Slot Brooch vs Crimped Brooch Campaign Awards

[Big Iron]

I've collected US medals since I was a kid. I've found that the American Defense Service Medal and US Victory in WWII are the only two campaign awards that were issued with the slot Brooch. Every American Campaign, European Theater, and Asia-Pacific are all crimped brooch.

 

Does anyone have examples to show of slot Brooch campaign awards? I try to collect the earliest examples of medals I can, but just have never run across the campaign ones in slot brooch (if they exist). I had to hunt for a Victory WWII one in slot brooch. I believe I have an Occupation one as well.

 

Post up yours if you have one please!

[Old Marine]

I have slot brooch ETO campaign medals made by the US Mint.  I’ll try and dig them out tonight and post some photos.

[collectsmedals]

Here are an American Campaign Medal and World War II Victory Medal both with slot brooches. These are part of a much larger grouping to Staff Sergeant Raymond Edger Guy, who served on the Mexican Border, World War I and World War II.

[collectsmedals]

Here are a grouping to Jennie M. Henry, Woman's Army Corps. The group included a named Good Conduct Medal, Woman's Army Corps Medal, American Campaign Medal and World War II Victory Medal, all with slot broaches.

[collectsmedals]

This time I am going to attach the photograph.

 

[Old Marine]

Both of these medals were made by the US Mint.  Years ago I acquired a lot of these most were crimp brooch but a few were slot brooch.  

[Big Iron]

18 hours ago, collectsmedals said:

Here are an American Campaign Medal and World War II Victory Medal both with slot brooches. These are part of a much larger grouping to Staff Sergeant Raymond Edger Guy, who served on the Mexican Border, World War I and World War II.

 

17 hours ago, Old Marine said:

Both of these medals were made by the US Mint.  Years ago I acquired a lot of these most were crimp brooch but a few were slot brooch.  

 

Thank you both for the photos. I figured there had to be some out there, but I just have never come across any "in the wild". How early would they have been produced to have been slot brooches vs crimp? I know crimp became the successor of slot, but I'm trying to figure out around the time that switch happened for these particular campaign awards. @Old Marine I see these were issued to the Coast Guard. Would they have been given out to other services regardless of labeling?

[collectsmedals]

I am not sure about when the change in manufacturing using crimp vs slot came about, it was probably different for each company producing the medals. Issuance dates for the difference broach types can vary significantly, as some commands went through their supply of medals faster than others. I have a documented Silver Star issued during the Korean War that has a wrap broach.

[Old Marine]

Here are campaign medals made by the US Mint.  As you can see by the boxes there were separate orders for the Marine Corps, Navy and Coast Guard.  Each service has a separate order number.  As the medals were produced they would have been sent to each of the requesting services supply system for issue.  I doubt the Coast Guard would be issued medals from the Navy or Marine's order. 
 

As for medals with a slot brooch, I don’t think there was a "do not use slot brooches" drop dead date.  I think, the use of slot brooch or crimp brooch was up to the manufacturer, and some manufacturers used up existing stocks of slot brooches before switching over to making crimped brooch medals.   Also, I don’t think a medal with a slot brooch indicates an early war medal.  Take a look at the date on the WWI Occupation medal, and the American Defense Medal, both are slot brooch and dated 1945.  All of the 1945 WWI Occupation medals I have seen were all slot brooch.  
 

If you look at The Medal for Humane Action (The Berlin Airlift medal) you can see that the manufacturer used his still existing stock of slot brooches and just mashed them in to the plate for crimped brooch medals. I had a box of these and they were all made this way.  The medals were pretty shoddy.  But the Berlin Airlift medal was issued in 1948-49 so that shows there were still slot brooches lying around in the manufacturers stocks. 
 

I hope this helps.
 

 

 

[Big Iron]

On 8/4/2023 at 3:25 PM, Old Marine said:

Here are campaign medals made by the US Mint.  As you can see by the boxes there were separate orders for the Marine Corps, Navy and Coast Guard.  Each service has a separate order number.  As the medals were produced they would have been sent to each of the requesting services supply system for issue.  I doubt the Coast Guard would be issued medals from the Navy or Marine's order. 
 

As for medals with a slot brooch, I don’t think there was a "do not use slot brooches" drop dead date.  I think, the use of slot brooch or crimp brooch was up to the manufacturer, and some manufacturers used up existing stocks of slot brooches before switching over to making crimped brooch medals.   Also, I don’t think a medal with a slot brooch indicates an early war medal.  Take a look at the date on the WWI Occupation medal, and the American Defense Medal, both are slot brooch and dated 1945.  All of the 1945 WWI Occupation medals I have seen were all slot brooch.  
 

If you look at The Medal for Humane Action (The Berlin Airlift medal) you can see that the manufacturer used his still existing stock of slot brooches and just mashed them in to the plate for crimped brooch medals. I had a box of these and they were all made this way.  The medals were pretty shoddy.  But the Berlin Airlift medal was issued in 1948-49 so that shows there were still slot brooches lying around in the manufacturers stocks. 
 

I hope this helps.
 

 

 

Thank you again for the photos. I have an Occupation of Germany ribbon (red white blue) issued to a 2nd Armored vet (just the ribbon bar, no medal). Why was that one issued during the Post-WWII era as well as the typical red, white, and black one? It shows Pershing on the front, and that's not WWII related. How much does one of those usually cost? I would love to add one to my collection from the period rather than the newer made ones. I have a cased Berlin Airlift packed away in my collection, I should dig it out sometime soon to see how it's made. I have some EAME and Pacific Theater ones I got at an estate sale with the crimp brooch and they were issued to a WWII vet, and not replacement ones.

[Old Marine]

Big Iron,  take a look and read these links.  In late 1945 there was some  confusion as to the WWI and WWII Occupation Medals.  The first link should explain  why a WWII jacket has a WWI ribbon in it.  The incorrect ribbon actually tends to makes the jacket and insignia more original and not messed with.  Issuance of the wrong ribbon seems to have been a pretty mistake.
 

feel free to ask more questions or PM 

 

 

 

 

[Big Iron]

On 8/7/2023 at 12:41 PM, Old Marine said:

Big Iron,  take a look and read these links.  In late 1945 there was some  confusion as to the WWI and WWII Occupation Medals.  The first link should explain  why a WWII jacket has a WWI ribbon in it.  The incorrect ribbon actually tends to makes the jacket and insignia more original and not messed with.  Issuance of the wrong ribbon seems to have been a pretty mistake.
 

feel free to ask more questions or PM 

 

 

 

 

Thank you for taking the time to find those links. It makes sense that "Occupation of Germany" was what got ordered, and little to the supply guy's knowledge, there was already one and then the newer version afterward (red, black, and white).

 

I'll be looking for one of the Occupation of Germany (Pershing version) now for my collection. One thing I enjoy about US stuff is unless it is extremely rare, it doesn't break the bank to pick up pieces here and there. I spent 20+ years collecting exclusively German items, and now the common things are $100+. I have a handful of uniforms as an average price when I bought them was $600-$700. Now...I don't really look as my wife would strangle me in my sleep if one appeared on the doorstep. 😅 She's seemingly "OK" with a $20-$40 medal mysteriously appearing. 🤫

[USMCR79]

There is a 1941 US Mint Contract Navy 1st Nicaraguan Campaign medal that has a slot broach along with a Navy Reserve medal from the 1950’s that also came with a slot broach.

 

Bill

[USMCR79]

On 8/10/2023 at 7:46 PM, USMCR79 said:

There is a 1941 US Mint Contract Navy 1st Nicaraguan Campaign medal that has a slot broach along with a Navy Reserve medal from the 1950’s that also came with a slot broach.

 

Bill

I will correct myself to say it was a 1943 US Mint Contract