Faleristics (also spelled phaleristics[1], from the Latin phalera) is an auxiliary science of history which studies orders, medals, decorations and their systems (system of awards in differing countries, such as the British honors system). The field also studies the medals' accessories, such as ribbon bars, award certificates, and statutes. It studies the historical, sociological and art history dimensions. It also defines the study of badges and pins created for civilian usage. Finally, the term defines the field of collecting.
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Awards were common in ancient times, but these were strictly military awards. These awards presented real wages for certain services. They differed significantly from the later medieval and modern orders, which represented above all a sign of belonging to a particular organization, although there were also rewards for outstanding deeds.
The word comes from the Ancient Greece ta phalara (Greek: τὰ φάλαρα), meaning "small round" or "crescent". It referred to the shape of medallions that were given as recognition for outstanding military service or bravery on the battlefield; originally, phálara were hung round horses' necks, but as their importance grew, they were transferred to the fighter's chest.
Later, both the related customs and the term (Latin: falerae, phalerae) were adopted by the Romans.
Faleristics was established as a separate scientific discipline in 1937, thanks to the efforts of the Czech soldier, collector and theoretician Oldřich Pilc. This was important as to distinguish faleristics from numismatics and heraldry. However, there had been several earlier scholars of faleristics, such as the 19th century Russian phalerist Julius Iversen.
Although established as a scientific sub-discipline of history, faleristics usually studies orders and decorations "detached from their bodies"; thus faleristics has somewhat lost its connection to other historical research substantially.[2]