I was going through some bags of misc medals and found this. I had never examined this one and noticed the edge was numbered. As you can see, the rim area preceding the visible numbers "704" is damaged. Medals aren't my thing, so I was just curious if this was soeone's horrible atrempt to enhance the value of a GC medal? Or if the numbers (at least the reamaining numbers) could be legit? Thanks for any help.

The Medallic Arts contract of December 4th, 1942 had numbered Army Good Conduct medals. If it is a Medallic Art contract number--which to me looks like a smashed 7?7704, I should think it would have the wrap brooch on it vice the slot brooch. Maybe they switched while still numbering them.

 

Here is 66416, marked very faint on the bottom in its original box with a pic of the wrap brooch. Yours is subsequent to this one, so maybe they switched to slot brooch at some point late in the contract. I would date yours 1943-44. The Medallic Art contract May 11th 1944 on a specification of July 24th, 1943 example I have does not have numbering and is on a slot brooch.

 

I'll defer to the experts.

 

Steve

 

 

Also, the red portion of the ribbon on a #’d GCM will have a very faint “orange hue.” 

Very noticeable when you place a #’d GCM and a standard GCM side/by-side.  

Interesting. Thank you.