The Star Medals

[jshorter]

Hello Everyone!

After all the reading I have been doing, and visiting various websites, I am so paranoid about the authenticity of the Star Medals it's not even funny. I guess the good thing is that I am looking VERY closely at every one I see and comparing them to known originals. But, now I am looking at my own even more. I can tell you that each of them is identical in thickness, and the letters are the same, etc., but I was wondering if you all could talk a look at them and see what you think? If you need closer photos, or whatever, please let me know.

Thank you so very much!

Jason

[Alex K]

Hello Everyone!

After all the reading I have been doing, and visiting various websites, I am so paranoid about the authenticity of the Star Medals it's not even funny. I guess the good thing is that I am looking VERY closely at every one I see and comparing them to known originals. But, now I am looking at my own even more. I can tell you that each of them is identical in thickness, and the letters are the same, etc., but I was wondering if you all could talk a look at them and see what you think? If you need closer photos, or whatever, please let me know.

Thank you so very much!

Jason

I would say that they are alright, The Burma Star, looks slightly odd, perhaps it's the photo or scan, attached is a known original for comparison.

regards

Alex

The one to look out for is the Aircrew Europe which has been heavilly faked

Edited February 15, 2009 by Alex K

[jshorter]

I would say that they are alright, The Burma Star, looks slightly odd, perhaps it's the photo or scan, attached is a known original for comparison.

Alex,

Thank you for your response! The 2 Burma Stars I have are pretty much in the same condition. Both of them are pretty scuffed up and have a lot on dings and nicks in them. I had been told they were probably minted at the Calcutta mint, as the person who sold them to me received them from his uncle who was stationed in India. I was also told that they would often clean them in battery acid and that would etch them, etc. If you look at them under a microscope, the details are still there though. Also, the photo is not the best as there was a glare from the flash that I could not control.

Regards!

Jason

Edited February 15, 2009 by jshorter

[Ed_Haynes]

Today, some South Asian medal dealers and many medal "wholesalers" do clean them in battery acid. In The Indian Army, the recommended way in the 19th and early 20th century to clean your medals for parade was a mixture of lemon juice, wood ash, and sand. Chemically-literate friends have tried to explain to me how scary-bad this is.

(By the way, those who see no problem in "cleaning" the medals we host, given that the original recipients would have polished them, might draw a lesson on from this?)

[Chris Boonzaier]

(By the way, those who see no problem in "cleaning" the medals we host, given that the original recipients would have polished them, might draw a lesson on from this?)

Another thought to that.... could the remains of battery acid and various other cleaning methods STILL be eating away at medals? i.e if a dealer in Delhi cleaned it with acid 5 years ago, surely it is better to give it a good cleaning to get rid of the remains of any acids?

[Ed_Haynes]

Another thought to that.... could the remains of battery acid and various other cleaning methods STILL be eating away at medals? i.e if a dealer in Delhi cleaned it with acid 5 years ago, surely it is better to give it a good cleaning to get rid of the remains of any acids?

Makes sense. A good bath in tepid warer with a tiny bit of mild soap and a sort-bristled toothbrush always seems a good idea, acid, grunge, dirt, whatever. No damage will be done, as opposed to polishing, dipping, plating the medals as some collectors do.

(And it is far more likely to have happend in Ambala than Delhi. The boys in Delhi are too smart for that, though sometimes their employees aren't. I have a lovely [?] Sainya Seva Medal that looks bronze due to such soaking -- the idiot ex-employee thought it was silver.)

[jshorter]

I just took a better close up shot of the Burma Star that was posted earlier. I am also attaching a photo of my 2nd. Burma Star that I have which is in much poorer condition.

Jason

[Alex K]

Today, some South Asian medal dealers and many medal "wholesalers" do clean them in battery acid. In The Indian Army, the recommended way in the 19th and early 20th century to clean your medals for parade was a mixture of lemon juice, wood ash, and sand. Chemically-literate friends have tried to explain to me how scary-bad this is.

(By the way, those who see no problem in "cleaning" the medals we host, given that the original recipients would have polished them, might draw a lesson on from this?)

Here I have to agree with you and Ed, some were minted in the calcutta mint and I believe are of slightly less "Tight" finish and thinner than their Brit counterparts, I would not in any way discount cleaning in battery acid OMG!! , I know from previous (Other) posts by Ed that this appears to have been a common practice in that part of the world. Maybe your Burma star is a victim to this process, that's why I flagged it up in my original post as a bit dodgy, in as much that it's appearanceis less than I would expect from a British minted example, It may well be an original, if slightly weatherworn example.

I tend to favour original based on other postes made.

[jshorter]

It doesn't show anything that would lead me to believe it is a reproduction. I have seen cast copies of Stars before, and this is at least not a cast copy. I think they have both just had a rough life!

[Alex K]

It doesn't show anything that would lead me to believe it is a reproduction. I have seen cast copies of Stars before, and this is at least not a cast copy. I think they have both just had a rough life!

Don't disagree, however you Burma Star appears to have disappeared from you original post, I assume you later posts are the same medal and another?

Edited February 15, 2009 by Alex K

[Ed_Haynes]

Here is a Calcutta strike Burma Star, officially named to "53441 JEMDR. PUSHA RAM, I.P.C."

[Ed_Haynes]

Setting aside the whole issue of later tailors' copies, here is a Pacific Star made up by one of the prominent New Delhi coin dealers (not so much into medals). Was this for veterans or for collectors? Who can say.

Edited February 15, 2009 by Ed_Haynes

[Alex K]

Here is a Calcutta strike Burma Star, officially named to "53441 JEMDR. PUSHA RAM, I.P.C."

Interestingly the one you posted seems to have a higher level of detail which I would expect from a British mint, presumably it's not been dunked in battery acid?!, even calcutta produced

[Ed_Haynes]

Interestingly the one you posted seems to have a higher level of detail which I would expect from a British mint, presumably it's not been dunked in battery acid?!, even calcutta produced

The Calcutta Mint did (and still does) first-rate work. Unfortunately, most current medals are made by private contractors .

[Alex K]

The Calcutta Mint did (and still does) first-rate work. Unfortunately, most current medals are made by private contractors .

Quality suffers then?

[Ed_Haynes]

Quality suffers then?

Of course. Tends to happen everywhere, doesn't it?

[Alex K]

Of course. Tends to happen everywhere, doesn't it?

As with most things contracted out to private entrepeneurs unfortunately, isn't that happening now with currents British gongs? Rhodium plated plastic next.

[jshorter]

My Pacific Star just arrived today......

[Alex K]

My Pacific Star just arrived today......

Fine, no problem with that

regards

Alex

[Chris Boonzaier]

Makes sense. A good bath in tepid warer with a tiny bit of mild soap and a sort-bristled toothbrush always seems a good idea, acid, grunge, dirt, whatever. No damage will be done, as opposed to polishing, dipping, plating the medals as some collectors do.

Ooooohhhh.... dipping and plating... folks should get their collectors license taken away for that.

Polishing however... I dont see that as a shooting offense. If I buy a gunky dirty group I usually give it a polish before letting it develop a natural patina. (I actually like silver when it begins to go a bit dark...)

[jshorter]

I have an ultrasonic jewlery cleaner that works great! It takes off the dirt and gunk, but does nothing to the patina or the metal!

Jason

[Alex K]

I have an ultrasonic jewlery cleaner that works great! It takes off the dirt and gunk, but does nothing to the patina or the metal!

Jason

You'll have do us a before and after picture so that we can see the difference.

regards

Alex

[jshorter]

You'll have do us a before and after picture so that we can see the difference.

regards

Alex

Well, all of mine are cleaned now, so all I have is "after" pictures at the moment. The next dirty medal I get, I will make sure to get photos for you all!

Jason

[Ed_Haynes]

Yes, Jason. That is good technology to have, especially if you do it without the chemicals that they sometimes want you to add.

Edited February 18, 2009 by Ed_Haynes

[jshorter]

My France and Germany Star just arrived this morning. What do you all think?

Thanks again!

Jason