Rob Bulloch Posted 11 June , 2012 Share Posted 11 June , 2012 Re strike Victory medals I know there are copies out there, but are there named medals out there? What do I look for? is the medal thicker the naming not even or evenly stamped. Is it wothwhile adding a re-srike to a high profile battle KIA trio.. What should I look for ??? Cheers Rob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mmm45 Posted 11 June , 2012 Share Posted 11 June , 2012 http://www.britishmedalforum.com/viewforum.php?f=3 Rob you should get a few answers on here Ady Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sepoy Posted 12 June , 2012 Share Posted 12 June , 2012 There are marked "copy" Victory Medals etc out there, which can be renamed with what ever you like, however this is not the route I have followed. Personally, I have acquired a number of original unnamed British War Medals and Victory Medals to replace missing medals in groups - without naming them. That way all the medals are original and there is no question in the future over people being misled. Unnamed original ww1 medals can be found from time to time on the main Dealers websites. Most of mine originally came from India with the British War Medals having a heavier suspender but the Victory Medals are near enough exactly the same. So far, I have not needed to replace any Stars but unnamed examples are also about. The other way is to simply mount the groups with all the required medal ribbons, so it can be clealy seen when a medal is missing. Hope this helps Sepoy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Bulloch Posted 12 June , 2012 Author Share Posted 12 June , 2012 Thanks for the link mmm45. Thanks for the input. Sepoy thanks, but I dont have any intentions of adding a name to a blank/copy Victory medal. I am asking for tips on how to spot a Victory medal that is not quite kosher, for instance could it be thicker, stamping uneven?? Aye Rob. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Hillyso16 Posted 12 June , 2012 Share Posted 12 June , 2012 Hi Rob, I'm no expert but I've been collecting WW1 medals for a short while and it's a real minefield. The Victory Medals were issued with at least five main different variations on the impressed naming styles. I've lost count of the amount of 'copies' that I've seen and it never ceases to surprise me what people will present as 'restrike' when in fact they are just cheap copies. In order to make a more informed choice when buying medals I got hold of a book titled 'THE GREAT WAR MEDAL COLLECTORS COMPANION'. Written by Howard Williamson. It wasn't cheap but has already paid for itself as i'm more able to identify the 'real thing'. Medal collecting is terrifying as the cost of a mistake can be expensive. I tend to buy from reputable dealers who guarantee their items. To make matters harder some impressions produced on 'correct' medals were of varying quality relating to depth and uneveness so not always a sure 'tell-tale' sign. The Victory medals have the designers mark 'W Mc M' by the left foot of the winged figure. Get a decent eyeglass to view these carefully as 'copies' will rarely be very "tidy". I'm not sure if 'unnamed' examples come along very often, I'm sure they must be out there. regards David. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Bulloch Posted 12 June , 2012 Author Share Posted 12 June , 2012 David. Thanks for your response. Medal collecting as you said it is a minefield, I have handled a lot of medals. But this one just did not feel right! I measured the thickness and it was thicker than any my other Vic medals, it had a very sharp edge, and the boss that held the ring was not very tidy. Thanks again David. Aye Rob. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Hillyso16 Posted 12 June , 2012 Share Posted 12 June , 2012 Rob, The Victory medals thatI own are in the region of 3.25 and 3.31mm in thickness. Using a digital caliper. Obviously the more polished examples are going to be thinner over time but the real 'tell' that I use is the designers markings. The copies that I have seen never seem to be able to replicate this to a good standard. They should be uniform in size and as I said by the left foot of 'Victory' (about 5 o'clock on the medal face). The medal should be around 36mm in diameter. Bearing in mind the amount produced (about 6 1/2 million) and the age, and the amount of wear (polishing etc) there will be some variations but if it 'didn't feel right', chances are it probably wasn't! so good call there. Good Luck, David. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
old joe Posted 17 June , 2012 Share Posted 17 June , 2012 I would like to second the advice about obtaining Howard Williamson's book. It is well worth the expense and is an excellent reference. Regards, Joseph Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Bulloch Posted 17 June , 2012 Author Share Posted 17 June , 2012 Thank you for your input David and Joseph. I will keep a look out for Howard Williamson's Book. Sounds like a very handy tool. Thanks again. Aye Rob. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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