$461 Ebay US WWI Victory Medal

[custer1]

Interesting, unique, nice condition, yadda, yadda, but $461?

 

What is the deal on this one? Odd unit or individual?

 

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...em=130418764506

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

food for thought, Jim

[BigJohn#3RD]

Could have been an individual assigned to a transportation or aviation unit. The bars are awarded based upon a person participation in a battle not the units, i.e. I have a 2nd Division soldier PH and Campaign Medal who had been wounded twice and he has only three bars, he missed out on the campaigns following his being wounded or gassed.

There was a victory medal for sale on epay a month or so back that had 10 bars in it that was issued to a transportation driver, they were all identified on his discharge papers or the issue document, can't remember which. Any how it is possible but would need some type of verification to get any interest I assume :think:

Regards

John

 

PS it looks awfully crowded, I believe that there was some guidance about the space between the top bar and the top of the ribbon.

[Tom Nier]

In agreement with the above comments, it has been known for some time that these unusual multi-clasp Victory medals were commonly issued to truck drivers serving with the Motor Transport Companies in France. The HQ personnel of these MTCs typically earned only the France clasp on their Victory medals. But the truck drivers who delivered supplies to various AEF units all along the front lines could rack up an impressive arrray of clasps. Some in-depth discussion of these medals can be found in "The Gleim Medal Letters -- 1971-1997", Extracts D38 & D39 on pages 89-90. See also an extensive article on this subject published in Journal OMSA, Sept.-Oct. 1998, pages 23-26.

[KurtA]

Had it not been for the Lys bar (the toughest one to find), the price would have been much lower.

Kurt

[Jack's Son]

Below is a very interesting thread related to this topic.

Shows a lot of multi-bar Victory Medals and discusses why they are so few.

Here is the link.

 

http://www.usmilitariaforum.com/forums/ind...c=64438&hl=

[shrapneldude]

Had it not been for the Lys bar (the toughest one to find), the price would have been much lower.

Kurt

Agreed -- that "Lys" bar probably bumped the price on this one up another $200 more than it would've sold for. If I recall correctly, that bar was authorized for less than 1000 troops for 7 days of combat or something. Pretty small window for it to have been awarded.

[Endgame 1945]

Lys Bars are hard as heck to find

[hmm161-78/82]

Boy, How did this one get buy me!!!! I missed this one completly!!!! :think: :crying:

[ww1collector]

Some engineer outfits had odd combinations too. Dave

[JMcCulloch]

I read in a 1943 Bluejackets manual (?) I think, that only @ 500 Lys bars were issued.

[KurtA]

Had it been in the original box having all the battle bar names stamped on it, I bet the price would have doubled from the high price it did bring (as the box would have proven the originality of the clasp combination). Not that I'm doubting the originality, but a box proving an unusual combination of bars, including a Lys bar, would really make for a very desirable Victory Medal.

Kurt

[JMcCulloch]

yeah-no kidding! When was the last time a real, lock solid multibar Victory medal was at auction? I think FJP had one a few years back.

the source wasn't the Bluejackets manual, but a medal book from the 1930s.

 

By the way, anyone know when "campaign" donation ribbons get added to our signature line?

[Dave]

When was the last time a real, lock solid multibar Victory medal was at auction?

 

You mean one with a LYS or in general? I've recently sold a few that were in the original boxes with the bars stamped on the outside, along with transmittal letters, but none with LYS...

 

Dave

[barker944]

Is it just me or do the stars on the top two clasps look too close in? A lot of the so-called "unofficial" clasps show the same arrangement of stars.

 

Jim

[Adam R]

Is it just me or do the stars on the top two clasps look too close in? A lot of the so-called "unofficial" clasps show the same arrangement of stars.

 

Jim

That's actually the way that they're supposed to be for these two bars.

This picture shows a copy and an original LYS bar. Note the difference in the size and spacing of the stars.