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    Mini Medal of Honor Medals


    Gldank

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    A friend in Germany emailed me and asked if this mini medal was real. I do not know enough about US medals to answer his question. Does or did America issue or award mini Medal of Honor medals to wear on a US miniature medal bar? Would the Army one look like this? Thanks to all. :unsure:

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    Jeff, as usual, is correct that only the full size Medal of Honor is authorized to be worn - HOWEVER - this photo of USMC WW1 Medal of Honor recipient Louis Cukela clearly shows him wearing a mini Army MoH in this 1920's-1930's circa pic that also shows him with his Navy Tiffany-style MoH at his neck.

    WW1MedalsUS-MoH1918CukelaLouisasMajorjpg

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    Jeff, as usual, is correct that only the full size Medal of Honor is authorized to be worn - HOWEVER - this photo of USMC WW1 Medal of Honor recipient Louis Cukela clearly shows him wearing a mini Army MoH in this 1920's-1930's circa pic that also shows him with his Navy Tiffany-style MoH at his neck.

    WW1MedalsUS-MoH1918CukelaLouisasMajorjpg

    Interesting! Thank you Dana

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    Real? In any way official? No, of course not. Real? Did someone make and sell them? In an world of uncontrolled capitalism, of course. Are they collectible? Not for me, maybe for others. Whoever will pay cash for them?

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    "Real? In any way official? No, of course not. Real? Did someone make and sell them? In an world of uncontrolled capitalism, of course. Are they collectible? Not for me, maybe for others. Whoever will pay cash for them?"

    Couldn't have said it better myself. Here's one, probably manufactured in Sweden, next to the extremely rare "Medaljen f?r tapperhet i f?lt" (Medal for bravery in the Field).

    cheers

    Peter

    Edited by Peter J
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    Actually, the miniature is more likely to be a miniature badge of the Grand Army of the Republic, a group of Civil War veterans, but a neat miniature group. Probably to a Swede who came to the US, served in the Army during the Civil War and went home.

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    Here's part of a page from a 1928 Bailey, Banks & Biddle insignia catalog offering miniature Tiffany Crosses and Army Medals of Honor for $5 each. So, there was a time when there was an authorized miniature for the Medal of Honor, but that seems to have died out with WWII. None are authorized now.

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    I remember when I started collecting medals in the mid 1960's one of the first catalogs I had was from Kaufman Surplus in the 300 block of W 42nd St in Manhattan across from the Port Authority Building. Inside the back cover they listed all the miniatures including Army and Navy versions of the Medal of Honor - but alas as a kid I couldn't afford the outrageous $14.95 EACH!! (I had to settle for $5 1939 EK2's and $1 Brit Victory Medals) And I remember a few lucky treks into Midtown where I could stop into Kaufman's and see them first hand pinned to a board behind the register . . . so although long out of regulation by then (if, in fact, they ever were regulation), they were still being sold to the public while the Worlds Fair played on in Flushing Meadows and Americans couldnt legally buy full size US medals . . .

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    • 5 weeks later...

    Great stuff on Johnson! Here is a picture of Thomas Croft Neibaur (my second Cousin) and I believe Johnston on their way home form the war.

    Where are Johnston's decorations? Neibaurs are in the state museum in Boise, Idaho

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    Great stuff on Johnson! Here is a picture of Thomas Croft Neibaur (my second Cousin) and I believe Johnston on their way home form the war.

    Where are Johnston's decorations? Neibaurs are in the state museum in Boise, Idaho

    I am told the group is still with the family.

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    • 2 weeks later...
    Beautiful picture, thank you .. I don't mean to be rude but this must be an (army) reproduction made in Europe after 1918, the Medal of Honor size has never been small. She was issued during and prior WWI, Civil War and during the Indian Campains ,but the small version does not exist in the USA.... Medals of Honor are always carried around the neck... Edited by Francois
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    What a beautiful black and white picture again, but I have a question concerning one of the soldier.

    Ok, I see the Medal of Honor on the left chest , but the second soldier has the same one around his neck...?

    So this could explain that the person on the left just got decorated..?

    Also, I see several medals from the "Grest War" ( WW I ) but the Dog Tag is from WW II.

    This is a little confusing...Dog tags in WW I were round .

    Left to right ,

    American Defence 1941

    WW I Defence Medal with 4 "Metal Bar"

    Small WW I Defence Medal

    Medal of Honor Pin ?

    WW II Medal

    Smal medal of Honor (reproduction )

    WW II Dog Tag

    Don't know the last one yet... :o

    Edited by Francois
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    Both Johnston and Neibaur were awarded the medal the same day by General Pershing. That was February 19, 1919. Johnston is in the front row 8 from the left. Neibaur is in the back center.

    Early pictures of Neibaur show him wearing as a pinned decoration, but the early models after the turn of the century could also be hung on a next ribbon. In WWI you will see pictures of these medals and they are easily distinguishable because the don't have the pad of stars.

    Also the Medals up to the first world war were silver gilt. Johston's shows that, as does Neibaurs and the one recently sold by Detlev Neimann. That medal was also awarded the same day in February.

    (I'll have to resize the picture too big)

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    What a beautiful black and white picture again, but I have a question concerning one of the soldier.

    Ok, I see the Medal of Honor on the left chest , but the second soldier has the same one around his neck...?

    So this could explain that the person on the left just got decorated..?

    Also, I see several medals from the "Grest War" ( WW I ) but the Dog Tag is from WW II.

    This is a little confusing...Dog tags in WW I were round .

    Left to right ,

    American Defence 1941

    WW I Defence Medal with 4 "Metal Bar"

    Small WW I Defence Medal

    Medal of Honor Pin ?

    WW II Medal

    Smal medal of Honor (reproduction )

    WW II Dog Tag

    Don't know the last one yet...

    :o

    The blue and white striped cross and mini are the WWI Italian War Cross. You are right on the dog tags. I would assume we are not seeing all the medals (and dog tags) as Johnson served in both WWI and WWII. I do not have more information on this group. I received the photos from a friend of the family and have not seen the original group nor have I been able to get more questions answered at present. :unsure:

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    I was not questioning Johnson military services, your picture is fantastic, so both WWI and WWII, ok, got it, thank you ..

    Anyway, the Italian War cross look very pretty also, why is she on the picture if I may ask..

    Edited by Francois
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    I was not questioning Johnson military services, your picture is fantastic, so both WWI and WWII, ok, got it, thank you ..

    Anyway, the Italian War cross look very pretty also, why is she on the picture if I may ask..

    The Italian War Cross is on his post WWI picture. He may have not have been awarded the cross yet at the time of his WWI picture. :unsure:

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