Persian Order of the Lion and Sun

[2roxfox]

Hi, I hope it's ok to ask questions here that are probably really basic but I'm trying to understand how the Persian Order of the Lion and Sun medals are all really different and how it seems like there are so many out there in the world but when I look at the list of people who it has been awarded to, on wikipedia, there aren't really that many. 

Also, there are so many different versions and not all are from Persia 

And my last question is - is there any way for me to know which styles were awarded to each individual recipient. My father had the medal awarded to E.G. Browne in 1922, he's gt gt gt grandpa i'm not sure how many gts it is but Dad treasured this medal and idolised this man..  and I remember it to be a small and not elaborate star shaped medal with an enamel lion and sun in the centre, but it mysteriously vanished when he was unexpectedly (for him and me who had no idea this was going to happen)  hospitalised and then put into an aged care home last year . He asked me to make sure it was kept safe when I went in to see him and find out why he had been admitted because it wasn't his decision and he was not a voluntary patient. Family stuff kind of went totally weird i don't know because i've been shunned etc. When I went to look for it, it was gone. I knew where it was and had seen it not too long before but i wanted to try and find out the exact style of the one it was, because i won't stop trying to find it and wouldn't mind being able to choose an image to share online for people to keep an eye out for it. And i haven't had the heart to tell my it's missing AND just to top things off my mother denies it ever existed and pretends it's not gone and that i'm suffering some kind of delusion. There are other things that vanished as well and it seems like I won't rest until i find out what happened. It's hard because dementia is playing a factor here and i don't always get the real story from either of them. 

When i went online to try and find a photo I saw that there are fancy ones with diamonds and all kinds of different versions it's really confusing. 

sorry for the personal family details but it saves me having to explain why i care so much later and maybe people won't get sick of me asking for advice because it's more a sentimental value thing for me not trying to sell it and i don't collect medals. 

 

 

[peter monahan]

Roxfox

It is impossible to say, without at least a little more info., exacly what your ancestor's award looked like, as the Order was awarded in multiple grades, five in this case. as is common with many of the European orders and those inspired by them.  So, there are jewelled stars, plainber stars and, I think, a 5th Grade which is probably a medal and not a star at all. 

Here is a link to an earlier discussion of the topic on this forum: 

I am no expert on the Iranian orders but I wonder if E.G. Bronwe's award would have been recorded in the London Gazette for 1922.  If so, that would tell you which grade he received.  And, by the way, even today many awards given out by developing countries in Africa and the Middle east are still made by European or English jewellers, so the fact that the stars were made elsewhere is not surprising.

I'm sorry I can't be more help, but good luck with the hunt!  I think most of us on the GMIC understand the importance of such family treasures!

Peter

 

[2roxfox]

thanks for the reply. I"m so upset it's vanished. I used to play with it as a child and thought the lion and cute little sun smiling from behind him was the best medal in the whole pile of medals my Dad had. I will keep trying to find it until i do. The rest were probably worth money but this one was the one I loved. If I ever find it I will take a photo and share it on here. And destroy the life of  whoever thought they could take it. I'm vengeful like that.