Marcus H

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Is this medal official or commemorative perhaps ? Any help greatly appreciated. Kr Marcus

Blimey Simon, that is early !!! I like to have a few doc's concerned with each award I have and prefer groupings of sorts if able to get them, this I'd buy in a blink ! Lovely. Kr Marcus

I've one of these too, in exactly the same conditon in fact I've never taken the medal out of the tissue paper. In the States you can buy these and numerous other WW2 related medals commonly (the period made and issued examples of the time), Korean War too in pristine untouched condition, boxed and tissue evident. They are common place in fact and easily available at very fair prices (I think so being in the UK, pound to dollar) I've gotten most of mine from American or a good friend has purchased them for me on my behalf, they are purely surplus stock medals 99% of the time I believe. Of course you can buy the latter day made example's too; but I'm paying attention to period made medals and those instituted at the time opposed to these modern emulation's. If you're going to collect American medals in my opinion this is the way to buy them from the era cased and period made or the earlier the example of each medal as possible. Kr Marcus

I don't think I saw this one posted, apologies if already done so. Departement of Defense Civil award for the 1990/91 Gulf War episode.

Both very nice !

Ooops a few typo's in the above 'there' and' their' etc I've been 38 hours now and a tad shagged Yeah never throw away fakes ! As I'm not the last word or expert....you never ever know ! Sorry Larry to be the bearer of such negative thought mate.

Size comparison and Ldo boxes

The warrenty on the reverse, specific it seems to this smaller packet, in my opinion. You'll find the Ldo cellophane packets also have different spaced wording too.....etc Also, the fold of these of packets appears to date to be always on the left, not right (yours is 'flapped over' on the right)

Hi Laurence, Sorry this took so long. I asked to see a better pic because I'm not familiar with this type of packet on such a scale, I'll try to explain in a mo. I've had a look on the WAF under our names and Brian's, I did an advanced search on us all to no avail, only when you first encountered Brian's pic's and requested if he ever sell it to contact yourself I think, or along the lines of that. If I did comment on it and vouch for it and if I did I'd be inclined to say I was incorrect, I will personally refund you any monies lost for the packet mate. I suspect it's naughty, but this is just my opinion and shouldn't be taken as gospel. My impression this is a copy of a genuine sorts and one of what I call in my diction the 'scrawl' fake series. Some of there earlier (I class them in series) sorts are easy to spot, then more recent ones are better and now they're reached almost perfection in duplication of original packets........perhaps they even have ? To me this is a scrawl packet emulation of a small genuine Ldo packet thats encountered. I've found it in three forms, earlier logo Ldo and devoid of warrenty and a post 'earlier' Ldo logo form, one in blue ink (mine was vet obtained) and another in black ink that lives in a collection here in the UK. The two 'latter' versions, the latin LDO in a frame does have the warrenty on the reverse of the packet. One common trait is that all three are a small size packet (see pic, I'll relent from measurements but you can easily scale the pic) Also, the flap is a 'stubbed' cut of flap rather than the pointy one. The warrenty is not the usual generic paper packet size or spacing, I think this is relevant to the size. In addtion it's true to say that also the obverse Ldo log is too, a smaller size catoring for the smaller packet dimensions I believe. From the look of it, your packet is the larger size, with these smaller print traits front and back. It's a larger form packet with the stubbed flap too. It also looks to me to be of the scrawl type paper, that I can't judge properly, but it's the impression I get. I've seen similar sorts in Germany and else where, not exactly this type I confess (I have encountered the earlier form Ldo logo as a fake, in a more or less correct colour paper and near on perfect copy print and in size....I spotted it in Germany and even the seller confessed it was bad, he's now a good source for fakes and recognition of them), but in my mind things tally and point to at least say it's a dubious sorts that needs questioning and looking at further even if my thoughts seem provinvcial and bias. Here are two of the three sorts, the one on the right of course being the sort your's is pertaining to be in my opinion.

Did you draw that Laurence (nice to see the maker Souval actually on a KVK packet, you see an abundance of all insundry of makers and this maker you'd expect to be no different, but I seldom see it on KVK packets.........just as a note and meaningless observation) David, I just commented on the WAF on this, but it looks just fine and nothing to worry about in the packet regard. Kr Marcus

Hi Laurence, Can I see the Ldo packet please, for a large type it has an odd looking flap from here ? Kr Marcus

The two guys are gladiators (Germany and Italy) and the crocodile is the British (as we know Commonwealth, Greek etc etc forces too won the day), the croc like the python and lion were depicted in late Roman art fighting humans of some sorts, they were seen a powerful and dangerous adversaries 'threatening' man if you like as they'd eat you........the good being fighting for survival of course, man ! So along these lines the Italian designer has incorperated this scene. A joint cooperation of Germany and Italy fighting the foe. Thats my take on it for the want of a better description.

Hi Gordon, I don't suppose you have the article do you, or any ref for the magazine that it's in, you must know Arthur T, I wonder if he could get me a copy. What I don't understand is that, while the badge in zinc has all the traits of the S&L badge in buntmetal hence no contention as to the badges originality as such, this hinge can be found on say PAB and IAB by S&L. I wonder why it's not so accepted on KM badges ? I was just about to buy a 1st patt E boat with this hinge, but I thnk I'll now for the time being at least, hold back though. Kr Marcus

'Dot' and hinge.

rev

Here's a minesweeper with a typical looking S&L hinge and catch set up, I know of three of these so far has anyone ever seen the likes of or own one of these ? Another question i have is concerning a little dot or raised dimple to the left of the hinge, I've noticed this before on an S&L KVK I have without swords and know of a couple more too in that award regard. Any thoughts as to what that could be ? Kr Marcus

Hi Pat, Is the 'dark' cross magetic, I purchased a solid bronze example without even knowing it, it's on this bar below. Kr Marcus

rev

A common as muck but still fetches good money bronze Wurster. The badge has a nice darker tone to it more or less all over than depicted on this image !!

Is the badge still for sale ?

Rev FCL

An 'Art Deco' GAb, now attributed to FCL

rev. A camera pic this one so not so nice.

BN&L