*Turkey, Ottoman Empire, Abdul Hamid II (1876-1909), Imtiyaz Gold Medal for Loyalty and Bravery, 1882, trophy of arms with toughra above, rev., dedicatory inscription in Turkish (translated) ‘Medal for Those That Have Shown Exceptional Loyalty and Bravery for the Ottoman Empire’, curved rectangular area beneath, engraved with recipient’s name, which appears to translate as ‘Yussuf du Raduvic’ or ‘Doraduvic’, with the date of the award as ‘1 Muharram 1300’ (Erüreten, 81, pg.252; cf. Barak, part IV, p.1781), 37mm, 34.87g, original suspension removed, test mark and a few small grazes to edge at 9 o’clock, otherwise extremely fine, lustrous and with prooflike surfaces, rare. The Imtiyaz Medal (Imtiyaz Madalyasi) was the highest-ranking Military award in the Ottoman Empire. Instituted in 1882, special gold examples were awarded to the King of Bulgaria and to the Emperor of Germany, using die struck inscriptions, while others are officially engraved. The present example appears to have been awarded on 1 Muharram 1300 A.H. (or 13 November 1882 A.D.), the first year of issue, and the name suggests a recipient from the Balkans. Translated into Cyrillic, the name might read јосеф дурадовитцх. Ex Joseph Lepczyk, Michigan, U.S.A.
Estimate: £3000-£4000