Medal Mystery

Salvation Army Officer’s Long Service medals were hallmarked silver but in recent months, examples have been seen with all the apparently correct although indistinct markings, yet the medals are not silver. My immediate thought was to ask Gordon Taylor at the International Heritage Centre. I have known Gordon for many years and he is unfailingly helpful as are all the staff at the Centre. He knew nothing of this and all the examples in their Collection are hallmarked silver.

The medals seen are not fakes as they have been held by the officer or their family for many years. However, unnamed examples have also been seen. The medals have no great monetary value but if any reader can shed light on these we would like to know for our next newsletter. There is some evidence to suggest that they date from the 1940s but as it is illegal to use the assay marks on non-silver products, clearly the Salvation Army would not have done such a thing.