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Images of Medals of Honor from my collection


Dave
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I knew I had these, but had misnamed them so I could never find them. I thought at least some folks might be interested in seeing these close-ups. They are all unissued, and were purchased 20+ years ago prior to "the ban". To assuage the concerns of any feel-good do-gooders who will want to turn me in to the CMOHS or FBI, these medals were confiscated and destroyed by the FBI in 2010, and I have the photos to prove it. These images are all that remain.

 

Enjoy!

 

Dave

 

 

MOHS.jpg

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Army Medal of Honor reverse.

I can't find the closeups of the Navy Medal of Honor, but when I do, I will add them to the thread.

 

If anyone else has good close up shots of Medals of Honor, you are more than welcome to add them to the thread...

 

 

ARMYMOH2.jpg

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Beautiful, yet shameful (on the FBI's part). Sad to see such pieces destroyed in the name of stupid legislation and moronic enforcement.

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Thanks guys! I figured they would make for good reference especially with what's coming out now overseas. The original photos were unedited, so I can make them bigger if anyone ever really needs them larger (doubt it though!) :)

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johnnyrocket

Thanks Dave for the posting of these great close-ups.

 

All we need now in government of a new department that protects us from ourselves. ;)

 

Johnny R.

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Nice photos Dave, but the story just makes me sick to my stomach! I guess as unmarked they deemed them fake or reproductions of?

 

Can't pass any reasonable legislation but we can screw people that are of no threat what so ever. Only in America home of the free and the delusional....

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Jumpin Jack

Absolutely beautiful photography! It's a sad day when any other country can have our highest award for valor, but we can't. Politicians should be damned to hell. Jack

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Guys - thanks for the sympathy and comments on the laws. However, let's keep it on topic with the images of the medals. :)

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You mean they let you keep the photos?

 

 

The size difference is interesting. Did you know who was the maker of each?

 

I was surprised that they did, but hey, no complaining here... ;) My lawyer demanded photos of when they were destroyed...but those are too graphic to display on a family-friendly forum. :D

 

None of these were maker marked. Kind of surprising, but my hunch was that they all dated from the 60s or 70s, particularly as it wasn't long after that when I bought them. :)

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I believe that H.L.I. Lordship Industries of Hauppauge, L.I., had the Government contract during those years.

 

http://www.nytimes.com/1996/12/31/nyregion/pentagon-drops-li-company-over-sale-of-medals.html

 

Johnny R.

 

It is possible that the AF one may have been an HLI piece, but there were no markings on it at all (I can't remember if their back-door ones were unmarked or not). The Navy one had an odd coating on it...it was legit, but a rather odd color.

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johnnyrocket

 

It is possible that the AF one may have been an HLI piece, but there were no markings on it at all (I can't remember if their back-door ones were unmarked or not). The Navy one had an odd coating on it...it was legit, but a rather odd color.

 

I don't believe that the AF MoH ever had any hallmarks on the reverse. The Navy appears to have a bronze finish/coating as to the gold tone on the Army Air Force MoH. Also I have not seen any hallmarks on the Navy MoH either. I must add as an interesting note that the Navy MoH has the designers name (extremely small lettering) on the front of the medal. This name is never seen on Navy reproduction medals because of its difficulty to produce from cheap dies or castings.

 

Johnny R.

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Thanks for the close ups, unfortunately this may be the closest most of us ever get to these.

 

Great medals that came to a tragic end.

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Dave,

Your first photo of the three medals together shows an Army medal with the small pad cravat that was used from approximately WWII to the mid 1950s but your fourth photo of the Army MoH by itself shows a medal with a large pad on the ribbon. Also, the connection of the eagle to the bottom of the pad is different on the two medals. I'm assuming that you had two different Army Medals of Honor that were confiscated and destroyed?

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Dave,

Your first photo of the three medals together shows an Army medal with the small pad cravat that was used from approximately WWII to the mid 1950s but your fourth photo of the Army MoH by itself shows a medal with a large pad on the ribbon. Also, the connection of the eagle to the bottom of the pad is different on the two medals. I'm assuming that you had two different Army Medals of Honor that were confiscated and destroyed?

 

Adam:

 

I was wondering if anyone was going to catch that. :) The ribbon with the small cravat came from a MOH recipient along with several other items. It's in perfect condition...my assumption is that he never wore it as his MOH was presented in 1945 and I think he switched the ribbon to the later style as soon as it came out. The connection is the one from the ribbon that came with it originally...though it seems a little flimsy.

 

I later kept the Army MOH with one of the more current ribbons on display, and kept the small pad cravat locked up with the rest of the recipient's group.

 

Dave

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I don't believe that the AF MoH ever had any hallmarks on the reverse. The Navy appears to have a bronze finish/coating as to the gold tone on the Army Air Force MoH. Also I have not seen any hallmarks on the Navy MoH either. I must add as an interesting note that the Navy MoH has the designers name (extremely small lettering) on the front of the medal. This name is never seen on Navy reproduction medals because of its difficulty to produce from cheap dies or castings.

 

Johnny R.

 

Lordship did hallmark the Navy and Air Force MoH during the 1980's. That hallmark was L.I.G.I. and on the reverse pendant at 6 o'clock. The AF version was in a marked 10/81 contract box of issue.

 

The earlier hallmarks I've seen on the AF MoH include:

 

- H.L.P. G.I. (reverse @ 6 o'clock)

 

- I've seen two identical examples, both from the 12/76 contract, one totally unmarked and the other marked HLP in very small letters on the pendant rim at 5 o"clock. Other than the hallmark and a very minute difference in final finsh, they were identical and of better details than the 1981 version.

 

Those are the only marks I've personally seen. I believe Medallic Art Company had the initial contract but, I've never seen one (at least hallmarked) by MAC.

 

Tim

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