Obergefreiter

Thank you very much, Gunner. Now, where did you find this out?

19300

Using the number on the rim of the service medal, where would one begin to look to find out who the medal was awarded to? The medal in question is for service on the Mexican border, just prior to WWI.

Michael Shank operates on eBay as MCSTLS, based in Huntington, West Virginia. He is the son of George Shank, who operated the business before him. Shank sells an array of bogus WWI Victory Medals, UN Korea Medals, NACA/Medals, oversized Coast Guard Good Conducts, Nickel Crosses, Sampson Medal, Dewey Medals, etc, etc. I'm not sure I've ever seen a real medal among his stock.

Interesting. I thought we might be talking about Mr. Schneider and his "treasures".

Those of us who sell real medals from Virginia prefer NOT to be confused with Mr. Shank, the seller from WEST Virginia.

Actually I wasn't thinking of Mr. Shank, whoever he is. But his last name does begin with the letter S. Wha'ts the story on this Shank charactrer, anyway?

I thought about the gent from Virginia when I looked at the rest of his listings on evilbay. Quite a nice selection for next to no money. All have a good story; lots of foam but no beer.

It's been reribboned on a split brooch (should be on a wrap brooch). The surface looks odd and I suspect that it's a new strike that has been chemically treated. At $38, it's too expensive for a new strike and too cheap for an old strike.

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Your advice is good enough for me, Jeff. Thanks.

This is listed on evilbay for thirty-eight bucks. I am thinking it’s too good to be true, but what do you folks think?

Great thread! Please keep it going.

The one thing that has burned itself into my mind from our visit to the battlefield many moons ago... about 25 years or thereabouts... was one lone marker where a trooper fell. Nothing anywhere around him... just the grasses blowing and looking like waves on the ocean. Deathly quiet. What a lonely place to spend your last moments. I hope his end was quick and fairly painless. Hate to think of him lingering or especially still being alive by the time the warriors and then the squaws got done with the bodies.

Dan

Any battlefield is a lonely place to die, Dan. And, yes, one can only hope for the quick and painless way.

Nick,

I posted a 1979, 2nd class Medal awarded by Guangzhou Military Region during the war with Vietnam of counterattack in self defense. It can be seen on the NLF-VC Medals and Badges in the Southeast Asia Section post # 25 and 26.

Bob

Thanks, Bob. I appreciate you taking the time to tell me. Nick.

Many are still in the hands of the recipients. In both Australia and New Zealand, there is a tradition of wearing your medals, so they don't get tossed out as commonly as here in the US.

I was working with Australian aircrews (call sign "Wallaby") in-country in 1971, only 40 years ago. Not long in medallic terms.

Well that would go a ways toward explaining it. Thanks, Jeff.

Is there any such thing as Chinese PLA award for service in Vietnam? If so, what are they called, and can one be had without taking out a second mortgage?

Can someone please explain to me why it is that Commonwealth awards for service in Vietnam are so hard to come by? I see Australian & New Zealand awards for sale that go back to the Boer War, but hardly ever do I see an original VN Service award up for grabs, and when one does see them they cost an arm and a leg. How come?

The pendant is a style used on a variety of reunion badges by various veterans groups. The ribbon is probably just a ribbon and the device is nothing I've ever seen on any US medal, so I'd lean toward a concocted piece made up of stray parts.

Thanks, Jeff. I guess I've spent five bucks on dumber stuff than this. :whistle:

NO one has a clue as to what this puppy is? I must have a one-of-a-kind medal here. :(

Wow, unique medal from US,

what's the function of that "blitzbundel"??

I have no clue, Windu. I don't even know what it's for; much less the function of the Blitzbundel. Anybody out there know what we're looking at here?

Does anyone have a clue about what this is?

.

I am thinking of bidding on this Spanish Civil War Medal on eBay. (See the link below.) Can anyone give me any comments or concerns? I would appriciate any information pro or con, before I bid. Thanks.

http://cgi.ebay.com/...d=p5197.c0.m619

Here is my share of last year's tax refund. :whistle:

Another thing to consider is that when the war ended, there were probably large numbers of different awards, sitting in warehouses and depots, that were never issued.

Thanks, gents. I can always use another good hunting knife. ;)

No one knows anything about KA-bars? :unsure:

This may seem like a really dumb question, but knives are not my specialty in the collecting hobby. Recently I purchased a KA-bar knife in an antique/flea market store for thirty-five bucks. I know that many of them were made for the US Military, but this one has no military logos stamped in the metal; only the word "KA-bar" near the hilt. Did they ever make them commercially between wars? Would a military knife have a military symbol on it somewhere? I fingured that for thirty-five bucks I could either display it, or put it in my hunting bag, depending on answers I get to this post. Thanks for any information you may have.

Thanks, Jeff. I appreciate it. Nick.