Medal Of Courage.

[medals73]

Nut al-Shujat / Medal for Bravery

A complex medal, with its roots in the monarchy before the revolution, this was the generic medal for bravery.

Established: By Law No. 34 of 1926, the “Gallantry and Active Service Medals Law” of 15 May 1926. Revised after the Revolution by Law No. 9 of 1959. Early versions were manufactured by Huguenin (Le Locle, Switzerland). The Gulf War I version has an ornate “A” on the upper edge of the reverse, made by the German firm of F. W. Assman. There is no evidence of maker on the Gulf War II issue, which is Iraq-made, due to the foreign sanctions. There is no record of it being awarded during Gulf War III and the decoration was apparently terminated in 2003.

Obverse: The royal award was a 45-mm silver-gilt seven-pointed rayed star, with a silver circular center bearing a gilt crown with gilt crossed swords below. Suspended by a straight-bar suspender. The republican award was altered to a gilt 40-mm (point-to-point) eight-pointed rayed sunburst star with black-enameled center with crossed swords and triangular red-enameled national arms above. Suspended by an integral loop. (There are minor design variations, detailed below.)

Reverse: Plain. Most are blank, but the Gulf War I version has a concave area in the center and an ornate “A” on the upper point (Assman makers’ mark).

Ribbon: 31 mm, equal stripes black/red/black: 11 mm black, 9 mm red, 11 mm black.

Outline: (Revolutionary/Republican only)

-- 1958-63 (“General Qasim”) version. Shown first below.

-- 1963-90 (“Gulf War I”) version – the republican eagle replaces the emblem of the previous version and there is a concave reverse with an “A” (“Assman”) on the upper point. Shown second below.

-- 1990-2003 (“Gulf War II”) version, of a cruder manufacture, the crossed swords are integral to the obverse, and the ribbon is manufactured from a coarse, almost plastic, material. Shown third below.