Chris Boonzaier Posted January 24, 2008 Author Posted January 24, 2008 OK,This next one is largely Dave Danners fault...He posted an unusual national defence medal that he had picked up somewhere along the line and I though "WOW!!" thats a neat one!!!"I read somewhere that it was one made by the company Arthus Bertrand when the medal came out. The govt then siezed the dies and now only the Paris Mint may make them. On the French forum I saw a few guys were actually issued these or had them from early on.They seem to be very scarce... and so it was of course the one I wanted.The figure is taken from the side of the Arch of Triumph in Paris... 1
Chris Boonzaier Posted January 24, 2008 Author Posted January 24, 2008 From Left to right.... the "Illegal" strike, a mint Bronze one and my award one, a bit beaten and banged... 1
Chris Boonzaier Posted January 24, 2008 Author Posted January 24, 2008 The winner for the traditionally mounted bar... 1
Chris Boonzaier Posted January 24, 2008 Author Posted January 24, 2008 The "Front row"...1) A CC in the old style bought in Morocco2) An Early Paris Mint sterling silver Overseas medal.3) An early non official strike of the national defenceAll kosher as these are all on bars of guys still in service... no fantasy pieces in there. 1
Paul R Posted January 24, 2008 Posted January 24, 2008 Very nice, Chris. Are the Overseas and National Defense Service Medals always awarded together?
Chris Boonzaier Posted January 24, 2008 Author Posted January 24, 2008 Hi,no, the national defense is awarded according to a system of points AND length of service. The overseas medal for operations (Usually in the ex colonies).You can have the DN without the Overseas, but usually when you have an overseas you also get the Defense national.(The DN can be taken away if the recipient is a bad boy) 1
Chris Boonzaier Posted February 18, 2008 Author Posted February 18, 2008 Arrrrrrggghhh!!!Just after having found my dream DN... I find a better one....A matt Bronze color.... 1
ccj Posted February 24, 2008 Posted February 24, 2008 Arrrrrrggghhh!!!Just after having found my dream DN... I find a better one....A matt Bronze color....I'm lookinf forward to seeing how this turns out. My medals are scattered about as I received a few after my service. Oddly, I don't feel too much love for my medals like I do the ones I collect.
Guest Rick Research Posted February 24, 2008 Posted February 24, 2008 WHY would anyone make a medal with a woman screaming to get a duck out of her hair? Chris that dirty dull one makes her look like she's got a horned Viking helmet... with a duck on it. YUCK !!!
ccj Posted February 24, 2008 Posted February 24, 2008 WHY would anyone make a medal with a woman screaming to get a duck out of her hair? Chris that dirty dull one makes her look like she's got a horned Viking helmet... with a duck on it. YUCK !!! It is an odd looking medal... Almost as bad as many of the US medals or African medals...
Chris Boonzaier Posted February 24, 2008 Author Posted February 24, 2008 It is from the following from the Arch de Triomphe (phot Couresty of Dave Danner) It is also the design on the WW1 KIA certifiates. 1
Chris Boonzaier Posted February 24, 2008 Author Posted February 24, 2008 I like it as it is from the classic era of monuments (compared to the mickey mouse designs of today)
Michael Johnson Posted February 25, 2008 Posted February 25, 2008 I think it's Rude! That's a French art joke (the sculptor's name was Rude). That detail also appears on one version of the French WWI memorial scroll.I think I still prefer my variant DN (which also has the Foreign Legion bar:Type C in the picture 1
Chris Boonzaier Posted March 8, 2008 Author Posted March 8, 2008 OK,here is the front row mounted on a "Ball bar" with the ball bar for row 2 above it to show what they are like 1
ccj Posted March 8, 2008 Posted March 8, 2008 OK,here is the front row mounted on a "Ball bar" with the ball bar for row 2 above it to show what they are likeSuper looking. I like what you are doing. Chris, I am on a continuous search for those bars with the bars for single medals. I collect WW1 and colonial medals and have several French uniforms. If you now of a source for period bars please let me know.
Chris Boonzaier Posted March 8, 2008 Author Posted March 8, 2008 Hi,Its just luck to find them on occasion on Ebay.bestChris
David Gregory Posted March 10, 2008 Posted March 10, 2008 I can see how the Epingle pin mounts are just stuck in where they are needed, but how are the "ball bars" (bizarre, but accurate name) actually worn?
Chris Boonzaier Posted March 11, 2008 Author Posted March 11, 2008 Hi,there would be loops sewn onto the tunic (or backing cloth). A loop at each end, and one between each ribbon.The balls move freely or can be taken off the bar, sometimes worn without the two balls in the middle, just loops there.
Chris Boonzaier Posted March 11, 2008 Author Posted March 11, 2008 Here is the second bar ready.On the left, the really ugly gilt of the medal has been improved with gold plating. the colour is exactly the same... but looks a tiny bit "better". somehow 5% less glitzy.Medal 2... nothing can be done to make this better :-( There seems to be 2 designs, both are terrible, I shall have to wait until a third and better verson is made.Medal 3, had a cheap "Antique bronze" varnish on it. Removed to allow the medal to develop its own Patina. 1
Chris Boonzaier Posted March 11, 2008 Author Posted March 11, 2008 Now, the "Kuwaiti insult"...Hard to do anything with this piece of cr3p. best would have been to have awarded nothing at all... ou know what they say..."If you cannot say something nice, say nothing at all...."Anyway, the damage is done, so I will include it on the bar, but not like it was awarded.Say all you like about "Well, they did not make it themselves...."... I dont care, before you want to award something, it seems only natural that you do a bit of quality control? (arguments about this in the relevant thread please, not here ;-)Sooooo.... what do we have.... a cheap antique silver finish, a sharp bar rthat cuts through the cheap paper thin ribbon... hmmmmmmm....step one.... clean allll the gunk off, till we reach base metal. The thing is supposed to be silver right? So silver plate it and let it develop a patina.I thought of getting this cast in a better quality but the price was more than the medal was worth to me. 1
Chris Boonzaier Posted March 11, 2008 Author Posted March 11, 2008 I have reinforced the ribbon by adding some good quality ribbon to the inside, hopefully it will prtect it from the pointy bars...I understand the Kuwaitis were ripped of by some Italian firm when they ordered this, but surely they should have asked for some samples before giving the go ahead to start churning them out?
Chris Boonzaier Posted March 11, 2008 Author Posted March 11, 2008 Last step..... the Saudi medal....Quality wise it is not bad... it is a symbol of medal making in the modern industrial age... not making them at the mint, but by a company that seems to specialize in key rings...I assume the problem I have with this, is not that is intrinsically cheap, but that it somehow LOOKS cheap, and ultra modern.I wait here with baited breath as on my recent tour to South East Asia I inquired about having one done in silver. Here in Europe that was waaay to expensive for my pocket, but in Singapore it was more affordable.... so I keep my eye on the postman......Watch this space....
ccj Posted March 16, 2008 Posted March 16, 2008 Last step..... the Saudi medal....Quality wise it is not bad... it is a symbol of medal making in the modern industrial age... not making them at the mint, but by a company that seems to specialize in key rings...I assume the problem I have with this, is not that is intrinsically cheap, but that it somehow LOOKS cheap, and ultra modern.I wait here with baited breath as on my recent tour to South East Asia I inquired about having one done in silver. Here in Europe that was waaay to expensive for my pocket, but in Singapore it was more affordable.... so I keep my eye on the postman......Watch this space....Chris, have you finished building your medal bar?
Chris Boonzaier Posted March 18, 2008 Author Posted March 18, 2008 Chris, have you finished building your medal bar?Nope,apparently the Saudi medal is finished and on its way .... I am eager to see the result :-)
Chris Boonzaier Posted March 22, 2008 Author Posted March 22, 2008 Allow me to coin a phrase :-)... or two...."Ego bar"... The medal bar created when your ego does not allow you to settle for off the shelf awards... which are just as good. I dont think ANYONE other than a collector would be able to tell the difference between any of these and an off the shelf bar."Industrial age medals"... Modern stuff.... like the Saudi and Kuwaiti, and French commemorative and TRN.At some stage we moved from "Medals from the mint" to "Medals from the factory"... the best way to follow this is the difference between the early Outre-Mer medal and the later one....
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