Emering - TheMedalHound.com: Medals of French Overseas

Tunisia

I. COLONIAL
Order of Nichan Iftikhar - (1835-1957)
Founded in a single class in approximately 1832 by Husayn II bin Mahmud Bey, the Tunisian Order of Glory was eventually expanded to six classes. Details and images of this somewhat complex Order will be set forth in a separate section of the Medal Hound.

Order of Nichan Iftikhar Officer, Commander and Knight

Classes

Order of Nichan ed-Dem (Order of Blood) (1839- )
This is the family Order of the Bey of Tunis. The order was diamond studded and worn from the neck on the Nichan Iftikar ribbon. It was restricted to the hereditary princes in the Bey family, reigning sovereigns and only one Tunisian subject of the Bey "so sincere a counselor that he could be as the Bey himself." The European transcription of the name is the Order of the Blood or Nichan ed-Dem. Ahmed Bey instituted it around 1839. No more than 10 such insignia exited. Currently, this is the only known badge in addition to the example in the Bardo Museum, formally the old palace of the Bey, in Tunis.

Order of El Ahed-El-Aman - (1860-)
This Order was established on January 16, 1860 by Mohamed Es Sadok to honor the 1857 treaty with France, which made Tunisia a Protectorate. The Order, composed of two classes (Grand Cross and Commander) was reserved for high-ranking government and military officials and designed to recognize exceptional acts. The medal is a ten-rayed green enamel star, which represents the various arms of the Tunisian government. The Arabic inscription inside the circle of green emeralds reads, THE HONOR OF MANKIND. The planchet is suspended from a green enamel Saber of Islam.

The Order of the Blood

Order of El Ahed-El-Aman Grand Cross and Breast Badge or Plaque

El Ahed-El-Aman Sash Badge

Expedition Medals
There are three known Tunisian Expedition medals: (1) The 1864 medal (pictured below) for the insurrection of Ben Gdahoum; (2) The 1867 medal for the insurrection of d'Adel Bey and (3) The 1881 medal for the campaign against the insurgents of the west. The 1881 medal was a mix-up and only 200 were issued, 20 of which were gold. The striking was stopped before completion of the order. The following drawings are from M. Delande.

Local Government Long Service Medal

1864 Expedition Obverse & Reverse

Customs MOH and Police MOH

Lifesaving Medal

II. TRANSITION

Military Medal (1st version 1956-1957)

Order of Independence Type 2 - 1st Class (1956-59)

Order of Independence Type 3

Medal of Honor of Physical Education and Sport

The Order of Independence was established on September 6, 1956 by the last Bey of Tunis during the country's transition period.

III. POST COLONIAL PERIOD

Order of the Republic Office and Plaque (1st version 1959-1967)

Order of the Republic (1st version) Grand Cross Set

Order of Republic (2nd version 1967- ) and Plaque

Order of Merit 5th Class, Tunisia Order of Merit Plaque

Order of Merit Bourghiba Commander and Knight

Order of November 7, 1987

Cultural Merit Medal and Order of Labor Knight

Medal of Customs and Medal of Public Health

Military Medal and Order of Social Merit

Medal of Honor for the National Guard (1966-1998), Prison Service, National Police (Surete) and Public Safety

Order of Education (1st, 2nd & 3rd Class)

Bourghiba Medal of Military Valor and MOH of the Youth

The obverse designs and the ribbons for this series of medals have changed many times.

In 1974, the Medal of Honor for the National Police (which was also awarded to the Presidential Guard) was changed to green stripes and National Police was inscribed on the medal.

In 1985: Medal of Honor for the National Police was changed to gray stripes and awarded in two classes. The first class had a rosette.

In 1989, a separate Medal of Honor for the Presidential Guard was issued in two classes.

In 1998, a single medal for the National Guard, Presidential Guard, National Police, Jail Services and Public Safety was created. It's a quite similar medal with a red ribbon ant two central blue stripes. The reverse contains a letter designation (see above) denoting the service and they are numbered.

1985 National Police Medal of Honor and the 1998 Medal of Honor Obverse And Reverse with the Letter “S” for “SHORTA” or Police in Tunisian

Commemorative for the Evacuation of Bizerte