US Army Campaign medal No. prefix numbering.
Below are assorted images of American medals
illustrating original period naming & numbering styles. The attempt is
more a photo essay than text.
US Army Campaign medal No. prefix numbering.
US Army Campaign medal M.No. prefix numbering.
Plain numbering on campaign medals
Army Civil War Campaign Medal
US Navy Civil War Campaign medal numbering.
Campaign medal rim engraving.
Officially done by order of the Navy. Typically slanted capitals done on
either side of the number.
Impressed naming on a Sampson medal.
Navy Specially Meritorious Service Medal
USMC Good Conduct Medal engraving.
US Coast Guard Medal engraving
1930's Purple Heart hand engraved naming
as issued to WWI (and earlier) recipients.
The medal, shipping box, and medal box.
Typical WWII US Army hand engraved
medals.
Typical of the pattern engraving found on Silver Stars, Legion of Merits & Bronze Stars.
A late pattern of WWII naming
An engraved WWII Distinguished Service Medal
Below shows post WWII pattern script engraving.
Generally attributed circa 1948 as
seen on awards sent out at the wars end such as CIB conversion Bronze
Stars.
Early WWII pattern official USN
engraving.
Late WWII pattern official USN engraving.
WWII era hand engraved DSM / LoM pair
Korean War Silver Star
Circa 1970 official naming on an Air
Force DSM & Legion of Merit
Notes on
Vietnam War
era engraving styles
Images & info on the engraving styles found on US medals of that period.
