Typhus Commission Medal Brooch Question

[usmedalman]

I am attaching two photos of original Typhus Commission Medals. I am wondering why the two different styles of locking catches. For simplicity I am calling the catch that bears a resemblance to the WWI Victory Medal catch at Type 1 and the style more commonly seen on post 1942 campaign and Victory Medals the Type 2. I have seen more Type 1 styles than the Type 2. But with a run of only about 250 medals I wonder why the change in the catches? Is one associated with the Army and the other with the Navy? 

 

Looking forward to hearing from the experts out there since I have never handled an original of this medal.

 

Type 1 

 

 

 

 

Type 2

 

 

[Allan H.]

Both of the medals that you are showing have a slot brooch. I frankly do not see a difference between the two brooches other than one has a fair amount of discoloration and patina where the other doesn't show the age that the first does. 

 

One thing that I do notice is that the maroon on the first ribbon drape is much darker than the second, so it is possible that the second medal has had the drape replaced, but that is just speculation. I do not have any heartburn with either of the medals being identified as original, vintage strikes.

 

Allan

[atb]

1 minute ago, Allan H. said:

Both of the medals that you are showing have a slot brooch. I frankly do not see a difference between the two brooches other than one has a fair amount of discoloration and patina where the other doesn't show the age that the first does. 

 

One thing that I do notice is that the maroon on the first ribbon drape is much darker than the second, so it is possible that the second medal has had the drape replaced, but that is just speculation. I do not have any heartburn with either of the medals being identified as original, vintage strikes.

 

Allan

The catches for securing the pins are different. I think just different makers. If it is a replaced ribbon, that would explain two different brooches.

[Allan H.]

1 hour ago, atb said:

The catches for securing the pins are different. I think just different makers. If it is a replaced ribbon, that would explain two different brooches.

No, they really aren't. Both brooches are slot brooches. They look a little different because they are taken at different angles by the camera, but they are both undoubtedly slot brooches. You can see that the top one was once the same silver color that the one below shows quite nicely. Both have a "hook" catch as opposed to an open catch like you might find on an army wrap brooch. 

 

Allan

[usmedalman]

9 minutes ago, Allan H. said:

No, they really aren't. Both brooches are slot brooches. They look a little different because they are taken at different angles by the camera, but they are both undoubtedly slot brooches. You can see that the top one was once the same silver color that the one below shows quite nicely. Both have a "hook" catch as opposed to an open catch like you might find on an army wrap brooch. 

 

Allan

The brooches are both slot brooches, but one has the locking catch similar to the WWI Victory Medal, and the other uses locking catch similar to those found on post-1942 medals.

[atb]

17 minutes ago, Allan H. said:

No, they really aren't. Both brooches are slot brooches. They look a little different because they are taken at different angles by the camera, but they are both undoubtedly slot brooches. You can see that the top one was once the same silver color that the one below shows quite nicely. Both have a "hook" catch as opposed to an open catch like you might find on an army wrap brooch. 

 

Allan

Look a bit closer. One is rounded, the other is flattened. I am not talking about the brooches as a whole, just the locking catches into which the pins fit.

[bulldog06]

Most of the Typhus medals I have seen have the slot brooch with the shorter pin and the round catch.

 

I have a photo of a Typhus from CNY last year that shows a slot brooch with the longer pin and flat catch. The ribbon is faded and looks more like the Type 2 above.

 

There are examples of the slot brooch, flat catch on Army Good Conduct medals, Bronze Stars, and late WW2 Army DSC's.

 

Mike

 

[usmedalman]

With a run of only 250 medals I just found it odd that two different styles of catches were used. I was hoping someone may know the reason for this.

[jmpmstr]

Good thread below on a correct issue of the medal...

 

 

The type 1 appears to be correct, type 2 IMO is re-ribboned on a different style slot brooch.

 

[Berzotti*]

On 07/07/2025 at 10:55, Allan H. said:

Ambas as medalhas que você está mostrando possuem um broche com fenda. Sinceramente, não vejo diferença entre os dois broches, a não ser que um apresenta um nível considerável de descoloração e pátina, enquanto o outro não demonstra a mesma idade. 

 

Uma coisa que notei é que o tom bordô da primeira fita é muito mais escuro que o da segunda, então é possível que a fita da segunda medalha tenha sido substituída, mas isso é apenas especulação. Não tenho nenhuma dúvida de que qualquer uma das medalhas seja original, cunhada na época.

 

Allan

The differences in the ribbon colors may be due to the different lighting conditions under which the medals were photographed.