Unknown Egyptian? Medal In Lattes Case

[JackCR]

Good morning all, 

I have in my possession a rather attractive medal which I am struggling to find any information about and I was wondering if any of the knowledgeable folks here could shed any light on it.

I think the medal is probably Egyptian (although I could well be wrong) as it shares some characteristics with the Khedive's Sudan medal in terms of the 3 crescent moons, and it is housed in a J.Lattes case from Cairo.

If my translation of the Arabic numerals are correct the medal is dated 1902 (1320), although there also appears to be the date 1889 (1307) on the bar above. The edge is plain. 

Any information would be greatly appreciated, as would any pointers of where to look for more information. 

Many thanks in advance. 

Jack

 

[graham]

Jack,

Maybe something to work from:

https://www.medals.org.uk/egypt/egypt-kingdom/egypt-kingdom023.htm

[oamotme]

Jack,

As Graham has noted this is the Medal for Meritorious Acts 2^nd Class (30.5mm) – reverse inscription “Medal for Meritorious Acts – King of Egypt – The most useful of you is the best”. The inscription on the obverse suspension bar is the date the medal was awarded (?? Shawal ?? 1357  Hijra  = 1938/9 AD - early years of King Farouk) - and the inscription on the lower part of the reverse is the name of the recipient however the detail of the images is insufficient for me to read these inscriptions clearly.

Regards,

Owain

 

 

[JackCR]

Graham & Owain, 

Thank you both for taking the time to reply, it is genuinely appreciated. I see that I got my dating wrong with makes a lot of sense as the way I was reading it would have meant the 'awarded' date was before the date on the medal!

After a cursory glance of the internet there does not appear to me much information on the award, apart from the basics, so maybe a confirmed recipient might help.

Owain, if I were to upload some clearer images of the inscription, do you think you would have a chance at reading and translating it?

Regards, 

Jack

[oamotme]

Jack,

This was one of a series of 3 medals, each in three classes of gold, silver and bronze, instituted by King Fouad in 1923:

• Medal of Meritorious Acts
• Medal of Devotion
• Medal of Benevolence

From my experience these appear to have been awarded to to Royal Court /Household staff - perhaps a bit like the British Royal Victorian Medal or Royal Long & Faithful Service Medal. I attach pictures of a named pair I acquired some years ago. Sadly I am unaware of any records which could be referred to to further identify the recipient. The medal were supposed to be awarded engraved with the name of the recipient and also the date but most of the medals I have seen are not named.

I also attach a picture of a gold Medal of Benevolence - sold some years ago at a Schulman auction and a silver example.

Please post detailed images and I will try and read the details.

Regards,

Owain

A Named Pair of Royal Household Medals

Medal for Meritorious Acts 2^nd Class Suspension bar engraved “28 Shawal Year 1357” (corresponding to 12 October 1938) - reverse engraved “E. Geronimax” and a Medal of Duty 3^rd Class – suspension bar “Emmanuel Geronimax”

 

 

 

[JackCR]

Hi Owain, 

 

Thank you for the additional information and the images ... that gold version is most attractive, it appears to have an almost matt like finish?

Please find attached an additional image showing the engraving. Any naming that could add to the history of the medal would be greatly appreciated. 

Kind regards, 

Jack

[oamotme]

Jack,

Thanks for the higher resolution image. To my eye it appears to read:

1 Sha'abaan 1357 (25 September 1938) Almstr F. W. Kng (The Mister F. W. King)

Thus it would appear that the recipient is a British national??? Of course I may have totally misread the Arabic.

Regards,

Owain

 

 

 

[JackCR]

Hi Owain, 

That is most impressive and much appreciated, thank you. 

It would seem to be a British national by the name. I will do a bit of searching (not quite sure where yet) and see what I can find!

Thanks again. 

Regards, 

Jack

[Rusty Greaves]

Gentlemen, I wish to contribute a few images of the 3 medals discussed here, but especially my interest in the Medal of Benevolence. I have been chasing information about the mysteriously elusive J. Lattes and one of the many questions is the appearance of an association with L. Rosen of Cairo that I have encountered on a few auction site illustrations of the satin makers' label in the upper left interior corner of cases, principally on examples of the Order of the Nile (simply because they are more numerous on the auction offering as many more were awarded than other decorations). I have had minimal luck finding out about L. Rosen, but one of the few medals I have found attributed to this maker is the Medal of Benevolence. 

Above is the illustration of the 3 classes of the Medal of Meritorious Acts from the 1946 Arabic language-only edition of the Royaume d'Egypte protocole. 

Above is the illustration of the 3 classes of the Medal of Devotion from the 1946 Arabic language-only edition of the Royaume d'Egypte protocole.

The above  illustration shows the 3 classes of the Medal of Benevolence, also from the 1946 Arabic language-only edition of the Royaume d'Egypte protocole.

This is a high-resolution photo of the obverse of an example of the Medal of Benevolence from the Numista website (https://en.numista.com/catalogue/pieces104987.html). The description identifies this as a gold example, 1st Class, with a diameter of 30 mm and a weight of 20.8 g. The auction listing also states that this medal was made by L. Rosen, although no medallist signature is visible on either face. Perhaps there are markings on the rim of this medal? The Numista listing variously calls this a "Service Medal", "Order of Satisfaction", and a "Grace and Favour" medal ("Grace & Favour" is a name that comes from a translated English version of the Royaume d'Egypte protocole), but correctly notes the 1st Class in Gold rewards 35 years or more of service. The website identifies this image, and the image of the reverse of this medal below, as copyrighted by Heritage Auctions. The photos of both obverse & reverse appear to be cropped and show parts of some kind of coin holder, I cannot tell how the suspension wreath element could be accommodated by such a holder at the superior portion of these photos. 

Reverse of the same 1st Class gold example of the Medal of Benevolence from the Numista website. Both faces of this example identified as gold lack the appearance of a matte finish that Jack commented on for the gold medal Owain illustrated in his 12 June post here. 

2nd Class silver example of the Medal of Benevolence, for 25 years of "loyal service and good conduct of a civil nature to the King or members of the Royal Family" (as nicley summarized by the royalark.net website description of the Medal of Benevolence http://www.royalark.net/Egypt/medals.htm), from a 10 December, 2014 Auction 27, Lot 864, listing by A. H. Baldwin & Sons, archived on the NumisBids.com website (https://www.numisbids.com/n.php?p=lot&sid=936&lot=864). The auction description states that the medal was made by L. Rosen & Co. of Cairo and is 30 mm in diameter. This same medal from the same auction, and the same descitption, is also archived on the salesroom.com website https://www.the-saleroom.com/en-us/auction-catalogues/baldwins/catalogue-id-srbal10006/lot-9a4eb277-1db3-44db-bc3d-a3fe00ab1956#lotDetails).  This image can be zoomed for much greater detail.

Image of the obverse and reverse of a 3rd Class bronze example of the Medal of Benevolence, for 15 years of service, from a current eBay offering (https://www.ebay.com/itm/324172983326). This listing includes several high-resolution image of this medal, but no additional descriptive information nor attribution to L. Rosen. 

High-resolution image of of the obverse of the same current eBay offering of the 3rd Class bronze Medal of Benevolence as shown above. The bust of King Fuad I on all classes of this medal closely resembles that used on several other Fuad I commemorative medals that was originally designed in 1924 by Séraphin Emil Vernier of Paris (i.e., for the International Geographic Conference, 1925; the commemoration of his visit to Belgium in 1927; for his visit to France in 1927; and for the Inauguration of the Stadium in Alexandria in 1929). Although the L. Rosen bust appears to have copied that Vernier image, it is executed with less detailed treatment of Fuad I's hair, uniform, and the Collar of the Order of Muhammed Ali. The obverse of the 1945 Malaria Medal and the 1947 Cholera Medal feature a bust of King Fuad I that also appears to be derived from the S. E. Vernier portrait, but those designs by "Fox" are less skillfully sculpted than the L. Rosen version on the Medal of Benevolence. 

High-resolution image of the reverse of the same current eBay offering of a bronze 3rd Class Medal of Benevolence. Both this image and that of the obverse can be zoomed for greater detail (as can the photo shown both faces in the single illustration).  

Again, one reason I have been interested in L. Rosen is that a few case labels identify a relationship with Maison Lattes. While L. Rosen is a business I have had poor luck finding additional information about, it is even more surprising how difficult it is to obtain more background on J. Lattes given the number of important Egyptian awards made in his workshop. The little bit I have been able to piece together has been posted willy-nilly as I get a few crumbs together as part of a thread on the "Question about the Order of Ismail/Nishan al-Ismail" started on 7 November, 2017 here in the Middle East & Arab States section. Owain also contributed information from Fahmy Tewfik Bichay on that thread indicating that his father, Tewfik Bichay, was the chief craftsman for Lattes and took over the workshop sometime in the 1930s. I have been hoping that some additional information about L. Rosen might open some doors on more information about Lattes, personally and about his business. Above is an example of one of these few satin labels on the interior upper left corner of the upper lid of an empty case for a 3rd Class Commander Order of the Nile showing the most common configuration of the labeling linking Maison Lattes with L. Rosen & Cie. le Caire. This image comes from a current eMedals auction, Item: W5562 (https://www.emedals.com/africa/egypt/egypt-kingdom-an-order-of-the-nile-iii-class-commander-case-by-lattes-100694). I am continuing to research L. Rosen, with only the recent identification of the attribution of the Egyptian Medal of Benevolence to this medallist as any progress on that front, but have no current information about the relationship with J. Lattes. Most of these labels with both names Lattes and Rosen are either empty cases or do not provide photographs or description information about any date hallmarks to try and determine the temporal period when this association can be documented. It does not currently appear that any of the other medals discussed on this thread, the Medal of Meritorious Acts (instituted in 1923) or the Medal of Devotion (instituted in 1923), are the work of L. Rosen, and the Medal of Benevolence was created a few years later than those two (by Royal Decree in 1928). The cursive calligraphic style of the label above is the same as that used by J. Lattes alone on many examples of Egyptian awards (unlike the script of the example of an Order of Muhammed Ali shown below). 

Cropped image from a Wikimedia photo of a cased example of the Grand Cordon Class of the Order of Muhammed Ali (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_Republic_exhibition_-_NM_Prague_65_(cropped1).jpg#/media/File:The_Republic_exhibition_-_NM_Prague_65.JPG) showing a different presentation of the L. Rosen association with Maison Lattes on the interior satin case label ribbon. This is the only example I have seen with this calligraphic script style and the identification of "L. ROSEN & CIE SUCC" in linking the Maison Lattes with L. Rosen. 

Jack's example in the post initiating this thread also is of interest to me in relation to variation in the appearance of the J. Lattes labelling inside cases. I illustrated the above uncommon example (at least in comparison with most internet images for Egyptian Orders) of a form of J. Lattes name on the interior of a case for a 2nd Class silver Medal of Meritorious Acts in a discussion of Lattes labels & cases on the thread about the Order of Ismail in my post of 19 October 2019. The above image comes from a past eBay auction archived on the Worthpoint.com website (https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/egypt-medal-meritorious-actions-1917-1896628816). I erroneously bungled the ID in my description on that post as a medal of "Devotion to Duty", although the auction description and photos clearly show it is a Medal of Meritorious Acts. I have seen only one other interior case labelling with this form of the Lattes name, shown in the photo below. 

Photo of the only other example of the style of Lattes interior case labeling shown above that I have encountered so far on auction sites and other internet sources. This higher-resolution image of the "MON J. LATTES Le Caire" inscription on that lid interior comes from a 5 October 2019 auction, Lot 855, by Arthur Johnson & Sons archived on the saleroom.com website (https://www.the-saleroom.com/en-gb/auction-catalogues/arthur-johnson-and-sons-auctioneers/catalogue-id-ibart10723/lot-f891320e-5a2e-40be-b3f5-aada00f02ed1#lotDetails). Pictures of the fraying of the fabric on the hinge in that listing appear identical to the first image in this thread of Jack's example of the Medal for Meritorious Acts. Details of the medal also appear the same.  I initially thought that this form of Lattes case inscription might be an early style of Lattes labelling (as it differs significantly from those on most Egyptian orders), but the dating that Owain identified as 1938 for Jack's award makes that unlikely as it overlaps with a range of the more common forms of J. Lattes labelling seen on cases for Egyptian Orders throughout the 1920s-1930s. J. Lattes markings are apparently different on some other jewelry cases of commercial work he offered out of his shop, so perhaps the labelling on medal cases also had a contrasting form compared to those for the more commonly illustrated examples of various Orders' presentation cases. Is this the labeling on your case Jack? 

 

Edited January 30, 2021 by Rusty Greaves

[JackCR]

Hi Rusty, 

 

Apologies for the delay in my reply, I didn't seem to receive a notification of a reply.

A very informative post! The medal in my possession is the same one as the Arthur Johnson example, rather than another example. 

Regards, 

Jack

[Rusty Greaves]

I have a few things to add about a couple of the 3 medals discussed here, most documenting different manufactures of these medals. 

Above is a silver Medal of Devotion from a current eBay offering (https://www.ebay.com/itm/EGYPT-DEVOTION-TO-DUTY-SILVER-ORDER-MEDAL-OF-KING-FUAD-1923-1338-AH-RARE/324280132543?hash=item4b809a23bf:g:tk4AAOSw~6FdZ5vl). It is unnamed, quite worn, and probably has  a replacement ribbon. The same seller also is offering a bronze Medal of Devotion in a case (see below), but with an incorrect ribbon (purple, as is correctly on Jack's silver Medal for Meritorious Acts). That seller also is offering an unnamed silver Medal for Meritorious Acts with an incorrect ribbon (https://www.ebay.com/itm/EGYPT-DISTINGUISHED-SERVICES-SILVER-ORDER-OF-KING-FUAD-1920-1335-AH-RARE/324280132544?_trkparms=aid%3D111001%26algo%3DREC.SEED%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20160811114145%26meid%3De87fce6418a743aea9860643415763d4%26pid%3D100667%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D8%26mehot%3Dnone%26sd%3D324280132544%26itm%3D324280132544%26pmt%3D0%26noa%3D1%26pg%3D2334524&_trksid=p2334524.c100667.m2042). The attached ribbon on that eBay silver Medal for Meritorious Acts is not the correct purple form, but has a red central stripe with blue lateral stripes similar to that for the Medal of Benevolence, except that the central red stripe is thicker than that on the correct ribbon for the Medal of Benevolence (as seen above in previous posts, all of the blue & red stripes should be of the same width, also shown on a Medal of Benevolence below).

Case for an bronze example of the Medal of Devotion with the cipher of King Farouk I. This is from the same seller as the above silver Medal of Devotion on a current eBay listing (https://www.ebay.com/itm/EGYPT-DEVOTION-TO-DUTY-BRONZE-ORDER-MEDAL-OF-KING-FAROUK-ORIGINAL-CASE-RARE/324132791324?hash=item4b77d1e41c:g:ckQAAOSwUv1c0bho). 

A photo of the obverse of the same unnamed Medal of Devotion, with an incorrect purple ribbon, in the case from the above eBay listing. 

The inside of upper case lid showing of the same Bronze Medal of Devotion with a purple instead of blue ribbon, showing the manufacturer's marking on the satin lining for Tewfik Bichay of Cairo. 

Cased silver Medal of Benevolence from a 15 July, 2015  eBay (UK) auction archived onto the WorthPoint.com website (https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/1928-egypt-islamic-commemorative-1777587411). The case exhibits the same style  "Maison Lattes L. Rosen & Cie. Le Caire" satin label as I illustrated in the 4th-to-last photo of my pervious post here on 29 January. It must be the association of this form of Maison Lattes L. Rosen labelling that is the principal basis for attributing this medal as made by L. Rosen. 

 

Cropped close-up of the same UK eBay cased example of the Medal of Benevolence showing the "Maison Lattes L. Rosen & Cie. Le Caire" satin label.  As noted in my post of 29 January, all aspects of the cursive style, as well as the labelling directly on the silk lining of the upper case lid, are identical to how J. Lattes cases for most Egyptian Orders were marked. There are some rumors that when Tewfik Bichay took over the Lattes workshop he may have initially employed a non-Arab name before switching to his own name and forms of labelling. Could Tewfik Bichay be the elusive "L. Rosen"? 

Edited February 28, 2021 by Rusty Greaves

[Rusty Greaves]

For comparison with JackCR‘s Egyptian Medal for Meritorious Acts, I am including images of the example of the 2nd Class silver Medal for Meritorious Acts with the incorrect ribbon that I mentioned in my post of 27 February, 2021 on this thread. This example is not in as good condition as JackCR’s. As Owain mentioned in his post of 12 June, 2020 on this thread, this is one of the common unengraved examples. Unlike JackCR’s, there is no date inscription on the obverse of the suspension bar, nor a recipient’s name on the inferior portion of the reverse. 

 

 

Image of an ongoing eBay auction example of a 2nd Class Medal for Meritorious acts with an incorrect ribbon (red central stripe with blue lateral stripes) rather than the purple ribbon as shown on JackCR’s example and those illustrated by Owain on this thread. This past eBay offering was incorrectly listed as the Medal of Devotion (https://www.ebay.com/itm/EGYPT-DISTINGUISHED-SERVICES-SILVER-ORDER-OF-KING-FUAD-1920-1335-AH-RARE/324280132544?_trkparms=aid%3D111001%26algo%3DREC.SEED%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20160811114145%26meid%3De87fce6418a743aea9860643415763d4%26pid%3D100667%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D8%26mehot%3Dnone%26sd%3D324280132544%26itm%3D324280132544%26pmt%3D0%26noa%3D1%26pg%3D2334524&_trksid=p2334524.c100667.m2042). I first saw this medal on eBay in February 2021 and it is still being offered there by the same seller, mistakenly identified as "Egypt. Distinguished Service Silver Order of King Fuad 1920-1335 AH". The auction description does state that it was designed by Tewfik Bichay and gives the diameter as 30 mm. 

 

 

Higher-resolution image of the obverse of this same undated & unnamed silver Medal for Meritorious Acts from an ongoing 2021 eBay auction.

 

 

High-resolution photo of the reverse of this same eBay example of the Medal for Meritorious acts, showing the lack of an inscribed name on the inferior margin. 

 

I recently encountered an example of a replica of the Egyptian Medal for Meritorious Acts offered on eBay by a seller in Luxembourg (https://www.ebay.com/itm/203505646408). The seller did not identify this medal that is offered with a replica miniature as well, simply describing it as an unknown Egyptian medal, and it is not identified as a modern replica (its condition however is stated to be "new, unused..."). This low-quality copy is added here as a caveat emptor, unlike the above still unsold authentic Medal for Meritorious Acts with an incorrect ribbon, this replica sold at the end of June, 2021 for $400. The images can be zoomed for slightly better details.

 

 

The obverse of this replica shows numerous obvious anomalies compared with the genuine examples shown on this thread. The suspension bar and attachment are clearly of a very different design. All aspects of the form of the heraldic mantle, crown, & shield are executed very differently than on originals. It appears that the Collar of the Order of Muhammad Ali has been replaced with a cartoonish version of this element (possibly based on the Collar of Medjidie or one of the European Orders occasionally used with the coat of arms of Kings Fuad or Farouk). There also is no date inscription on the inferior margin below the mantle. The margin of the medal is much thicker than on genuine examples. Note the multidirectional scratches on the background of the full-sized replica. These same anomalies are repeated on the replica miniature. 

 

 

Photo of the reverse of the same replica full-sized Medal for Meritorious Acts. The execution of the calligraphy of the revers is clearly less elegant than on originals, with some missing diacritical marks. The uppermost inscription in the innermost circle is quite differently presented than on the authentic examples shown on this thread. Note the lack of a central dot within the double circles on each lateral side. The scratched/distressed background also is quite different than the smooth background of genuine medals. There appears to be a flaw on the lower margin that also may suggest a cast, rather than struck, replica. 

 

 

Case for this replica set of 2nd Class Medal for Meritorious Acts with mini. There is probably no maker’s name on the interior lid, and this form of the arms of either King Fuad or King Farouk of crescent, stars, and princely crown is a recent creation that is clearly not authentic (see the photo of the authentic case associated with JackCR's medal on the original 2019 auction listing by Arthur Johnson & Sons, archived on the saleroom website: https://www.the-saleroom.com/en-gb/auction-catalogues/arthur-johnson-and-sons-auctioneers/catalogue-id-ibart10723/lot-f891320e-5a2e-40be-b3f5-aada00f02ed1#lotDetails). The pristine condition of the case also indicates a modern manufacture. 

 

Edited July 28, 2021 by Rusty Greaves

[oamotme]

Rusty,

I believe the 'modern' medal is a privately made award, possibly by Worth, for the claimant to the Egyptian throne - Ahmed Fuad II (or his son Prince Mohammed Ali) who reigned as an infant 1952/3 until the Republic was proclaimed.

Owain

[Rusty Greaves]

Owain,

Thank you for the clarification & correction of my mistaking this as just a recent copy. Were any of the other 2 medals discussed in this thread also re-issued by the monarchy-in-exile? Would this also likely have been awarded principally to household staff?  I'm always grateful for your profoundly extensive phaleristics knowledge!

Edited July 29, 2021 by Rusty Greaves

[Rusty Greaves]

Although this is not the Medal for Meritorious Acts as Jack started this thread to identify and discuss, I found a recent eBay studio portrait photo of a military officer wearing what appears to be the Medal for Devotion. As these 3 medals (Meritorious Acts, Devotion, and Benevolence) have been discussed here I thought I would add this image. Many photos that might show one of these 3 medals (mostly of Palace staff during events where the focus of photos are the royals or their guests) can be difficult to distinguish which of these contemporaneous medals (especially that for Meritorious acts and Devotion that have the same attachment to the suspension bars) it may depict. The photo below from a current eBay offering appears to show the appropriately-sized royal shield surrounded by decorative calligraphy, and the correct form of attachment to the suspension bar indicating it is most likely the obverse of Medal of Devotion. The officer also wears the 4th Class Officer Order of the Nile.

 

 

The portrait is stamped in the lower right with the name of "STUDIO VART CAIRO" (one of the many Armenian-owned photographic studios in Egypt in the early 20th century). The size of this photo is 18 x 12 cm. From: https://www.ebay.com/itm/314082809430?hash=item4920cb5656:g:7-0AAOSwd7li29H3

 

 

 

[Rusty Greaves]

Below is another example of the monarchy-in-exile version of the Medal for Meritorious Acts (as identified by Owain in his post of 29 July, 2021 on this thread) that is currently listed for sale on eMedals, Item EU20027 (https://www.emedals.com/egypt-arab-republic-a-medal-for-meritorious-actions-ii-class-silver-grade-fullsize-and-miniature-118510. This set is identified in the offering description as a full-sized and miniature medal from “Egypt, Arab Republic…Medal for Meritorious Actions, II Class Silver”. The full-sized medal's measurement is given as 36 mm in diameter and the mini as 18.2 mm. The reverse of each medal is marked “RI” on the reverse and is stamped “SILVER”. The eMedals description of this medal gives the maker’s mark as “RT”, however while the identification as "T" is understandable given the flourish on the superior portion of the "I", this is the "RI" mark of Royal Insignia in Singapore (https://royalinsignia.com). Royal Insignia's website features some of its works for royalty in Brunei Darussalam, Johor, the Kingdom of Bhutan, UAE, the Arabian Gulf League, and Perak in Malaysia. These medals are probably silver plated or silver filled. There is no indication in the eMedals description that this set includes the presentation case nor brevet. The photos below are higher-resolution than those I posted on the 28 July, 2021 and show the design elements better than in my previous post and most usefully the maker's mark identifying the manufacturer as Royal Insignia. Although I mistakenly thought the piece I illustrated in my 28 July post above was a replica, the description of differences I outlined in the design compared with the award created by King Fuad in 1923 are still useful to contrast this modern award from its progenitor. All of these images from eMedals can be enlarged for greater detail. Owain has written in his 29 July post that these awards were issued either by Ahmed Fuad (Fuad II) or his son Prince Muhammed Ali, Prince of the Sa’id. 

 

 

Obverse of the eMedals monarchy-in-exile Medal for Meritorious Acts (Item EU20027), full-sized and miniature.

 

 

Close-up of the obverse of this same set. 

 

 

Reverse of the eMedals monarchy-in-exile Medal for Meritorious Acts (Item EU20027), full-sized and miniature.

 

 

Close-up of the reverse of this same set. This image can be zoomed to more clearly see the “RI” maker’s mark for Royal Insignia of Singapore and the stamped “SILVER” mark. 

 

Below is a previous offering on eMedals of another monarchy-in-exile Medal for Meritorious Acts (Item EU19496), full-sized and miniature sold on September 27, 2021 (https://www.emedals.com/egypt-kingdom-a-medal-for-meritorious-actions-ii-class-silver-grade-fullsize-and-miniature). This is a different set of these monarchy-in-exile medals than the above example. The background scratches around the central design elements on the obverse and reverse have distinct orientations and densities that contrast with the currently offered eMedals example (EU20027). The 2021 offering identifies the set as from “Egypt Kingdom”, the material as “silvered bronze”, the full size medal is 36 mmm in diameters, and the size of the mini is given as 18 mm. Unlike the set I previously illustrated as the 4th-6th illustrations in my post of July 28, 2021 above (and erred in thinking it was a replica until Owain corrected my unfamiliarity with these more recent awards) this set also clearly shows the “RI” maker’s mark and is stamped “SILVER”, marks. These marks are almost certainly present on the example I illustrated in my previous post of 28 July, but the image is too low-resolution to make them apparent and legible. A current eBay offering of another cased set of a full-sized and miniature monarchy-in-exile issue of the Medal for Meritorious Acts has a moderate-resolution image of the reverse showing these marks and the description identifies the maker as Royal Insignia of Singapore. That eBay set is in a case with the same embossed design as on the example in my 28 July post here. The eBay description of that set incorrectly identifies it as the Medal of Devotion and claims it is 925 silver, which the mark “SILVER” does not imply (an ambiguous term that can mean silver plated or silver filled, but on these medals probably does not imply silver look or silvertone). 

 

 

Obverse of the eMedals monarchy-in-exile Medal for Meritorious Acts (Item: EU19496), full-sized and miniature.

 

 

Close-up of the obverse of this same set (Item: EU19496). 

 

 

Close-up of the reverse of this same set (Item: EU19496). As seen on the illustration above, this set is marked with the “RI” maker’s mark and stamped “SILVER”. 

Edited January 24, 2023 by Rusty Greaves

[Rusty Greaves]

 

                                             

                                      

 

Above is a slight enlargement of the reverse of the eMedals Item: EU20027 monarchy-in-exile Medal for Meritorious Acts showing the maker's mark "RI" for Royal Insignia of Singapore and the stamped "SILVER" indicating this medal is silver plated or silver filled. 

 

 

Edited January 25, 2023 by Rusty Greaves

[Omarwael1]

[oamotme]

Omar, Nice to see a 1st Class gold example of the Medal of Benevolence - instituted in 1923. Owain 

And.......both types King Fuad and King Faruq, Owain

[Rusty Greaves]

Welcome Omar! Where are these two medals displayed? 

[Omarwael1]

Those two medals are now on display at The Museum of Islamic Art in Cairo without any extra informations! regarding king farouk medal  i have seen it only one time in a friend collection but without the upper piece in which the ribbon holds