Just added this little thing to my collection: Medal Of Honor

[Vegard T]

I find it strange that the US military has not numbered these? Each one should have been listed to the owners name and military data.

BtW I know zero of western medals.

Medals that are unissued are not numbered as far as I know. My medal has not been issued as far as I know.
I have no idea if all Medal Of Honors are engraved with names, but I would think so, however if it is just like any other US medal, I would not be surprised if it weren't.(An example is the PH in the last picture, which is not engraved, but issued).

Are you sure it's an original? I know that they produce copies for museums, that's why I ask...
Congratulations on this rare score!
cheers, Glenn

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I am positive this is an original, otherwise I would not have bought it.

[Vegard T]

To give you an idea of the scale:

[bigmacglenn]

How did you come to the conclusion that it's original and not a museum piece? Does it have provenance etc...And how are the prices on these? Curious!
cheers, Glenn

[Scout]

How would it get out into 'the wild' i.e. be unissued....?

NB Asking out of genuine curiosity BTW and not implying anything.

[bigmacglenn]

Questions should be expected and desired when posting on the Forum...especially for such a rarely seen award...
cheers, Glenn

[Vegard T]

How did you come to the conclusion that it's original and not a museum piece? Does it have provenance etc...And how are the prices on these? Curious!
cheers, Glenn

It got positive feedback from a different forum, plus this came from a collector I have dealt with before, and after studying other similar examples I felt good about this one.
I got it for 450$, not sure what the current market price is, but I felt comfortable with the purchase.

How would it get out into 'the wild' i.e. be unissued....?

NB Asking out of genuine curiosity BTW and not implying anything.

Not too sure about that, collectors have their ways, hehe. I've seen a couple of MOHs in collections around the world, so they are out there. Here are two in a private collection: My small Display - PINNED DISPLAYS - U.S. Militaria Forum Lucky bugger

Questions should be expected and desired when posting on the Forum...especially for such a unique award...
cheers, Glenn

I get that, I really do, I would be skeptical myself

[RH1941]

Vegar looking at the pinned thread you posted I'm seeing big differences in your medal and the one in the other thread. I see casting lines in yours and I don't see them in the other . Also the enameling looks very different between the two medals. also the backs are also different. Gary

[Walkwolf]

Well, The ones I've seen for sale are $2,500 and up.........

[gunnerjohn]

i have my doubts about this being real, back in the late 80's/early 90's there were HUGE numbers of remakes made and sold. the fact that the neck ribbon is gone just seals the bad deal for me.

[Vegard T]

Vegar looking at the pinned thread you posted I'm seeing big differences in your medal and the one in the other thread. I see casting lines in yours and I don't see them in the other . Also the enameling looks very different between the two medals. also the backs are also different. Gary

Actually, now that you mention it, I have to admit I see it too. However, I would very much like to clarify, that I have never said that this is an "Original Original", that would in my eyes mean directly from the vet's family, which is next to impossible. My example is most probably a half completed "back-door" item produced by Lordship Industries in the early 1990s(Which is why there's no hallmark). It's just like wartime/postwar EK2s. Postwar, EK2s were produced using wartime parts, they're still original, manufactured by the same company, just for a different reason(in this case, see below):
In 1996 F.B.I. Special Agent Tom Cottone found evidence that H.L.I. Lordship Industries, the low-bid company commissioned to manufacture Medals of Honor for the Pentagon, had produced hundreds (perhaps more than a thousand) of unauthorized Medals of Honor. These were blank medals, struck from the same dies as the real medals produced for the President to present. H.L.I. Lordship Industries sold these black market medals for $75 apiece. These in turn were sold at gun shows or on the Internet for prices usually in excess of $500 each.

In October 1996 following Agent Cottone’s investigation, H.L.I. Lordship Industries pled guilty to multiple federal charges including the unauthorized production and sale of 350 Medals of Honor. The company lost all federal contracts for 15 years, but most of these unauthorized Medals were never recovered (Pueblo).

Agent Cottone suspects that the actual number of illicit Medals of Honor turned out by H.L.I. Lordship Industries and flooding the market was probably triple the number the company admitted to. The ultimate result was that a large number of individuals, many of whom had never even served in the military, are now wearing or displaying Medals of Honor purchased in illegal sales and portraying themselves as war heroes.

Directly as a result of Agent Cottone’s investigation of H.L.I. Lordship Industries, and subsequent discovery of numerous Medal of Honor imposters, Chapter 33, §704 of Title 18, U.S.C. was amended to make it unlawful to:

o Illegally manufacture a Medal of Honor

o Sell or trade a Medal of Honor, ribbon, or rosette

o Wear the Medal of Honor, ribbon, or rosette unless the award had been properly authorized under established code regarding award of the Medal of Honor.

I was aware that this might be the case, but was not completely sure until I got it. It's still an original, but still a "back-door" item, which is probably going to be the only "original" medal of honor I am ever going to see/be able to buy.

If this turns out to be a copy, it is a darn good one in my opinion.

Well, The ones I've seen for sale are $2,500 and up.........

That is probably for an unissued one that is complete with ribbon. Probably not a back-door item.