Unofficial coin I.D. disk.

[ChrisB]

Have wanted an example of one of these for a while and managed to get one last week in an online auction, it arrived today and I am chuffed with it. These erased coin ID disks seem to be a fairly common way for kiwis (and probably other commonwealth troops) to beat the deficiencies of the issue fibre I.D. disks. I have seen the odd French or European coin pop up in an online auction every now and again but what makes this one cool is that it is Turkish coin. It originally belonged to 8/2837 Percy Campbell Austin of Dunedin who embarked for overseas service as part of the 7^th reinforcements, Otago Infantry Battalion on the 9^th October 1915. I might be stretching it but because it's a Turkish coin and because he left NZ in October, Percy might have picked up this coin from Gallipoli before the allied evacuation in December 1915.

Would be very interested in seeing some more of these coin ID disks if anyone else has one to show.

Edited November 21, 2007 by ChrisB

[ChrisB]

As I have shown the unofficial ID disk I might as well show the official ones as well.

First up typical Kiwi WW1 ID disks. Both these sets are early ID disk sets, as I believe the zinc disk was done away with as it caused skin complaints with some of the soldiers and in the end they just ended up wearing the two fibre disks.

[ChrisB]

Second lot are WW2 issue. The top set look as though they are a replacement set, as the personal information has not been stamped, but rather the info has just been scratched into the surface of the disks. These were issued/used by a chap in 3^rd Division in the Pacific. The bottom set is the more common officially stamped disks.

[ChrisB]

The last set is the modern laser engraved issue ID disks used by the NZDF today. The top disk shows what they look like fresh out the box with no wear to them. The bottom set was issued to a chap who served in Bosnia and Afghanistan (and probably many other places but still have a bit of research to do).

Cheers

Chris

[paul wood]

Most interesting. I have encountered many coins, usually the host coins of where the serviceman was based, used as ID tags. I recently encountered a French 2 Franc coin with the reverse erased and used as an ID tag for a member of the tank corps with a beautiful engraving of a tank in the centre.

[Jef]

Have wanted an example of one of these for a while and managed to get one last week in an online auction, it arrived today and I am chuffed with it. These erased coin ID disks seem to be a fairly common way for kiwis (and probably other commonwealth troops) to beat the deficiencies of the issue fibre I.D. disks. I have seen the odd French or European coin pop up in an online auction every now and again but what makes this one cool is that it is Turkish coin. It originally belonged to 8/2837 Percy Campbell Austin of Dunedin who embarked for overseas service as part of the 7^th reinforcements, Otago Infantry Battalion on the 9^th October 1915. I might be stretching it but because it's a Turkish coin and because he left NZ in October, Percy might have picked up this coin from Gallipoli before the allied evacuation in December 1915.

Would be very interested in seeing some more of these coin ID disks if anyone else has one to show.

Hello ChrisB,

As requested a coinID disk from my collection. As you will see, it's made from a French coin. Hope you like it. Can you tell me what the abbreviations C.E. ( at the top), and M.T. ( below) means?

with kind regards from Flanders,

Jef

[ChrisB]

Hello Jef,

The CE at the top of the tag is the religious denomination, in this case Church of England. As this chap is Army Service Corps the MT might stand for Motorised Transport.

A nice ID disk as well thanks for showing it. I will have to see if I can find some more as I quite like them.

Hi Paul,

Do you have a photo of the tank corps disk? That would be a very nice one to own.

Cheers

Chris

[Jef]

Hello Jef,

The CE at the top of the tag is the religious denomination, in this case Church of England. As this chap is Army Service Corps the MT might stand for Motorised Transport.

A nice ID disk as well thanks for showing it. I will have to see if I can find some more as I quite like them.

Hi Paul,

Do you have a photo of the tank corps disk? That would be a very nice one to own.

Cheers

Chris

Hello again, Chris,

Thank you for the explanation about CE and MT.

Jef