Gldank

Again, the details are softer than period originals. Look at the designer signature.

Red areas show the copper coming through on the high points, including the lettering. Notice this piece appears rough on the leaves and the brass finish must be pretty thin.

Yellow areas show along the edges where you see evidence of file marks; perhaps where the flash was removed during the finishing stage. Quite poor workmanship and you would think this would have been done prior to the finish being applied.

Light Blue areas show the die flaws in the corners. I don't see these on any period originals that I've look at. Anybody else have these on theirs?

Tim

I agree, a pretty sloppy re-strike. If you got it cheap, it may be a keeper just for collection comparison of what to watch out for. When I get a chance, I always like to do sample displays at my collector club and these restrikes can be a great teaching tool as it was for us here. I really enjoyed this string. Thanks Tim!

Here is a Belgian unofficial veteran's medal with crossed swords. I have seen this medal on medal bars and groups in the past. I am trying to find out more about it, name and organization. Does anyone know more? Thank you.

Here is a Belgian unofficial veteran's cross. I have seen this medal on medal bars and groups in the past. I am trying to find out more about it, name and organization. Does anyone know more? Thank you.

I just bumped into your post while burning up some time. Better late than never. Steve Horn is writing a book about this very subject. You may want to talk to him. Here is a link to his post.

http://www.pearlharborattacked.com/cgi-bin/IKONBOARDNEW312a/ikonboard.cgi?act=ST;f=11;t=6

Outstanding information! Thank you.

Interesting Thanks Tim. I have found that if I post the topic first then go back and modify the post by adding the picture, the pictures loads faster.

I have had this group for years but cannot find out the name or reason for the award. Anybody hove more information?

I picked this medal up awhile ago but I have a problem with the ribbon. I realize the medal itself is unofficial with the crossed swords attached to the cross but with a gold stripped ribbon too. I think that it is a WWII ribbon put on a WWI Leopold II cross. What do you all think?

It is a Belgian medal: unofficial

tricolore band on the sides and the colours red and white indicate the city of Bruges.

then I have to guess, Bruges has a port and also a beach, so maybe it is a medal

for life guards on the beach.

Thank you Lion. Very interesting.

about the combat action of the Belgian regiments who were stationed in Northern Ireland.

Most Belgian regiments who where in Northern Ireland saw action in the Netherlands.

One of the regiments was named after the UK expeditionary army in Belgium (Spearhead),

In the beginning of the war the remains of the official Belgian army was spread all

over the UK. At the end of the war, when some parts of Belgian were liberated,

the army recruited a lot of volunteers from the secret army and other men.

After a short training period, they were used to fight in Holland, They were attached to

some US army groups. There exist bars for the belgian commemorative WWII medal with the names

of the cities and towns where they fought.

Very interesting! Thank you. Lion

Way to go! I never got any of mine that cheap! Where have you been shopping? James

Yes! Quite right! Gave up collecting German along time ago. Although an interesting area, it is way too vast for my liking. And see, we are having so much fun with the Belgians!

Yes I agree, different manufactures. What I was trying to point out earlier in our interesting thread before confusing myself was the difference in the number "4" in your picture B & C.

They look like light bronze to me too. After collecting Belgian orders and medals for many years, I have seen many strange things done by veterans over the years. Special order items certainly could have been done in silver if the veteran wanted to pay for it. I have seen several minature Belgian CdGs done in silver, even one done in gold with diamonds but the workmanship was of fine quality. Since bronze is the norm (official), I would think a special made silver sample would have a silver mark on the suspension ring and the seller would have been happy to notify sellers of that fact. My vote is that what you see is a bronze sample.

I am sorry, I guess I meant the ones off Hendrik's site. His type II and III look the same.

Type 4 ??? I wasn't aware there was a Type 4. Is this discussed anywhere?

Tim

No, just a rumor but yours is so different that maybe the rumor is true...

Nice!

Hi,

No, take a look at the initial PICS I posted and you can see the difference in size (approximately 3 mm) between the size of the medal and also the size of the "picture". The Type 3 is smaller and narrower than either the Typs 1 or 2.

Tim

Then you may have the elusive type IV because the "4" style and the wheel size are part of the determining factors of the different types. Hmmmm, interesting.

Tim, look at the "4" in "1914" on your type II and type III. Also, look at the cannon wheel in your type II an type III. Could yours be two styles of a type II? Compare above with my type II and type III.

Is it my imagination or do they all have different signatures on their reverse?

No, just three different sizes of the same signature.

One sided type I

Reverse

My opinion is that yours is a type III from a different manufacture. Many of these medals were produced. Here are mine which are slightly different too. Look at the very top leaf at the back of my type III (second picture down). Also for the sake of conversation, I enclosed a picture of a type I one-sided produced for display framing (third picture down).

Hi there

According to me the medal could be awarded without bars for one year service in the colonial armed forces between 40-45. Not necessarily partaking in any campaigns.

By the way James, it's "Force Publique" not "Force République", which is rather like cursing in the church where a royal colony is concerned eh...

cheers

l4h

Thank you my friend, I stand corrected! Heaven forbid I cuss in church.

I found some more info on the bars:

NIGERIE - Three months service in Nigeria.

MOYEN-ORIENT - Six months service, Egypt, Palestine, North Africa, Tripolitania and Sudan.

MADAGASCAR - One month service in Madagascar.

BIRMANIE - Three months service in Burma.

The African War Medal 1940-1945 was awarded to officers and other ranks of the Belgian Armed Forces who served at least one year between 10 May 1940 and 7 May 1945 in Africa or the "Force Republic" (best described as the colonial armed forces). Instituted 30 January 1947 by Prince-Regent Karel, this medal could be awarded with up to four bars: Nigerie, Moyen-Orient (Middle East), Madagascar and Bimanie. Aircrew personnel received a double wing pin on the ribbon for service in an operational or transport unit.

A rectangular bronze medal with rounded lower edge and sloping shoulders with a laterally pierced loop for the ribbon suspension. The medal front depicts the heads of a European soldier and an African soldier wearing a kepi with the dates "1940-1945 below. Signed "TDUPAGNE" (for the Belgian African sculpture Arthur Dupagne, 1895-1961). The reverse is plain.

Belgian forces served in the colonies of the Congo and Ruanda-Urundi but also in Nigeria, Libya, Egypt, Sudan, Palestine and Madagascar during WWII. There was a separate medal issued to Belgians forces who helped restore Ethiopia to Emperor Haile Selassie in 1941 following the earlier Italian invasion.

I have seen this medal in groups without any bars attached to the ribbon so would the bare ribbon account for service in Libya, Egypt, Sudan or Palestine? Or, should there be at least the bar " Moyen-Orient" (Middle East) to cover these service areas? I truly do not know. Are there others out there with the answer? Here is the medal in my collection.

Hi,

here is another Order of the Lion, I think, a little bit older:

Uwe

Nice order thank you. This is why I collect Belgian orders and medals.