Rare Ethiopian Commemorative Medal For The Korean War

Large silver trilobe medal with integral imperial Ethiopian crown suspension; the face with the left and right lobes each bearing a rayed Trinity cross, the lower lobe with the Lion of Judah above an Amharic inscription in Ge'ez, a plaque with a portrait of Emperor Haile Selassie I imposed centrally; the reverse with an Amharic inscription in Ge'ez and dated'1943' (AD1950); height 67mm (2.64 inches), width 52.4mm (2.06 inches), weight 49.11 grams (1.73oz); age-toned; on old ribbon. When the Korean war broke out Emperor Haile Selassie I raised a volunteer battalion from the Imperial Bodyguard for deployment under United Nations auspices. The force was named the Kagnew Battalion and fought alongside the United States Seventh Division. Between 1951 and 1954, three Ethiopian battalions (some 5,000 men in all) fought with distinction in Korea. An impressive and rare award of striking design.