Worldwide Military Medals: Forgery Medals

The typical worldwide method of producing a military medal forgery (areproduction specifically made to deceive a collector) was to make a mold from an authentic example and then take casts of it. To simplify the process, a medal is cast by pouring molten metal into a mold and letting it harden. Once the metal is hard, the medal is freed from the mold and cleaned. Fine details are enhanced with metalworking tools by filing and scraping with chisels and burins. The surface of the medal can be patinated by applying chemical solutions to give various color effects which simulate aging. Many of these notes apply to other areas of militaria and coin collecting.
A number of excellent articles are available in libraries or internet if detailed information on the process and types of medal casting is required. The most obvious sign of forgery is the metallic content itself since forgers rarely trouble to get the exact geposition of the alloy. A good example of this is the British 1854 India General Service Medal which has a lead appearance and a soapy texture. On checking the dimensions of such a medal, it will inevitably be found that they are very slightly smaller than the genuine medal. This is due to the fact that the plaster used in the mold shrinks slightly as it dries with the result that any cast made subsequently will be smaller and thinner than the original. Some of the hi-tech plasters currently used have minimized the dimension differentials and more precise measurements are required than even 3 years ago. Another good example is the German Iron Cross. Most collectors apply the magnet test to the central design to see if the magnet detects iron. In this particular case, it is a false assumption due to the fact that a large percentage of official issue Iron Crosses were not made of iron (particularly during late-WWII). The German medal collector group - BDOS - has published extensive documentation which is more specific on detecting forgeries. Whether or not the metallic alloy is suspect, it is very strongly advised that you get into the habit of checking the dimensions of the medals, suspension bars, clasps, etc. accurately. Both the thickness and diameter should be measured at several points (for reasons which will begee obvious).
As countries vary, the precision will also vary and it may not be ungemon to find at least a dozen different measurements for one particular official medal type. Investments in good medal collecting books (readily available on okay) is highly regemended. Apart from the metallic alloy and dimensions, another obvious sign of forgery is the medal's surface condition. Blurring and lack of the detail sharpness (taking into consideration the wear) are of interest. For this reason, the photo acgepanying an okay item needs to be very sharp and well-defined, utilizing the maximum resolution available. There are quite a few fundamental differences in the techniques of production between a genuinely struck medal and a cast forgery. The forgery will usually show some signs of microscopic surface pitting caused by tiny air bubbles surfacing in the molten metal alloy as it cools. Note that this surface pitting is not the same type as pitted which is post-striking surface mark spoiling by minute holes caused by chemical attack or contact marks (best exemplified by the British Egyptian Medal and Khedive's Star pair). Some forgeries are extraordinarily crude and it is absolutely amazing that anyone would be fooled by them - but they frequently are (especially if very subtly worked into a group of otherwise authentic medals!). These forgeries were produced in simple sand molds which, although lacking the shrinkage factor inherent in plaster molds, they have a grainy quality. Enameling is often used to disguise this process and is gemonly used on forgeries of rare European orders. Lead (and to a lesser extent, zinc) is often used in this process which potentially raises various health issues.
Sometimes attempts are made to remove this grainy characteristic as well as other surface blemishes by chasing. This technique inevitably leaves very fine abrasion marks which are absent in genuinely struck medals. For over 100 years, bronzing or some other form of plating (the process of applying a thin coating of metal, usually gold or silver or bronze) has been used on forgeries so verified old age is not a determining factor as one might suspect.
The fashion seems to be ending of genuine medals (usually bronze or silver) being clear coated with a lacquer to protect the surface from oxidation (patina), but the collector will need to know that process exists.
Another method which has gained popularity since about 2000 is coating the surface of the forgery with an alloy similar to Sta-brite or an antique coating (which hides most of the surface pitting). Casts also have fine lines on the rim where the 2 halves of the mold join. Particularly on British medals, this seam will overlay any naming which may be visible and is usually fairly obvious. Although the seam is invariably filed off, this often leaves a slight ridge which is often visible by holding the medal with the rim up to the light and rotating it slowly. As the value of medals has increased, forgers have been taking greater pains - even going to the length of having new dies madeand then striking the forged medal in the traditional method. Note that this hubbing is different than a restrike (a copy produced from the original dies subsequent to original issue -sometimes it may be an official late issue). Such struck forgeries are more difficult to detect but there is usually some subtle difference in design which identifies it. The British WWII star series is a good example. All of the stars have been targets of forgers - of varying quality - have been noted on the market. These range from the easily detectable type with 3 pearls on the central arch of King George VI's crown instead of 5, to an accurate design although slightly thinner and it has points noticeably rounded rather than square cut. Another example is the USA Distinguish Service Cross (WWI French type) where the details are generally a little too flat but good, the metallic alloy is not quite correct, and it is invariably offered with a replacement ribbon.

British Copy/Fakes/Forgery Medals
Unfortunately, with today's geputer Aided Designtechnology, forgeries are begeing more difficult to detect. Hopefully, this same geputer technology will keep pace with readily available forgery detection. Your best guarantee is to purchase military medals only from reputable okay members who provide clear photos, accurate descriptions, and will refund your purchase price if the medal is not as described. Please visit my blog (http://blogs.okay.ge/tsa-li) and/or guides for further information. Thank you for your visit!