Flea market sighting...impressive grouping

[bratwurstdimsum]

Hi there,

My first real posting here.

I'm thinking about buying a grouping that belongs to a vet

Serial: 14445451

Name: TH G Williams

It is a very interesting one, the man I'm purchasing it off says the vet was a fellow in the merchant navy and the grouping is as follows:

Stars: (all stars with serial and name engraved (NOT IMPRESSED) on reverse)

39-45

France & Germany with an ATLANTIC bar

Africa with an AFRICA 42-45 bar

Burma with a PACIFIC bar

Medals: (no engravings)

Defence

War Medal with a Mentioned in dispatches leaf on the ribbon

In your learned opinions, what would this grouping be worth?

BDS

[Tony]

Hello,

The number looks more army than Merchant Navy to me unless Aussie Merchant Navy men had that sort of number.

I have an old medal book from 1990 but the prices haven't increased the same way they have for WWI medals, here goes though:

France & Germany with an ATLANTIC bar ?20 (saw one last week for ?40 I think)

Africa with an AFRICA 42-45 bar ?12

Burma with a PACIFIC bar - no price but would guess at about ?40

Defence medal about ?10 today

War medal with leaf a guess of ?20

If you add them all up plus a bit more for the grouping and a bit more for the engraving, so long as you can prove the name hasn't been added recently, it comes to quite a bit.

I do hope someone else can give more advice though.

Tony

[bratwurstdimsum]

If you add them all up plus a bit more for the grouping and a bit more for the engraving, so long as you can prove the name hasn't been added recently, it comes to quite a bit.

I do hope someone else can give more advice though.

Tony

That's the hard part I guess, a dealer that I approached said he would not touch these because, not being impressed (machine stamped) like aussie medals, you can't prove that it was not a cobble-to of blank medals with engraving. His asessment of the worth would be nearly zero unfortunately.

But I'm looking for more opinions!!!! The item was still there last week.

Jeff

[Sahil117]

On 10/13/2005 at 00:56, bratwurstdimsum said:

That's the hard part I guess, a dealer that I approached said he would not touch these because, not being impressed (machine stamped) like aussie medals, you can't prove that it was not a cobble-to of blank medals with engraving.

Hi! It was really interesting to read the nuances of engraving & impressing above. Could you elaborate a little further please? For eg- I'm trying to rebuild my grand dads Medal set, and have gotten all the medals & stars that he was issued/ authorised. So say I was to metal punch his particulars onto the rims of the medals and the backs of the stars- you'd say that was a bad idea? This is apart from the obvious risk of damaging the obverse side of the stars in the first place, when repeatedly struck in the back to carry out the punching?

[Tony]

If the medals weren't issued/applied for originally then the next of kin can still apply for them. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/applying-for-medals

As for naming them yourself well, if they're staying with you to remember your grandfather then engraving them would probably be better than stamping.

Alternatively if you apply for his service record or already have it, perhaps placing his official medal entitlement with the medals will be ok.

Personally I'd frame them with a photo of your grandfather but either way, they're yours so do whatever you feel at ease with.

 

[Farkas]

Hi Gents

first...

Hi BDS.

i had a key cut recently and asked the guy about naming on medals.

he said they get regular enquiries about ways to replicate original lettering and they always refuse. However 'genuine' people tend to be happy to have them engraved. It won't fool anyone but they don't care as that's not the intention.

Did you go for it??

----///-://--------

second...

Hi Sahil117

I totally agree with my namesake, the finely named tony - only have them engraved if you do anything. Dont mess about.And personally I definitely would for sure have them engraved.

My grandfathers medals were sold on eBay and being un-named are lost for ever.  If you, his grandson, have his name enscribed on his genuine family owned medals then not only do you preserve his memory but you make them more desirable if sold.You are part of their story.

I recently cellotaped my grandparents birth certificates and wrote notes and dates on the borders in pen! Sacrilege, if it was anyone else doing it. But I can do it because I'm part of that story.

i would never get your medals engraved but you can and should I reckon.

A priceless set you already own. as tony said-photo display etc. You won't regret it. Framed professionally with extras.... awesome!

I'd swap every medal I have for the four that I really want...... hence my rant!

 

tony

On 22/10/2017 at 10:40, Tony said:

If the medals weren't issued/applied for originally then the next of kin can still apply for them. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/applying-for-medals

As for naming them yourself well, if they're staying with you to remember your grandfather then engraving them would probably be better than stamping.

Alternatively if you apply for his service record or already have it, perhaps placing his official medal entitlement with the medals will be ok.

Personally I'd frame them with a photo of your grandfather but either way, they're yours so do whatever you feel at ease with.

 

 

On 22/10/2017 at 09:27, Sahil117 said:

Hi! It was really interesting to read the nuances of engraving & impressing above. Could you elaborate a little further please? For eg- I'm trying to rebuild my grand dads Medal set, and have gotten all the medals & stars that he was issued/ authorised. So say I was to metal punch his particulars onto the rims of the medals and the backs of the stars- you'd say that was a bad idea? This is apart from the obvious risk of damaging the obverse side of the stars in the first place, when repeatedly struck in the back to carry out the punching?