Tiffany Cross Manufacturers

[emccomas]

HI all;

 

A question has come up in my mind, so I thought I would throw it our here.

 

We all know that Tiffany and Company manufactured the Tiffany Cross version of the Medal of Honor.

 

My question is: Was there another (perhaps later) manufacturer of the Tiffany Cross Medal of Honor.

 

I was looking at the picture of Edouard Izac holding his TC in it's case and it appears that the inside of the lid has the emblem for Baliley, Banks, and Biddle of Philadelphia.

 

I seem to recall a discussion about the possibility that BB&B may have also manufactured the Tiffany Cross.

 

But did they manufacture the Tiffany Cross for the US government to be officially awarded, od did they just manufacture replacement medals?

 

Thoughts?

 

Ed

[Mark Costa]

Yes, Bailey Banks and Biddle did manufacture the TC. I have somewhere, an actual sales catalog sheet that gives prices for a TC and miniature. This dated from the early 1930's. But as you stated I believe these were for replacement medals only -- not a Govt contract.

 

Mark Costa

[Hermanus]

So the manufacturers are:

 

- Tiffany and Company (the original batch/contract of .. pieces)

- Bailey, Banks and Biddle (1930ties replacements)

- Studley (40ties and 50ties collectors market & replacements?) (also manufactured by BB&B?)

 

and since twentysome years a lot of Chinese/Polish junk!?

 

Anybody something to add to this small line up?!

 

Regards

Herman

[Dirk]

This is from a 1928 BB&B catalog in my possession

[FFZFlyer]

Note the "BB&B" hallmark on the bottom leg of this TC.

 

 

 

 

So, is this piece a replacement, or the original?

[Gregory]

and since twentysome years a lot of Chinese/Polish junk!?

 

Poland has manufactured the MoHs for the USA? Is this a joke?

[Hermanus]

 

Poland has manufactured the MoHs for the USA? Is this a joke?

Hi Gregory, it's unknown, hence the question mark.

 

What I do know is that some of the Dutch valor awards are unofficially copied/reproduced for the Dutch/European collector market in Poland. Furthermore a lot of MoHs are unofficially reproduced in Asia / China and are offered for sale on eBay. I bet that somewhere in this Asian / European reproduction industry the TC is included. Some pictures of poor copies, I believe also shown on the USMF, has given me this impression.

 

In no way I suggest/state that Poland manufactured official MoHs.

 

Regards

Herman

[Gregory]

Ah ha, you mean fakers. Okay, now I understand.

 

Regards

 

Greg

[Gregory]

PS

 

I mentioned it somewhere here a few years ago -- this faking gang is Polish-Ukrainian-Czech-Slovak. The Polish historic forums defined them well.

[emccomas]

Note the "BB&B" hallmark on the bottom leg of this TC.

 

 

Osmond Ingram Engr.jpeg

 

 

So, is this piece a replacement, or the original?

 

That is an original. It came directly from the family of the recipient to the museum where it now resides.

[FFZFlyer]

 

That is an original. It came directly from the family of the recipient to the museum where it now resides.

 

 

Exactly what I thought. So, Ingram's piece was among the original TC awards issued 11/11/1920 and not a 1930's replacement. None of the other photographed TC's from that original group have a hallmark on the lower arm. The reverse of the brooch is not visible in most other TC photographs but Talbot's and Robinson's pieces do have a hallmark on the reverse of the brooch but I am not able to read it due to pixels of photo and the pin being in the way. Maybe some others who know mfg's hallmarks can decipher what it is

But anyway, it appears that BB&B produced Ingram's TC and probably the others of that 1920 issuance. I am not aware of any documentation that confirms that Tiffany & Co actually struck these medals. BB&B was the primary vendor for Navy medals and badges during this period and it is very possible that Tiffany designed the TC and BB&B secured the contract to produce the piece, based on Tiffany's design.

Why a BB&B hallmark doesn't appear on the lower arm of other known authentic TC's remains a mystery, unless the hallmark on the reverse of the brooch is, indeed, a BB&B one.

PS - This is always an interesting topic.

[45govt]

Here is a history of the company by the company

https://baileybanksandbiddle.com/pages/about-us/

 

Here is the hall mark on the back of a Sharpshooter cross I have that is dated 1880's