How to identify old military medals
Learn how to identify old military medals using naming, ribbons, clasps, documents, groupings, and condition.
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Learn how to identify old military medals using naming, ribbons, clasps, documents, groupings, and condition.
Auction records are market evidence, not a final appraisal. Condition, authenticity, provenance, size, maker, completeness, legality, and demand can materially change value.
Quick checklist
- Photograph the full item, maker marks, serials, inscriptions, measurements, materials, accessories, cases, scabbards, labels, and documents.
- Document condition before cleaning: corrosion, sharpening, repairs, missing parts, moth damage, replaced components, fading, holes, and restoration.
- Keep provenance, service records, capture papers, certificates, unit history, receipts, and related groups together.
What similar items actually sold for
To help ground this guide in real market activity, here are recent example auction comps from Appraisily’s internal database. These matched sales are market context only, not an object estimate or identification, and they do not guarantee a price for your specific military medal.
| Comparable | What sold | Auction house | Date | Lot | Source-reported amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
Military Medal. WWI M.B.E., M.M. group to Captain J.H.T. Holman, Canadian Chaplain Service | Dominic Winter Auctions | 2026-05-22 | 622 | GBP 2,300 |
 |
WW1 British Army 1916 Military Medal group to Private W. Bridge, who was an ‘Old Contemptable’ of the 1st Battalion, Somerset Light Infantry, his M.M. most likely a 1st day of the Battle of the Somme award | JB Military Antiques | 2020-05-03 | 338 | AUD 1,250 |
 |
A Scarce Great War ‘Tunneller’s’ M.M. Group of 4 awarded to Corporal Ernest Richard Hornsby, A.S.C., who won the Military Medal while serving on attachment to 177 Tunnelling Company, Royal Engineers, and who later died of wounds on 14 November 1918, | Morton & Eden | 2024-02-29 | 97 | GBP 400 |
 |
MILITARY GENERAL SERVICE MEDAL, 1793-1814 | La Galerie Numismatique | 2024-04-21 | 1292 | EUR 2,400 |
 |
WW1 to 1930's German 4 place military medal group | JB Military Antiques | 2025-11-30 | 518 | AUD 350 |
How these auction records were verified
Each row retains its exact source URL, lot identity, retrieval time, access result, and immutable record hash. Inspect the public comparable provenance record.
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