ThaiDave

Nick,

A medals project on Lao PDR - interesting

If you need any more info, my Lao PDR medals website is here: http://www.indochinamedals.com/lpdr/index.html

Dave

Nick,

This might be a little steep... norge-nord04 on ebay has a batch of them at 19 Euro each - http://www.ebay.com/itm/Orden-d-Wiederstandes-gegen-amerik-Agression-Laos-1-Kl-/300632158964?pt=Militaria&hash=item45ff12b2f4 Lao PDR is not a popular collecting area, so they don't usually get very expensive.

However, on the aspect of purchasing from Eastern Europe - I haven't had any problems with this, and I think that ebay protects the buyers pretty well in this aspect including having some amount of payment protection.

Regards,
Dave

Hi Obergefreiter,

This is the Lao PDR Medal for Victory in the Revolution.

See info here : http://www.indochinamedals.com/lpdr/lp08_medal_for_victory_in_the_revolution.html

Rgds,
Dave

But for this example, one may as well buy from the source for only $47.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/b0070-World-War-I-Victory-medal-for-Siam-Thailand-/350976369652

It doesn't really matter if they are advertised as reproductions by the original seller, as they will inevitably be advertised by a later seller as original. Therefore, they should be stamped as copy directly on the item.

Hi fjcp,

The photo has to be from 1941 or later, as that is only when that version of the Thai Order of the Crown was used.

Rgds,
RDave

However, even a hallmark on the rim doesn't say much.

Mike Shank aka mcstls is a case in point.

Another good example: nearly all the Thai Rama V 1900's eras medals fakes floating around also have quality hallmarks...

If someone can fake a medal well enough that it is not easy to spot, they can certainly fake a hallmark...

Rgds,

All,

Does anyone have any recollections or information about local manufacturers and dealers in Laos and Cambodian pre-1975 ?

It would also be interesting for any recollections in the markets after then as well, what kind of material was found and what they were like.

Rgds,

Dave

www.indochinamedals.com

The Siam examples from this maker I have seen have very rough detail, compared to a genuine example.

However, it is a shame that they are not marked COPY. Even when a seller describes such medals as copies, invariably the next seller of such medals may not be so careful in their identification... Reasonable diligence would lead to them to be permanently marked.

Does anyone know of any references, sites, etc on medals from the People's Republic of China, which might have medals from the China-Vietnam border war ?

I've got a few medals (mainly from John Sylvester Jr's collection), and have been putting them together on my website:

http://www.indochinamedals.com/outside/china/index.html

But it seems that there are not much info on these medals out there...

Linas,

Another option is to try to repair the back suspension ring, and then get a replacement ribbon (which is relatively common).

Rgds,

Dave

Dave

Linas,

I suppose that it just a kludge to make it easier to sell. There is no Thai reason for the wrong ribbon.

Rgds,
Dave

Hi Linas,

This is an early type Thai Order of the Crown pendant, 4th class, with a substituted suspension (not sure from where) with perhaps a ribbon from the Turkish Order of the Mejidie ?

Rgds,
Dave

Mario,

There were several companies which manufactured this medal over the years, and it may not be that anyone has ever tried to match strikings with individual companies - thus I suppose it would be difficult to give a specific die detail to point to a manufactured location (France, Vietnam, US, or other if there were others such as Japan, China, Taiwan, Australia, etc)

Generally the local Vietnam made medals were cruder.

From "The Decorations and and Medals of the Republic of Vietnam" by John Sylvester Jr. and Frank Foster:

Vietnamese-made versions vary much in quality. French-made versions are heavier and well made. One US-made version has the tips of the sabers straight, the heads of the dragons reduced to a few lines, and the arms of the cross with a small plain margin between the thin edge rim and the pebbled design. US-made palms and stars are sometimes much smaller than Vietnamese and French-made palms and star devides. A Japanese-made Gallentry Cross is of a brassy metal, with the ribbon in the center mistakenly reading KQUỐC GIA LAO-TƯƠNG.

Rgds,

Dave

Some additional comments from a Thai dealer:

However, this is based on two ebay items from the dealer selling them (mentioned in the previous message).

I should add that a large stock of these medals were bought in Laos and sold in recent years by a single seller on ebay. These can be a major source of current stock? Maybe some people can remember how they saw these medals?

Recently, the same seller has started to identify as Thai because he "new information"

However, when this lead is followed, the information is questionable:

Also these medals are not in any Thai medal literature. So, it is doubtful ...

There is some information on the site royalark.net (http://www.royalark.net/Laos/Titles.htm) with the information they are somehow merit medals military or police, but if the lead is followed, the information has no source (just a story without supporting evidence).

Similar information is repeated elsewhere, but so far there is no real source.

However, if anyone has any further information about this aspect, it would be good to investigate.

Hello all,

Over the years, there has been much research in these two medals, and no real information can be found so far.



A summary of what I have so far (http://www.indochinamedals.com/laos/ls11.12_unknown_medals.html)

So if anyone has any information it would be useful to study.

Rgds,
RDave

Some fake bars

Unofficial Army Battle Clasp

Very nice set of 17 Unofficial Bars. They are the harder ones to find. All but one has FRANCE stamped on the back. The one that does not is Offensive Sector. You get what is pictured. They are very nice for any collection.

Here is a very nice, mounted, ready to put in a shadow box set. You will get what is pictured. Complete matched set, 14 US Army Battle Clasp Set. Bronze clasps with the names of the thirteen campaigns and one titled "Defensive Sector", Collar Disk and Star.

etc

Some closeup details

Some more mtlcls fakes on ebay:

Greek Victory Medal.

This is a very nice medal with very good detail. I have no idea how old it is. It has a nice mark on it at about 7:00 and looks good.

This is a very nice medal with very good detail. It is marked on the front. I have no idea of its age. It is hard to find one of these in this good of shape.

US WWI Victory Medal, France Bar and Maltese Cross.

This is a very nice Victory Medal. It has a French style top bar, France Bar and a Maltese Cross on it. It has Fraser on the bottom face of the medal at about the 5:00 position.

Victory Medal

This is a very nice medal with very good detail. It has a mark on the back. I got it at a show and I do not know the age of it.

This is a very nice one with very good markings. It has the writing on the front at the bottom and the mark on the back. It is hard to find one of these with all the markings. I do not know the age of it.

Rob,

Interesting. Are they similar type as this one (castings like this) ? What kind of associated background do those medals have ? (I mean we expect such stamps from other fakes, like the Mike Shank fakes, and well a lot of the stuff produced in Thailand in modern times.)

Perhaps someone from the French community would have more info on this aspect - French companies stamping as such ?

Rgds,
Dave

King Rama VI's WW1 Service Jeton

Related is the Thai WW1 Victory Medal

There are two dies.

(my example is not very nice, and the ribbon fell off)

A home-made cast copy.

A cast replica out of the UK. It can be ordered "as new" or "aged".

Note the suspension ring is cast into the medal (so it is fixed and does not swivel).