Some war medals.

Here are some medals I bought, while I was coin and note collecting from villagers, in Africa. These are my best condition ones, I have at least three of every one except the Burma Star. It's a bit irritating that all the currency and trinkets, I bough were in very poor condition, I bought hundreds of collectibles and every single thing was pretty badly damaged.

 

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The 39/45 medal with the lion on top of the griffon is very cool Its a shame that WWI medal is so rough looking, its a great relic of a war that is quickly being forgotten.

 

I really like the first one alot. And the 5th one. Its like...lion go fetch me something. And the second to last one (the angel). Cool

 

Excellent! I absolutely love the style of art on these pieces.

 

I bought a WWI "Death Penny" from a British auction awhile back, they are memorial medals that were given out by the Admiralty to British families after WWI as a memorial to their loved one. These memorials were remarkably unpopular, because the Admiralty sent them out through the Royal Mail to the recipients. Soon they got the moniker "Death Penny" and that is how these memorials are referred to still.

Often times families did not want them, and they even through them out with the rubbish etc. They are unusual to find today because of that. Early in 1919 after much public wrangling over the medals and due to the expense - the Admiralty discontinued the programme. I have heard of detectorists finding these medals in rubbish heaps outside of London etc.

 

Thanks for sharing the pics...did you get them all at one place or is there a future article on how and from whom you acquired them?

Clinker

 

Thanks for all the interest, I bought these 15 years ago, I worked in Malawi, for a year, there was very little to do for fun, I would spend my weekends going from village to village, mainly around Blantyre where I worked collecting old coins, notes, medals, and other collectibles. I dealt with so many people I have no idea who I got these from.
I left my box of trinkets in South Africa at a friends house. When I moved to Taiwan 10 years ago. My friend came to visit me, last week and brought about half of my collection with him. I thought I would never see the stuff again.
I'm posting pics of my collection to find out more about it, from feed back I get here.
I knew nothing about what I bought, just did it for something to do, and boy was it interesting. I wish I had purchased half of what I was offered.
I also gave a lot of things I bought away to friends in SA.

 

Do any of them have inscriptions on the rims? the Burma star might be inscribed on the flat back of it, The Africa Genral Service Medal is also very nice and with the Nandi clasp is fairly valuble :thumb:

 

Just to add a bit of spice LOL here are a few of my minitures and a Victory medal 1914/18

 

Thanks De Orc . They are all inscribed on the rims, but the Burma star has no inscriptions. Thanks for posting your pics of you medals. You have got quite a collection.

 

Can you give any info on the inscriptions, I find them rather facinating :kewl:

 

From top to bottom.
CPL. GONDWE AARON. NYASALAND. F.F
36 1 PTE TEBULO 1/KA
195 PTE LIPUGAMA 1/K.A.R
3621 PTE TABULO 1 K.A.R

 

awesome find!!!!

 

CPL. GONDWE AARON. NYASALAND. F.F he was in the Nyasaland Field Force

The others were in the Kings African Rifles, I am assuming that the second one reads KAR as well?

 

Thank you so much, I was planing to work that out, sooner or later.

 

The Nandi bar is very interesting it refers towhat was basicly a 10 year long campaign by the British to subdue the Nandi people, it was only the sucsessful building of the Kenya - Uganda rail line that enabled the British to end the warfare in 1905/06 Just a bit more useless info LOL

 

Thanks again, I find it very interesting.
I would like to find ribbons them, I've looked around here in Taiwan, but can't find the right colours.
Did you get all your medals with ribbons, or did you have to replace any ?

 

Most of mine came with ribbons but have a look on ebay uk, there are a number of people who sell them, here is a very useful site, it not only sells ribbons but has colour pics to go with the names so you can see what you are getting

http://www.worldmedals.co.uk/Rib/Britrib/britribb.htm

 

I have had this UK War Medal since the 1960's.



This one is the silver version given to Canadians.

The British got copper-nickel versions.

My medal also has a lot of scratches and damage.

 

Is it named? have a look on the rim :thumb: With medals of this type the scratches etc dont matter to much as it is realy the history of the item that is important.