Iraqi medal, 1980s,

[Kastelan]

I am trying to indentify this medal. it was given to an American contractor by the Republic of Iraq in the 1980s. Can anybody be of help?

It does not seem to be similar to any medal I have seen online so far from that period. 

Best,

Karsten

 

[oamotme]

Dear Karsten,

This is the Syrian Arab Army Medal and was awarded to all members of the Syrian Armed Forces serving on the First of August 1962, and commemorates the establishment of the Syrian Arab Army on the First of August 1946. (The date on the medal of 1945 appears to be a design error.) In 1965 the terms of award were amended to include all who had served at any time between First of August 1946 and the First of August 1962 and also to those who had re-enlisted between the Eighth of March 1963 (following the Ba’ath Coup D’Etat) and the Twenty-eighth of April 1965.

Kind regards,

Owain

 

 

[Kastelan]

Dear Owain,

thank you for your very detailled and helpful answer. I was beginning to question Iraq as the point of origin myself, as the medal looked nothing like Iraqi medals. 

Too bad the medal was in such high circulation - I was going to sell it, but now it does not seem worth the effort. I'll keep it as a conversatoion piece. 

(I got it as colleteral for a debt I was not planning to collect on in the first place).

All the best,

Karsten 

[oamotme]

Dear Karsten,

Happy to be of assistance. As you note it is a relatively common piece. Perhaps some $15-$20 is all that it is worth.

Kind regards,

Owain