Brian Wolfe

Hello SPM, Thanks. I have several other medals from Imperial Germany that I think are official issues. I was worried about these so I posted them first. I hope I can post the others later. Some, I am told, go back to the Franco-Prissian War. Thanks again. Cheers Brian

Here is the reverse view of the "crosses". Many thanks for your help. Cheers Brian

Hello All, Here are two "crosses" that I am suspicious of. What do you think? Cheers Brian

Here is the reverse view. Thanks Brian

Hello Fellows, The first time I started collecting was in the late 1960s and there were few if any counterfeit or "fantasy" medals on the market. There were medals that had been renamed but that has always been the way as soldiers would need to replace medals lost due to such mishaps as fire and theft. Today, as I start collecting all over again, it is a different matter. Counterfeit and fantasy medals seem to abound. On-line auctions, which should be a great source of medals, are inundated with copies offered as genuine. I managed to hold on to many of my older medals and should be safe in collecting, or re-collecting, the lower end medals. This, as you know, is no longer the case. Several Imperial German medals have come into my possession in the past week and since I have never collected German I am at a loss as to whether they are original or just more sucker-bait. I have these on approval so if they turn out to be fakes I can return them and no harm done. If it is not too much to ask, could soem of the members versed in Imperial German medals give these a look over and advise me as to whether I should keep or return them? The condition of the first bunch seems a little too good to believe. They appear to be unofficial medals struck to whip up support for the war effort. The dealer has told me that the ribbons are, for the most part, incorrect. Thanks for taking a look and no need to be kind, let me know the truth. If I may borrow from an old saying, "the truth shall set them free", or at least back to the dealer's. Cheers Brian

Hi Tony, Thanks for the tip. I'll give that a "go". Cheers Brian

Hi Michael, That's a good idea and I will try to follow up on that. It seems that this renaming was not a rare thing. I may have the correct name, regiment and discharge number on the wrong medal. Nothing cut and dried about this hobby! Cheers Brian

Hi Ulsterman, Thanks for your efforts. This fellow must have been related to me because I'm usually were I shouldn't be. Cheers Brian

Hi Michael, Looks like this medal has a shady history. Must have been, as suggested earlier, renamed by the "owner" at a later date. Oh well, it'll still look good in the collection. Cheers Brian

Hi Chris, That was more than I knew when I posted this document. Many thanks. Brian

Here is a shot of the date Tony. Thanks again. Brian

Hi Tony, It took a little experimenting with my camera but here are the best views I can get. I does not look as though another name has been removed but the discharge date of 1816 makes no sense. Thanks for your help. Cheers Brian

Hi Noor and Kev, This weekend I just picked up one of these medals as well as 20 other medals, mostly Imperial German. The medal I have has the same obverse but a different reverse. The medal ring has been twisted to accomodate the ribbon ring. The ribbon is not the correct one I am sure. Most of the medals that I got this weekend have either this ribbon or the WW I black and white EK II ribbon. The dealer told me this medal makes reference to the 44th Regiment. I don't know if this is true as I have not researched any of these new additions yet. Cheers Brian

Here is the reverse of the medal. Note that this is the large lettering which places it before 1874. Brian

Hello All, This has been a very good weekend as well as being St. Patrick's Day on Saturday I was able to add 21 new additions to my medal collection. Most are of Imperial Germany, a whole new world for me, but some were in the area I have been collecting. This is a LSGC Medal from the 1837 to 1854 period. The date is giving me some confusion. The medal has to be after 1837 as the Hanoverian emblem is no longer on the obverse. The medal is dated therefore it would have to be before 1854 and there is a ring suspension which came before the change to the swivelling suspension in 1855. My question is regarding the date which is 26.12.16. The Medal Yearbook (Token Publishing) states that these dates represent the date of discharge and award. If I am reading the date correctly it would be the 26th of December 1816. If that is the date of discharge that would place it before this medal was struck. If it is read the other way around (as the dealer has suggested) and the date is the 16th of December 1826 you have the same problem. The dealer suggested that this is in fact the date the soldier enlisted. If that is so then the date of the 26th of December 1816 + 21 years of service = 1837 which puts it in the correct year for this medal. It would also indicate that this soldier served during the reign of King William IV. I also find it puzzeling that if a soldier was awarded a LSGC medal upon discharge he would never get to wear it during his service. Any comments on this questions will be welcomed. The medal was awarded to, S.POLLARD 18th BATT. DIS. 26.12.16 I was also told that the 18th Batt. Dis. was the London Artillery. Is this true? Thanks and Cheers. Brian

Hello All, I have a very small collection of British Red Cross insignia from WW I. I am looking for a Red Cross hat badge to put with the collection. Would anyone have a WW I British Red Cross Society hat badge that they could post on the forum as I do not even know what one looks like. This would be of great help when I am at the next militaria show. Cheers Brian

Hi Leigh, The dealer is more of a collector than dealer and he purchased it plated. He is an elderly fellow (even by my standards) and has been a collector for probably close to 50 years. It is his opinion that the original owner has had them plated so that they would not tarnish. There is still really good detail but you are correct there are a lot of contact blemishes and small scratches. You can see where the Khedive's Star has left its mark on the medal. Cheers Brian

Hi Ed, Actually I meant to mention that I think this medal was plated. There was a small area where the original silver was showing. I dipped it in silver cleaner (I don't often do this) to brighten the original medal and thereby hiding up the plating job a little. Cheers Brian

Here is the reverse of the 1884-86 Khedive's Star. Brian

Hello All, Here is my 1884-86 Khedive's Star awarded for action in the Nile and Eastern Sudan. I don't have the undated 1881 or the undated with the Tokar bar and with the ever rising prices and fakes now on the market I doubt I will ever add them. Oh, who am I kidding? I'm a collector, of course I'll add them some day. Man, this is one sickness I never want to get over! Cheer and happy collecting. Brian

And the reverse of the 1884 Khedive's Stars. Brian

Hello All, Here is my 1884 Khedive's Star awarded for action in the Eastern Sudan. I don't usually purchase miniature medals but when I saw this one I had to add it to the collection. Yes, I am a weak, weak man. The star is unnamed. Cheers Brian

Hello All, Here is my 1884 Khedive's Star awarded for action in the Eastern Sudan. I don't usually purchase miniature medals but when I saw this one I had to add it to the collection. Yes, I am a weak, weak man. The star is unnamed. Cheers Brian

Here is the reverse of the Egypt pair. I purchased this pair from a reputable dealer and though the Khedive's Star is unnamed I believe them to be an authentic pair. There are marks on the Egypt Medal that correspond to the Khedive's Star but then again that could have been made by a similar star and any marks on the edge of the star could have been made by another medal. Cheers Brian

Hello All, When I started collecting a number of years ago I was really impressed with the Khedive's Star, for whatever reason I am not sure. However, I am still fond of them. Here is a nice pair from the Egyptian campaign. Egypt Medal 1882-1889 1882 issue, early campaigns Khedive's Star 1882, for action at Tel-el-Kebir 13th Sept. 1882 awarded to, 127 Pte. T. COUPE 1/ SHROPSHIRE: L.I. Cheers Brian