Any EFFICIENCY MEDAL experts out there?

[David B 1812]

Any EFFICIENCY MEDAL experts out there?

This post is about the following medals, using the “Medal Yearbook 2013” as a reference:

1. No 234 The TERRITORIAL FORCE EFFICIENCY Medal 1908
2. No 235 The TERRITORIAL EFFICIENCY Medal 1921, and,
3. No 237 The EFFICIENCY MEDAL (Territorial) 1930

And you will note, in the respective prices quotations for these medals, that the first medal,

the Territorial Force Efficiency Medal has a price quoted for a single medal £120 to £140.

Also a price for the medal with ONE Bar - £170 to £200, and then for TWO Bars, the price

moves up to £220 to £260. In other words, the Two Bar Territorial Force Efficiency Medal

seems to be valued at TWICE the price of the single medal.

Then we move to the next two medals – the Territorial Efficiency Medal and the Efficiency

Medal (Territorial). Both have single medal price quotations, but NEITHER has a price

quotation for First or Second Bar specimens. Now see the next section…………….

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I have, in my medal collection, what I believe to be a scarce and unusual twelve

Medal Group, covering the forty-four year period of service from 1914 to 1958 of:

13/727 2/Lt H. PETRIE, 13th East Yorkshire Regiment (for 1914-1918) and later,
433999 W.O.1 in the Royal Armoured Corps, for 1939-1945.

With interwar and post WWII service with the East Yorkshire Yeomanry.

The MILITARY MEDAL won by (then) Sergt. H. Petrie was for:

"Awarded the Military Medal for displaying gallantry while leading a bombing
raid on enemy trenches"

The Twelve Medal Group (illustrated here) consists of:

Military Medal (GVR)

1914-1915 Star

British War Medal 1914 – 1920

Victory Medal 1914 – 1919 (with M.I.D.)

1939 – 1945 Star

Africa Star

Italy Star

France and Germany Star (with Clasp: Atlantic)

Defence Medal

War Medal 1939 – 1945

Coronation Medal, 1953 (EIIR)

Efficiency Medal (Territorial)(GVIR – tB)(with Two Bars)

Now, some questions arise:

1. We can see that the above Efficiency Medal (Territorial) was issued with TWO

Bars. If we examine the conditions of issue of the medal, we know that

additional periods of service are rewarded with the issue of further Bars.

So, why does the Medal Yearbook NOT quote prices for an additional One,

or (as in this example) TWO Bars?

1. Might the answer be that both One and Two Bar examples of the Efficiency

Medal (Territorial) are so numerous and common in the market, that there

is no price premium for the medal with either one or two Bars? OR,

1. Is it possible that One and particularly Two Bar Efficiency Medals (Territorial)

are very scarce and uncommon – so much so that very few medals ever come

up for sale amongst the panel of medal dealers and auction houses who, as a

group, contribute to the making of the Medal Yearbook prices ? OR

1. Is there some technical / historic reason for this lack of pricing? OR

1. Any other comments, amongst the Members out there?? Would any of you

care to venture a value estimate for the One and Two Bar Efficiency Medal

(Territorial) ?? Bearing in mind the price structure for the 1908 version, and

the fact that the single medal of the 1930 version is valued at £50 to £85 at

present.

I would be pleased to learn of your views / comments on this question.

Thank you,

David B 1812

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[paul wood]

Very nice indeed, scarce combination. I assume you have the AOs for the Efficiency Medal and bars.

I have no idea why MYB does not price subsequent bars. They are more common than the earlier incarnations especially as war service counted as double, so virtually all GV and GVI Efficiency medal holders saw service in WWII, however while single efficiency medal are relatively common on the market and are priced based on the unit, so for example and RA will make £40-50, while a small Yeomanry unit will make a fair bit more, Efficiency Medals with clasps tend not to turn up frequently as singles, they are almost always in groups, which tends to makes sense when you consider that many of the GV and GVI will have seen both First and Second War service. Re MYB the person who does the prices ( a well known dealer north of the Trent) possibly couldn't be bothered.

If you haven't got the AO's for the Efficiency Medal and Bars I can get them for you.

Paul

[David B 1812]

Thank you Paul......... AO's ?? Army Orders?

But no, I do not have them, and so I would sincerely appreciate your very kind offer, thank you.

And thank you for your comments.

BW

David B 1812

[David B 1812]

By the way, just for additional interest, here is a photo of W.O.1 'Harry' PETRIE (right)

with a couple of his mates, at 'Delta Barrages' Cairo, in May 1943. And, also a photo

of some of the certifcates and awards, etc. made to Petrie during his 44 year military

service career - 1914 - 1958. Not many men have such long, proven, documented

careers, I think.

David B 1812

[paul wood]

Sorry David,

I have only the rolls for clasps to the TFEM and the TEM, I thought they included the Efficiency Medal. The medals and clasps are issued under Army Order

I used to know a good researcher for Territorial material but alas he has been afflicted by anno domini. I suspect another member of the forum will be able to tell you where to get the details.

Paul

[David B 1812]

No problem, Paul. It was a kind thought, anyway.

Thanks,

David B

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[Graham Stewart]

Well have to admit I'm no medal collector and their prices are of no concern, being a great believer they should stay in families. However I'm surprised that the significance of the the Great War trio and the M.M. hasn't been realised - it's a group to a member of one the Hull 'Pals' Battalions and that in itself would have East Yorks collectors paying a good sum of money for them.

13/727 Pte Harry Petrie was an original member of the 13th(Service)Bn, East Yorks Regt(4th Hull) - raised 11th August 1914 by Lord Nunburnholme and the East Riding TF Association. Commonly known as the "T'Others", by other members of the Hull Pal's. You'll probably already know about the Battalion serving in Egypt from December 1915, before moving to France in 1916 and so on, so I won't go into detail

Harry himself went from Pte through the ranks to Sgt, eventually being commissioned 2nd/Lt in the East Yorks and in my opinion it's these medals that are of the greater importance and not the later additions.