SPAIN – Medal for the Sahara
kr 1,500.00
In stock
Description
SPAIN – Medal for the Sahara
(Medalla del Sáhara)
The Medal for the Sahara was instituted during the Franco era to recognize military service in Spanish Sahara, one of Spain’s last colonial possessions in North Africa. The decoration was awarded to members of the Spanish Armed Forces and indigenous auxiliary units who served in the territory during periods of military operations, frontier security duties, and colonial administration. The medal is particularly associated with the campaigns and security operations conducted in Spanish Sahara during the 1950s and 1960s, including the period surrounding the Ifni-Sahara War (1957–1958).
Oval gilt-bronze and enamel medal surmounted by a royal-style crown suspension. The obverse bears the arms of Spain imposed upon the Eagle of Saint John, surrounded by the inscription “IF NI SAHARA”, all executed in coloured enamel. The reverse depicts a mounted Meharista (camel-mounted soldier of the Saharan Nomad Troops) carrying a rifle, set against a desert landscape with palm trees and dunes beneath a blue enamel sky. This imagery symbolizes Spain’s military presence in the Sahara and the role of the indigenous camel troops who patrolled the vast desert territories.
Condition
Very Fine; gilt finish partially worn; enamel largely intact with minor age-related wear; original ribbon present and complete; suspension intact. An attractive example of a Spanish colonial campaign decoration associated with service in Spanish Sahara during the final decades of Spain’s North African presence.
Historical Note
Spanish Sahara remained under Spanish administration until the mid-1970s. Decorations associated with service in the territory reflect a significant chapter in Spain’s colonial and military history, particularly the efforts to maintain control over its North African possessions during a period of growing nationalist movements and regional conflict. Today, the Medal for the Sahara remains a sought-after award among collectors of Spanish militaria and colonial campaign medals.
