History of insignia - orders and medals - indissolubly related to development of our civilization. Rulers changed, wars got untied, there were some changes in cultural life of countries - rewards changed in accordance with new ideals and values. This illustrated guide will acquaint you with the most important and interesting rewards of different countries. In edition escorted by rich in content illustrations presented history of creation, rewarding features and detailed description of every sign. Leafing the pages of this book, a reader will be able not only to become acquainted with orders and medals but also nose after that, how some of them were abolished in connection with the loss of actuality, other, vice versa, are recovered and adapted, demonstrating the succession of generations.A book will be interesting to any reader, who is led away as by rewards in particular, so by history on the whole.