Medals

[Guest Simon Bull]

A thread which has provoked an unhappy controversy elsewhere on the Forum prompted me to wonder what metals were used in the manufacture of Great War medals. It is plain from that thread that silver was a major component, but alloyed with what?

[HarryBettsMCDCM]

The British War Medals were Sterling Silver{ie:.925}The very small percentage that it was Alloyed with was Copper[92.5% Silver 7.5% Copper]

[Captain Dave]

Unless of course you were a native, in which case you were issued a War Medal made of copper I think?

Had a chap give a lecture on medals a few years ago and he showed us one named to a Chinese Labourer. He made the inference that it was thought that if you were a native, you were probably more inclined to sell it to raise some money for alcohol etc.

Bullocks really, probably just more post war cost cutting.

On an unrelated note, I was in the Soloman Islands some years ago and met an old chap who had been a bearer and guide for Australian Forces in WW2. He still had his Pacific Star and War Medal. So much for the natives not puting much stock in decorations!

[HarryBettsMCDCM]

The British War Medal in Bronze was awarded singly to Non Combattantant Labourers,etc;,Chinese Coolies,Maltese,Malays,Etc;Even some Europeans received this Bronze Medal.Strictly speaking it was for various Labour units,"Natives" in Combattant Roles however would have received the Silver War Medal & been entitled to other Campaign medals{Star/Victory}There has been a history of awarding Bronze Campaign Medals to Native Employees of the Military since early Victorian times,with such Medals being awarded to Bearers,Coolies,Grasscutters,Scykes,Animal Handlers,Cooks,Etc;,in the pay of the Military during Campaigns

[Captain Dave]

Bronze! Thats it. I thought it was, but was unsure.

My memory is failing me. Thank you for the reminder.

[Guest Simon Bull]

Thank you for the information gents. I did not imagine that there would be such a high silver content.

[HarryBettsMCDCM]

Thank you for the information gents.  I did not imagine that there would be such a high silver content.

All British Campaign & War medals* [up to the Introduction of the ghastly "Cupro Nickel" of WW2 & Korea,then latterly those for the Falklands & Iraq,]were struck in Sterling silver,for some reason,known best to HM Government it was then deemed that War Medals {as opposed to Campaign[GSM/CSM/NGSM;which were/are still struck in Silver}would be struck in Cupro Nickel;an alloy of Copper & Nickel,as used for Coinage from 1947.

*ie:Medals awarded to Imperial Troops & "Native" Combattants

Sadly it was the high silver standard of these Medals [& higher awards]that has led over the past 150 or so years to the destruction of many thousands of them via the Melting Pot,especially when the price of silver outweighed the "Commercial" value of commoner Medals as happened in the 1970s,thankfully the higher values of WW1 Medals,now far outstripping the Silver Value{each Medal weighs around an Ounce troy}~ Should mean that the Scrapping of such items has all but ceased{hopefully}