Unissued US medals

[DutchBoy]

Can someone enlighten me please? I've bought a couple of US medals recently on eBay (Bronze & Silver Star, Purple Heart, Legion of Merit). They are modern production unissued medals.

My question is: Are these the same medals that are issued to the troops, or are these somehow different? They are advertised as being made by the same manufacturers that deliver to the US military, but does that mean they are the same as the issued ones? I thought I'd ask first before committing to buy more.

Please help,

Matthijs.

[Ed_Haynes]

For a long time, there have been no US-Mint-issued medals, so, I guess, no "official" medals. They come from "official" suppliers/manufacturers. They sell like crazy, on and off the internet, even on eBay. As with French or Belgian medals (or even German medals) what is "real" and what is not? The question is what is "period", but from which period??

Unless you have a named (officially??) medal or a documented group {"group?) you never know and even then you may not.

So much easier in the UK where the mint makes and disatributres medals.

But if current lunatic "patriotic" congressional legislation succeeds, all trade in US medals will be stopped (at least for US citizens), so . . . .

[Guest Darrell]

But if current lunatic "patriotic" congressional legislation succeeds, all trade in US medals will be stopped (at least for US citizens), so . . . .

.... BUY BUY BUY .... that's my motto ... I've been saying it for a while now ... there will be a day when the horde of cheap stuff will no longer be available for sale

Maybe modern ... but ... it wont matter then will it?

Edited September 14, 2006 by Darrell

[JBFloyd]

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.

[DutchBoy]

Thanks everyone,

Your info has been invaluable to me! Considering the unissued ones are MANY times cheaper than issued ones means one can build up a very comprehensive collection in a short time with relatively little money. Then again, nothing beats a nice issued one from WW2! Let me expand my collection then before it's too late...

Matthijs.

[Guest Darrell]

....Then again, nothing beats a nice issued one from WW2! Let me expand my collection then before it's too late...

Matthijs.

Then again ... why does everyone think that ALL medals were made in WW1 and WW2 and anything made recently are modern copies? I agree, the best (more pleasing AND valuable medals) are original issues.

HOWEVER .. a great many of the newer modern issues are THAT .. new and modern ... many only created in the last 20 years or so ...

Pretty hard to find WW2 issues of them ....

[hunyadi]

I would chime in here - thre are still great finds on Ebay and other places that are sometimes the smae price or even cheaper than the modern strikes beong sold at wholesale. If you know what to look for. My favorite one to collect that seems to be over looked is the Korean War clear plastic issue cased medals. Most of the time you find WW2 stock in them and an odd case to boot . Another favorite of mine are Vietnam era Arrow cases with WW2 parts inside. I got my first one with a WW2 Bronze star in it for $9.00 off Ebay, the second one for $12

[DutchBoy]

Hunyadi,

That's some pretty sweet deals you made...I'll keep a closer eye open for those! I guess people may assume it is a later version while actually it's a nice WW2 example.

[hunyadi]

Here is the Vietnam era issue BS

[hunyadi]

And the Ho-Hum case - you are exactly correct: people do tend to overlook them as just a 1970's-90's issue. So keep your eyes out

[hunyadi]

Here was the lisiting title

U. S. Military Distinguished Flying Cross Medal Set NEW

Here is the medal....

[DutchBoy]

Very nice items!