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Is this a Navy Purple Heart?


manayunkman
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manayunkman

Sure looks like gilt on silver but the pin assembly is not right ? 
 

I appreciate your help thank you 

ACA17C3A-4EB1-40F6-80B9-E951EEB64028.jpeg

87DA30DB-FA52-44AF-A202-498FD549EE40.jpeg

478DB46E-144A-488C-8BA8-E8D2A9DED4E4.jpeg

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What on earth is that broach?

 

I like the medal, but don’t think I’ve ever seen a broach like that on a military medal.

 

Interesting...

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The drape is called a bent slot brooch. It is from a 1939 Metal Arts contract. The planchet should be numbered on the lower left edge, in the 68000 to 77000.

 

The planchet on this medal does look like a sterling based USN medal.

 

Probably someone making up a medal out of parts.

 

Mike 

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manayunkman

The medal does not have a number.

 

If someone put this together they did it a long time ago because the ribbon has wear from the brooch.

 

I went to Medal Mulisha’s site and found out this brooch was used on Army PHs.

 

Is this an Army PH?

 

 

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collectsmedals

I know I have seen a broach like that, but I don't remember what it was on. I will take a look through my medals and see if I can find it.

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I think it is a Navy planchet on a Metal Arts drape. Both have been around for 77 plus years and could have been put together long ago.

 

It is not hard to open the ring and switch Purple Heart planchets. 

 

The correct gilt wrap brooch and ribbon for USN medals can be hard to find. 

 

The tacking thread binding the front and rear ribbons together just under the brooch look pinkish. They should be ivory white to match the border.

 

Metal Arts used this brooch on other medals. I've seen it on a Naval reserve medal.

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manayunkman

Due to the off color tacking thread I think at some point the brooch was replaced.

 

Why isn’t the planchette numbered?

 

 

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dhcoleterracina

It's not numbered because it's a Navy medal. Somewhere, it got married to a bent slot brooch (as Bulldog correctly says). 

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manayunkman
15 minutes ago, dhcoleterracina said:

It's not numbered because it's a Navy medal. Somewhere, it got married to a bent slot brooch (as Bulldog correctly says). 

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Navy type planchets were not numbered. Some like yours were sterling that tends to show through the gold. Your PH has a plastic purple insert and the red and white shield is a separate piece. These are all characteristics of Navy procured PH's.

 

The Metal Art planchet has an enameled purple center, baked into the heart rather than being an insert. The red and white shield is also part of the heart rather than a separate piece.

 

Pictures below, USN on the left, Metal Arts on the right.

PH USN Metal Arts Planch.JPG

PH USN Metal Arts r.JPG

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manayunkman

Great side by side comparison of these two Hearts.

 

I have never seen the Metal Arts PH with that brooch before, thank you for posting it.

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dhcoleterracina

Many WW1 era Purple Hearts have missing drapes. They are very tough to find. If I still had one, I'd want this really bad. 

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