Displaying medals on award packets?

[Rob E.]

Hey gang,

What are your thoughts on the displaying of medals/ribbons on top of the award packet in question?

The items are not exposed to direct or indirect sunlight in any way, just normal room light with average temp.

Would this cause any discoloration or staining per-se of the award packet with items on top in such conditions?

Thanks!

[Stahlhelm]

Purists of conservation will tell you NOT to display your awards directly on top of the packets, so that they make direct contact. Beyond that, it's up to you. You'll undoubtedly encounter collectors who'll swear they've displayed awards on packets and/or stored their awards directly in the packets for years with no ill effects. On the contrary, you'll encounter others who'll tell you the opposite. I've seen the possible ill effects myself, firsthand, so I just tend to stay clear of all such possibilities myself.

Chris

[Stahlhelm]

In all fairness, I will also add another account to balance things a bit. Just last summer, while in a local public library, I was sitting looking at some print-outs of Third Reich militaria which I was thinking of adding to my collection. While doing this, an older gentelman sitting next to me said, "Do you collect Nazi stuff?" I went ahead and said yes, not knowing exactly what to expect in return.

However, to my surprise, the man said that he was a WWII veteran and had lots of the stuff he'd like to sell. So, we exchanged numbers, so I could take a look at what he had.

Among the many wonderful items he had were two certainly original and mint IAB's, looking truly as good as they must have the day they were made. I myself was even amazed to hear that they had been actually stored in their packets for the decades since he brought them back from the war. Yes, I must repeat again that these original IAB's suffered from absolutely NO visible ill effects from actual strorage in their packets for decades.

Again, I wanted to include this only as a fair and balanced way of looking at the facts, even to the contrary, as even I've seen them. However again, even that example did not change my habit of NOT storing or displaying awards with, in, or on their packets. Again, it is the other such cases where I have indeed seen ill effects that keep me from taking such chances. After all, with my luck...well, odds are I wouldn't be so lucky.

Sincerely and hopefully helpful,

Chris

[Rob E.]

Both posts were helpful thanks.

[Paul R.]

I agree with Chris. I would a place a piece of museum grade mylar between the packet and the medal. Mylar would be cut to packet size. Lay the medal on top of the mylar. Also light and humidity would need to be controlled so no moisture would build up in or around items. I would also rotate these items. Paul

[Richard]

I displayed a mint EK2 with folded ribbon on top of the award packet for a few years in a room that had no outside light and only incandescent light. When I finally took the display apart, I noticed that the packet had faded in the exposed areas and not in the ones covered by the medal and the ribbon. It wasn't much, but it can be seen. I've never stored or displayed them that way since.
Richard V

[Rob E.]

The votes are in, this guy shall not be displaying anything on top of his award packets unless seperated by a mylar sleeve / sheet.

[Stahlhelm]

I displayed a mint EK2 with folded ribbon on top of the award packet for a few years in a room that had no outside light and only incandescent light. When I finally took the display apart, I noticed that the packet had faded in the exposed areas and not in the ones covered by the medal and the ribbon. It wasn't much, but it can be seen. I've never stored or displayed them that way since.
Richard V

That is an absolutely excellent example of another reason not to display the medal on top of the packet, one way or the other. Of course, as mentioned above by Richard, it only makes sense that the medal will block light from areas of the packet beneath the medal, causing an uneven amount of fading to the packet, if such fading does occur.

Paul's suggestion to place a mylar sheet between the medal and packet is also an excellent way to safely seperate the medal from the packet, if that is ultimately the chosen method. Since the mylar is transparent, it would be one level of safety, without even being that noticeable, if at all.

However, I must say that the uneven fading (or fading of any amount), even with NO outside light, is an equally important issue concerning the conservation of the packet itself. I admit that I hadn't even considered that yet myself.

Chris

[Finnishlion178]

Well, If you look at museum displays and you will never see that the medal or badge, displayed on the packet but always next to it. That is usually how I do it.

[Eric Gaumann]

How about making good quality photocopies of the award packets to display by the awards themselves and then keeping the original packets somewheres safe?

[bobcam1]

How about making good quality photocopies of the award packets to display by the awards themselves and then keeping the original packets somewheres safe?

I think that's a stellar idea!! I'm going to start doing that tomorrow. Inevitably, there will be some who will counter that acid-free paper should be used , but I think I'll try it with conventional printer paper....

Thanks for the idea, Eric.....

Cheers,
Bob.

[Stu W]

Sport card sleeves

Hi guys,

I've been storing my packets in Mylar envelopes designed to hold sports cards and other sport document memorabilia . They are available in a wide variety of sizes. My son-in-law put me onto that idea with his collection of valuable hockey cards. They are flexible and can be placed into a display as is or inserted into a rigid sleeve if further protection is desired. Most cities will have a sports memorabilia shop where these sort of items can be found.

They do not protect from fading if left in bright light but do prevent any acid transfer and subsequent deterioration.

Regards,
Stu

[jayhawkhenry]

Here is a packet that was not well treated before I acquired it. Too much light in this packets life.