Imperial Order of the Crescent (Ottoman Turkish: نشانِ خلال; Hilal Nişanı; French: Ordre du Croissant).
Following Lord Nelson’s defeat of the French fleet at the battle of the Nile in August 1798, the Grand Seignior of the Ottoman Empire, Selim III, wrote to the British Minister of the Sublime Porte (Ottoman Court), stating that it was his intention to reward those officers who had made this "joyful event" possible. Such rewards normally took the form of personal gifts, as in the case of Lord Nelson receiving a splendid Diamond Aigrette and a Sable Fur with broad sleeves, but given the number of potential recipients on this occasion, the British Minister humbly recommended that Selim might consider instituting a special Order of Chivalry based on European precedents, a proposal that was ultimately accepted. Lord Nelson became the very first recipient of the newly established Order, being graded a "Knight Companion of the Imperial Ottoman Order of the Crescent".
It was not until the crowning defeat of the French army in Egypt in 1801, which achievement of course included Sir David’s famous desert march, that the Order was awarded in more significant numbers. Exactly when the Order fell into abeyance remains unknown, but most likely it happened somewhere around 1808/1809 shortly after Selim III’s death in 1807.
According to the Carlisle's book (see below) "The badge of the Order bears the characteristic Turkish emblem of the Half Moon, which Mehmed II assumed, after the Conquest of Constantinople. On a round gold shield or medallion, enameled red, is seen on the obverse in the center, a star, encircled with rays of brilliants, and on the margin, the crescent, also formed of brilliants. On the reverse, in Turkish characters, is the name of Selib the Third, surrounded by a wreath of ornaments. The Knights of the first Class wear it, pendent to a broad red riband, from the right shoulder to the left side, and, on the left breast, a star embroidered in silver, of the form of a radiant Sun, bearing in the oval center which is red, the Silver Star and the Crescent. The Knights of the second class wear the same decoration, but of smaller dimensions, round the neck, and without the star on the breast. The medal the third class, which is worn on the left button-hole, is still smaller, it is not enameled with red, but is of gold, and instead of the brilliants, are the star and the crescent of silver, and the date, in Roman numerals, 1801." For obvious reasons 1801 Sultan’s Medals for Egypt https://asiamedals.info/threads/1801-sultans-medal-for-egypt.25821/ are often confused with the Orders of the Crescent.
The original statute of the Order of the Crescent (if it had a statute at all) remains unknown, and therefore several different design patterns are known today. According to Carlisle's order was worn with a red ribbon, but ribbons of pale yellow (most likely washed red ribbons or incorrectly replaced original red ribbons which very often looked like cream/pale yellow), pale yellow with green stripe and green colors (once again most likely this is a case of incorrectly replaced washed out red ribbon) are also known.
The original statute of the Order of the Crescent (if it had a statute at all) remains unknown, and therefore several different design patterns are known today. According to Carlisle's order was worn with a red ribbon, but ribbons of pale yellow (most likely washed red ribbons or incorrectly replaced original red ribbons which very often looked like cream/pale yellow), pale yellow with green stripe and green colors (once again most likely this is a case of incorrectly replaced washed out red ribbon) are also known.
Between 1799 and 1807 British subjects received 65 orders.
15 orders of 1st class.
27 orders of 2nd class.
23 orders of 3rd class.
In 1807 and 1808 French subjects received 8 orders
2 orders of 1st class.
3 orders of 2nd class.
3 orders of unknown class.
In 1807 Spanish subjects received 4 orders.
2 orders of 1st class.
2 orders of 3rd class.