much has been recovered, though an occasional piece surfaces, usually in pretty suspicious circumstances.  "I got it from a guy who bought it in a pub and...'