Bilco

Hi Gents,

Another Romanian just in - I think it's the Unofficial Type 3a.

Oh no it isn't! After looking at the photos I posted and then examining the medal under a magnifying glass I now think it's an Unofficial Type 3 - just like the one I posted previously.

The photo from the seller looked very promising .... isn't that BELGIA???

... but I now think it was a trick of the lighting, plus some wishful thinking on my part. I had a discreet poke at the lettering in BELGIA with a wooden toothpick and now it looks just like BELCIA! And ANCLIA for the one to the left.

I've been over the seller's photos of the medal and compared every flaw and mark and I'm convinced that I have the medal that he photographed, so it's my mistake

Bill

Hi Gents,

The close-ups for the lettering of the countries names - I've tried to cut the number of pictures needed to cover them all ...

.... and nearly forgot the 10th country!

Bill

Hi Gents,

Another Romanian just in - I think it's the Unofficial Type 3a. It has the narrow links to the chain, with the Ns the right way round and Gs where they should except for the first letter of Grecia, which is a C. Planchet is 36mm diameter and 2mm+ thick.

Obverse. Laslo says the suspension is narrow cylinder, but this looks more like thick wire.

Reverse. I'll need to get a proper piece of French ribbon.

Close-up of the lettering on the reverse.

All comments welcome.

Bill

Hi Oliver,

You may be able to use the Gallery section of GMIC to store your photos and then put them in your posts - see http://gmic.co.uk/index.php?app=core&module=help&do=01&HID=29&hl=photos

Bill

Hi Gents,

An interesting item on eBay - a Cambrai clasp with pin attachment - item # 160993973593

Said to be 'old stock' from a closed-down dealer in Paris.

Bill

Hi Gents,

I found a web page comparing different modern versions of ribbons for various medals - mostly US - here http://www.frontiernet.net/~ericbush/US/differ/Differ.html

Down at the bottom it shows 6 different versions of the Victory ribbon, from 40mm to 37mm in width http://www.frontiernet.net/~ericbush/US/differ/WW1victory.jpg

I've just bought a short piece of modern ribbon from a French seller where the green shade looks more white, although it has nice watering.

Bill

Hi Jim,

Many thanks for the correction - are there pictures of the proper Government issue items by these two companies anywhere on the internet? I just Googled the names having read the thread.

Tim B is responsible for this section's existance and was its first Moderator. He gave me great help and encouragement when I started collecting the vics.

Bill

Hi Oliver,

Do you have any photos?

Bill

Hi Gents,

Another interesting thread on the US Militaria Forum - http://www.usmilitariaforum.com/forums/index.php?/topic/168889-latest-reproduction-clasps/page__hl__+ww1%20+clasp#entry1285169

The thread starts with fake clasps (including the ones mentioned by Rob in post # 416), but then goes on to the reissue US vics and their makers. It was started by Tim B and has the usual authoritative input from Johnnymac.

There are web sites for two of the makers of the reissues mentioned:

Graco (now part of Northweat Territorial Mint) https://store.nwtmint.com/product_details/4475/World_War_I_Victory_Full_Size_Medal/

Ira Green Inc http://www.iragreen.com/view/892/3079/

Bill

The Patron Saint of aviators was St Therese of Lisieux. This web site has some possible link to the wings shown by Linas

http://www.catholic.com/quickquestions/why-is-st-therese-of-lisieux-1873%E2%80%931897-a-patron-of-aviators

Bill

Hi Gents,

My latest acquisition cost me 10 Euros - and was pretty much accidental ...

I think it might be the Reissue Type 1. The planchet is significantly thinner than my Official Type 2 at 1.6mm versus 2mm+, and the diameter is 36mm. The level of detail is much less. Notably, the handles on the urn on the reverse are almost non-existant, and the dots between the words Alleate, Ed and Associate in the exergue on the reverse are vestigal to invisible.

The colour of the bronze is much lighter than the Official types, although it looks like someone has scrubbed over the surface, and there is a darker colour in amongst the legs of the lions on the obverse. If it is the Reissue, however, I'll keep it until a better example turns up. All I need now is a piece of suitable ribbon.

All comments welcome,

Bill

This is my father wearing a Sidcot suit - designed by Sidney Cotton - in Hong Kong in 1939. It appears to have a clip-on fur collar.

Bill

Hi Gents,

I've just been looking at the vics offered on eBay by the seller maritime medals -

http://www.ebay.com/sch/m.html?_odkw=&_osacat=0&_armrs=1&_ssn=maritimemedals&_trksid=p2046732.m570.l1313&_nkw=ww1+victory+medal&_sacat=0&_from=R40

He has quite a few to Indian recipients and I was struck by the prevalence of a darker, less shiny golden finish in these medals. The planchet, suspension and ring seem to match in this respect. There are, to be sure, some Indian issue that have the usual Type 2 golden finish, and some vics to British recipients have a darker finish, but I could almost pick out the Indian recipients from the photos by the difference in colour.

This got me wondering - if there were vics produced by the Calcutta Mint was the finishing process less thorough than the British production, or was a different finish applied?

Bill

Hi Mervyn,

I think those circular structures on the first medal you posted are hay stacks or hay ricks - there is a nice picture of the sort of thing I'm trying to describe here http://www.wiltshireheritage.org.uk/galleries/index.php?Action=4&obID=240&home=1

Bill

Hi Gents,

The OMSA site has a useful thread on the Siam vic and all the copies that generally are seen - http://www.omsa.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=18&t=633&hilit=mike+shank

Bill

Hi Rob,

Well, I've compared the ones you mention with mine, with this result:

L-R post # 15, post # 16, mine.

Mine seems to be somewhere in between - given that there will be differences in the lighting. It shares some features with #15 - the soldered cylinder suspension, and the flaws on the rim at the 3 and 9 o'clock areas - and it doesn't have the golden glow of #16, so I think I'll go for the former - brassy.

Bill

Hi Rob,

I guess I would have to say it's brassy rather than gold-gilt. Certainly very light compared with my other Czech vics. Ok, so now I have to look for the other one!

Bill

Hi Gents,

Just in today, my latest acquisition - I think it's the Czech Reissue Type 2, with the larger leaves on the flower to the right of Victory's feet:

And the close-ups:

And the flower in question:

The planchet is 36mm in diameter and just under 3mm thick. The colour is more gold than brass in the hand.

My example has the same die flaws (if that is what they are) at the 3 and 9 o'clock on the obverse, and the chevron over the E at the 10 o'clock on the reverse, as the ones pictured in posts #1 and #15 on this thread.

Any comments welcome.

Bill

Hi Rick,

That was fast work - when do you sleep? Many thanks for all the effort that you've put into the reorganization - it's very much appreciated.

Bill

Hi Gents,

The US MIlitaria Forum has a section of archived threads before 2009 about the US vic - http://www.usmilitariaforum.com/forums/index.php?showforum=723

Also, if you go to the home page - http://www.usmilitariaforum.com/forums/ and in the search box at top right input 'ww1 victory medals', the search will bring up all relevant threads.

Bill

Hi Gents,

Posted today in the Great Britain: Orders, Gallantry, Campaign Medals section by Chris Boonzaier is a link to eBay, where someone is selling 1 yard lengths of 'genuine silk victory medal ribbon' http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1-YARD-36-INCHES-OF-ORIGINAL-MINT-CONDITION-WW1-SILK-VICTORY-MEDAL-RIBBON-/330871727272?pt=UK_Collectables_Militaria_LE&hash=item4d097de4a8

Not cheap, though.

Bill

Hi Rick,

I agree, move the posts from the locked thread into the specific countries, and sort out the duplication in slow time.

Bill

Hi Jean-Michel,

Yes, they are very similar - yours doesn't have the mis-formed lettering on the left side. There is a slight difference in the lions' tongues -

Mine is on the left, yours on the right - a slightly different curve on the underside of the tongue.

Bill

Hi Gents,

An English language site dealing with Japanese medals:

http://imperialjapanmedalsandbadges.com/ww1.html

A nice decode of the award certificate, as well as a photo of the ladies' ribbon.

Bill

Hi Gents,

Another French language web site:

http://www.france-phaleristique.com/accueil.htm

To see the relevant section click on 'Decorations' on the left side, then scroll down to the section on MÉDAILLES COMMÉMORATIVES and click on Médaille Interalliée dite "Médaille de la Victoire" ( 1922 ).

Bill