I have a general inquiry, is an award that has had its' ring cut devalued?? Does that drop the value of the medal if it is an orginal wartime medal. I ask because I run across alot of campaign awards with cut rings.
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It doesn't really effect the value I think. Many wartime medals, worn in combat got damaged, just due to wear. The pins to attach the medal to the tunic could break, the connecting ring could break, suspensions were wartime replaced...all because of wear. So it is still a wartime worn medal.
I think it is all to the collector to decide what he/she prefers. Myself I prefer to have my medals and orders with their original suspension or wartime replaced suspensions, pins and rings. I don't collect medals with cut rings which have recent aluminum suspensions for example.
I think another reason why we see so many campaign medals with cut rings is because veterans always wanna look at their best at parades and reunions. And after some years of wearing, and some even annually change the suspensions and ribbons to have bright and shiny medals and ribbons again.
So in the end it comes to the individual preferences of the collector. -
Just checked my collection. Over 50% are not soldered together. Seems the earlier issues had the better chance of being joined. I suspect that was a time and materials decision.Thanks,
Eric GaumannComment
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Not all medals were even soldered. That is a misunderstanding. Quite often the earlier medals were soldered and mainly the Stalingrad medals. The majority of medals have a connecting ring which is closing well without both ends of the ring touching.
See for example my Defense of Caucasus medal, 1st variant. Both ends fit quite tight without being soldered, yet still this is an uncut ring:
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Cut rings always show clear cut marks, making the ring's ends more pointy like with this Victory over Germany medal:
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In other occasions the connecting ring has been bend open to replace the suspension, and then close the ring as good as possible again. This always leaves marks like with this Victory over Japan medal:
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