JBFloyd

Archery competition?

Let me put on the "seller's" hat here momentarily. Say I have what I thought was a group, but turns out to be a broken group, missing one key and identifiable piece. What are my options? (1) I can sell the group without reference to the missing item; (2) I can offer the group as a broken group, acknowledging that there is a numbered/named piece missing; (3) I can break up the group; (4) I can eat the group's cost and never dispose of it. Option 1 brings up ethical questions. Option 2 is ethically superior to the other two options. Option 3 is ethically inferior to the other two, but puts beans on my table and allows me to recover my cost. Option 4 is ethically neutral, but detrimental to my business. So, Option 1 is transparent to the next buyer (Seller says "I bought it just like that") Option 2 sounds good, but reality indicates that very few collectors will buy a broken group, unless the individual pieces are unusual in themselves. Option 3 is attractive, in that it recovers my investment. Option 4 is unattractive. Your short MBA course is "Businesses exist to make a profit". While it's wonderful to assume a perfect world of the ethically pure, reality indicates that a seller is going to sell his product in a manner that maximizes his return. As a seller, I am not in business to enhance someone's collection; I'm not in business to meet someone's expectations. Equally, I am not in business to be the repository for all the dodgy groups that exist. I hate to see groups broken up and do as much as I reasonably can to avoid breaking them up, but I do not control the world and see no point in condemning someone who exercises his options (even if it grinds me as a collector). Most of us have a hard enough time controlling ourselves in the collecting world, let's not get too wrapped up in controlling what is beyond our scope. All of this brings up a tangential question: Why do we condemn someone for beaking up a group, but only under certain circumstances? We never condemn a seller for selling an ordenspange with an EK2, Hohenzollern House Order and four other awards, when it is nearly a certainty that there was once an EK1 with the group. Or a Soviet group of decorations where there almost certainly a Red Star or OPW (we only get righteous when the award booklet is there).

No Army Medal of Honor has ever been made in gold. Prior to the 1904 design, they were simple bronze stars. The original design concept, I believe, was parallel to the Victoria Cross -- the medal would have minimal intrinsic value. The value would lie in the honor and merit represented by the medal.

Functionary of the Imperial court/household?

The pendant is from the Republic of China's World War II Commemorative Medal (although it should be bronze). Everything above the pendant is from PRC-era parts.

The Association of Graduates maintains files on all alumni and they are generally helpful. They will generally provide photocopies of his yearbook page and copies of his obituary. The obit will generally be written by a friend/classmate and may have some interesting personal info that you won't find elsewhere. Some will have full award citations.

We'll have the RVN material in November, along with some Cambodian, Laotian and Socialist Republic material. The RVN collection has some very rare items, in addition to the civil awards above. There's a Northern Expeditions Medal and a Medal for Campaigns Outside the Frontiers (see below).

The Finance Service Medal, first class. This is a variation with yellow enamel instead of white.

And Economic Service Medal, first class.

And the Administrative Service Medal, first class.

I'm in the process of cataloging John Sylvester's collection of medals from Southeast Asia and will post some quick highlights now. This is the specal Class of the Kim Khanh Decoration of the Republic.

Count me in for one of each.

It's not a Thai "pagoda" crown, which is much taller and pointed (plus it has pieces that extend down over the ears). In a Dutch group, I would expect it to be from a Malay or Indonesian state. In any case, it's a very unusual group, in my experience. Feel free to use the image.

I've been told it was a coronation medal from one of the Malay states, but info came after the catalog went to press and I still haven't had time to track it down.

They are exactly the same. The manufacturers are authorized by the US government to sell medals and they do. There is no reason for the manufacturer to make two runs of medals, one for the government and one for the retail market. For many years, manufacturers were able to bid for government medal contracts at extremely low prices, knowing that their profit would come from retail sales.

Interesting that the weave on the white ribbon appears vertical.

Tom, The book is "The Distinguished Service Medal 1939-1946", by William H. Fevyer. Bill also wrote one on WWI DSM awards. These are both compilations of London Gazette entries. THere are several copies listed on www.abe.com.

Tom, RN awards are in the Gazette, but working with the on-line Gazette is an art in itself. He's easier to find in Bill Fevyer's book on WWII DSMs. Chief Engine Room Artificer Maurice William Tanner, C/M.37037 is in LG 11.6.1942, pp2506-08: "The King has been graciously pleased, on the occasion of the Celebration of His Majesty's Birthday, to approve the awards shown below, for outstanding zeal, patience and cheerfulness, and for never failing to set an example of wholehearted devotion to duty, without which the high tradition of the Royal Navy could not have been upheld."

Properly, they are termed Oversea - American Theater, Oversea Europe-Africa-Middle Eastern Theater and Oversea - Asiatic-Pacific Theater ribbons. They were authorized in July 1943 for War Department civilians serving in the various war zones. All three ribbons had the same basic design, with the American being dark blue, the EAME being dark green and Asiatic-Pacific being golden yellow. They were given for 6 months' overseas service. About the only place you'll see them illustrated is the National Geographic "Heraldry of Heroism" article. They are included with a variety of other War Department civilian award ribbons. They are relatively scarce items, probably because, with no real provision to wear them, they just disappeared into a jewelry box.

Alabama has an Active Duty Basic Training Ribbon that fits this pattern, although it's likely to be used by a couple of states for other awards.

The first is the War Department's civilian Europe-Africa-Middle East Campaign ribbon. I agree with Ed on the second one.

Caserne Dossin was a transit camp in Flanders, so the medal is perhaps Belgian in original. Certainly not anything officially issued.

Does anyone know which part of which Order of Malta/St. John this badge represents? The ribbon is new and probably should be the darker red of the ribbon bar. The ribbon bar has a miniature cross and crown attached. Bronze-gilt and enamel. Unmarked.

I have never seen any "Sangue do Brasil" maker-marked in any way, nor in a box/case that would indicate European manufacture. If any of the medals were war-time manufacture, I'd say that an Italian maker would be far more likely than Spink. After the war, perhaps Spink would be the source, but not mentioned in any source I've ever seen. I have noted that there is fairly steady stream of "Sangue do Brasil" coming out of Germany, some from Hamburg and others through Hermann Historica. This has been regular over the past 10-12 years, so there may be a modern manufacturer out there now.

Practically every agency of the US government has its own set of awards. They usually don't know why they have them, or what to do with them, but they exist. Check Eric Bush's site for ribbon charts: http://www.frontiernet.net/~ericbush/pages_images/Chart.html