Help wanted identifying Egyptian medal

[deejayEn]

Among my grandmothers possessions we found an old medal or medallion. We think it may have belonged to one of her uncles who were soldiers before WWI. It is made from a brown metal, is quite light in weight and small (approx 1 1/4 inches in width) and is in the shape of a stylised cross (a bit like a Maltese cross). It features a small 3-d image of a sphinx and the words Egypt with the date 1894-95.

Please see photo below.

Can anyone tell me what the medal commemorated or was in honour of? Any help would be appreciated.

[John915]

Good afternoon,

Havn't been able to find anything definitive. The date is too late for the Sudanese campaign under Gordon. Kitchiners campaign to retake the Sudan was 1895/1899

Can't find anything with that date line under the Nile Expedition either.

Maybe a campaign medal given by the Egyptians for some reason.

Will keep looking, John915

[KGarrad]

I have a copy of the Medal Yearbook, 2000.

But I can't find anything in there remotely similar?

[MaxD]

I wondered whether it was a locally/unoffiially produced memento of one of the regiments whose  badges included the sphinx (Gloucesters and Royal Irish Fus for 2).  There are few Stars (as opposed to circular medals) in the British military as I'm sure the yearbook would show.

MaxD

[John915]

Good evening,

I have to agree MaxD, but i'm at a loss with the dates. Not a campaign in 1894 so maybe just garrison troops at that time.

The only star I know of for that era is the "Khedives Star" but that is 5 pointed with a ring showing Egypt and date in English and Arabic. Within the ring a sphinx shown head on with 3 pyramids in the background.

Official medals were also a somewhat better quality, not just a base metal with a bit of plating.

John915

[MaxD]

I'd go along with John915's comment about quality, one of the factors that suggested unofficial to me.

MaxD.

[deejayEn]

Thanks to all who replied. I think you're right in that it may not be an official war medal because, as you say, the quality is not as good but I did think it was commemorating some event in the country from 1894-95. The layout of the wording and image (although not the shape) is very similar to that of the 1880s Egypt Medal so maybe there is a connection.