Jump to content

Are these MOH's on ebay the real deal?


ROCKET
 Share

Recommended Posts

I stumbled across these 2 listings from a seller out of Canada, One is an early type 1 MOH and the other is a type 2 MOH. What's strange is that they are listed in the 1919-1938 militaria section which seems a bit odd.

 

Are these legit unissued medals or possibly display copies that were made later?

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/USA-MOH-ARMY-MEDAL-TYPE-1-NOT-NAMED-WITH-MAKERS-NAME-ORIGINAL-VERY-RARE/174166803340

https://www.ebay.com/itm/USA-MOH-ARMY-MEDAL-TYPE-2-NOT-NAMED-WITH-MAKERS-NAME-ORIGINAL-VERY-RARE/184141969865

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Holy cow, thats one of the last things I would think to have seen on eBay considering that they take down even purple hearts. If these are real would they be legal to buy or does that rule only apply to ones that are awarded?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I know that they could sell them legally since they were in Canada, I was thinking more if someone in America saw them and wished to buy them if it would make a difference if they were never issued. My gut says no but I was just curious.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I know that they could sell them legally since they were in Canada, I was thinking more if someone in America saw them and wished to buy them if it would make a difference if they were never issued. My gut says no but I was just curious.

 

Your gut is correct. We've had a number of discussions on here about the legality of owning a Medal of Honor, but I can't seem to find a really good thread to steer you to.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This is a perfect example on the stupidity of the legislation prohibiting the sale / ownership of our nations highest award for valor. As collectors in this country age or die these medals will go out of our nation and be sold due to their value. Our history will go with the medal. This is one of the unintended consequences of the Stolen Valor Act. Same with the sleeping legislation on Purple Heart medals. Why politicians and the other stupid persons are pushing these laws is beyond my comprehension.

 

G2

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This is a perfect example on the stupidity of the legislation prohibiting the sale / ownership of our nations highest award for valor. As collectors in this country age or die these medals will go out of our nation and be sold due to their value. Our history will go with the medal. This is one of the unintended consequences of the Stolen Valor Act. Same with the sleeping legislation on Purple Heart medals. Why politicians and the other stupid persons are pushing these laws is beyond my comprehension.

 

G2

 

AMEN

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yes, yes, we know, we know...the horse has been kicked, decayed, and bones scattered

 

Let's keep the discussion to the medals themselves

Link to comment
Share on other sites

They were never issued un-named. There were a number of the of Type I and Type II medals that turned up that were issued. Fakers before SVA used to engrave them to pass off as issued medals.

 

Kurt

Link to comment
Share on other sites

They were never issued un-named. There were a number of the of Type I and Type II medals that turned up that were issued. Fakers before SVA used to engrave them to pass off as issued medals.

 

Kurt

 

Kurt,

 

So to be clear, in my mind, they were never "Issued" unnamed BUT they do / have existed as an "unissued" unnamed original medal? Would that be the correct thinking that these are simply original unissued medals / left overs?

 

Thanks,

Mark

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

Kurt,

 

So to be clear, in my mind, they were never "Issued" unnamed BUT they do / have existed as an "unissued" unnamed original medal? Would that be the correct thinking that these are simply original unissued medals / left overs?

 

Thanks,

Mark

Hi Mark

 

No doubt its an original medal. It was just never issued to a veteran through official channels.

 

It is basically a surplus medal.

 

There are certain government agencies who would argue that these are counterfeit medals because they do not possess an approved hallmark . Obviously those agencies do not have any numismatic expertise.

 

Kurt

Link to comment
Share on other sites

How would an unengraved MOH be given out? As a spare?

 

From a forum thread at http://www.usmilitariaforum.com/forums/index.php?/topic/119157-medal-of-honor-buyingsellingpossession/

 

"In 1996 HLI Lordship Industries plead guilty in federal court to selling 300 Medals of Honor to the collector's market. They were fined and prohibited from receiving government contracts to produce medals for 15 years. Since these medals were manufactured as part of a government contract, they are considered stolen government property."

 

I know one person who had un-engraved MOH's seized by the FBI and destroyed.

 

The ones on ebay are being sold on ebay USA - not ebay Canada - but it is illegal for a US resident to buy or possess them.

 

This again illustrates once again that the decision to ban such possession has resulted in a flow of MOH's from the US to other countries. Great way to protect and preserve our American heritage, 'ey?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The first batch of Type I medals produced far exceeded the number issued during the Civil War and after. These versions are original, yet unnamed. It boiled down to production numbers due to the contract. I do not have the paperwork for the numbers of medals produced at my fingertips, but it was a large amount. This made it more complicated when the Gillespie version came out as to where the original contract medals went.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

Medals of America used to sell replicas of those style medals out of their catalog years ago.

 

And they were very different from these originals (in terms of quality)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 weeks later...

They were never issued un-named. There were a number of the of Type I and Type II medals that turned up that were issued. Fakers before SVA used to engrave them to pass off as issued medals.

 

Kurt

That is false. In ww1 and ww2 numerous medals awarded in field ceremonies were unengraved. Audie Murphy is a good example of an awarded piece that was not engraved. I can not say what happened in the civil war but I can imagine it happened then as well with unengraved medals being awarded.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That is false. In ww1 and ww2 numerous medals awarded in field ceremonies were unengraved. Audie Murphy is a good example of an awarded piece that was not engraved. I can not say what happened in the civil war but I can imagine it happened then as well with unengraved medals being awarded.

I am referring to pre WW1 examples.

 

Kurt

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

I believe that the seller of these medals is EMedals (Ebay user ID Worldmedals). They are a big militaria firm in Canada. They currently have 11 separate Medal of Honor related ads on Ebay.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I believe that the seller of these medals is EMedals (Ebay user ID Worldmedals). They are a big militaria firm in Canada. They currently have 11 separate Medal of Honor related ads on Ebay.

 

I originally thought that as well. However, neither of these two medals are listed on eMedals' website. The seller is supposedly located out of Nova Scotia, while eMedals is located in Burlington Ontario.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Worldmedals is not Barry Turk from emedals. I know the gentleman, Im happy to give anyone details offline but overall a good guy to deal with.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

That thread has one of my best posts ever as the last post. :D :D (Just kidding, but it was a heck of a snarky comment from eight years ago...)

 

Here's the thread with a full discussion about "counterfeit" MOHs (mine). Just in case anyone wants more information about the FBI and their policies, rather than re-hashing this dead horse in this thread (as Brig put it, the horse has been beaten, is dead, has rotted, and the bones have been scattered...)

 

http://www.usmilitariaforum.com/forums/index.php?/topic/174464-images-of-medals-of-honor-from-my-collection/

 

Dave

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Oh, and FWIW, once I finish the second volume of my Purple Heart books (with the World of COVID, I'm thinking next year) I've been tossing around the idea of a book on the Medal of Honor in a similar format, but showing MOHs from the Civil War to the present. Would be a handy reference for the "are these real?" Medal of Honor questions.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...