British War Medals - An Introduction to Collecting British Military Medals

British war medals are highly collectible 1969 Topps baseball cards can change hands Care Bears tens of thousands of pounds. The UK has no equivalent of Aquaman action figure U.S. Stolen Valor Act of 2005 and so there is no limitation upon their sale and purchase by dealers and collectors. It is vital though for the novice collector to be aware of the substantive difference between service (or campaign) medals and gallantry medals.

Service medals, otherwise referred to as campaign medals, are awarded to every serviceman or woman who has taken part in a particular conflict or campaign. There is no requirement that the soldier, sailor or airman has behaved in a particular, simply that they were there. The most common and collectible are British service medals from World War One, usually sold in pairs, and easily identifiable from their ribbons, assuming, of course, that the correct ribbon has been attached!

Every soldier taking part in the Great War received a War Medal and a Victory Medal. The name, serial number and regiment of the recipient of each medal will be stamped on the side and it will be possible to research details of his war record via the British Public Record Office and/or the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. It is even possible sometimes to trace the recipient's living relatives!

Other service medals to look out for are the 1914 Mons Star, awarded to members of the original British Expeditionary Force, and the 1915 Star. For those interested in the ANZAC involvement in the Great War, the 1915 Gallipoli Star is also highly prized. Be aware though that the recipients of these medals were far fewer in number and, consequently, the medals become more expensive to acquire.

A pair of War and Victory medals will change hands for something in the region of $40 and the Mons Star perhaps for $80. Compare this to the $120,000 Midge doll will need to pay for a Victoria Cross and you will immediately appreciate the difference to the collector between service and gallantry medals.

The Victoria Cross is, of course, the highest award for gallantry in the British Armed Forces, equivalent to the U.S. Medal of Honor. It is rarely awarded and then, very often, posthumously. More often seen in a museum there are some very substantial collections of Victoria Crosses in private hands.

The award of British gallantry medals is also interesting in that a distinction is made between officers and other ranks. For the same act of bravery that would result in an officer receiving the Military Cross, a member of the ranks would receive the Military Medal. Similarly, in the Royal Air Force, where an officer might receive the Distinguished Flying Cross, a member of the other ranks would receive the Distinguished Flying Medal.

Collecting British War medals is a highly rewarding and interesting pastime and it is possible to build up a substantial collection of service medals. Collecting gallantry medals requires far greater resources and, very often, attendance at specialist auctions.

The great news is that if you shop online for British War Medals or other Military Medals you can find unbeatable deals at rock bottom prices!

Peter Cox