Medal of Honor for sale

[Darrell]

It should be noted that the HLP backdoor medals are still considered stolen government property, and the government will come knocking for them

If that's so why don't they knock on e-medals door? They have about 10 of them for sale at any time.

[Mark Costa]

Darrell:

The law only applies to the USA not Canada. The medals can be bought/sold etc in Canada. If Emedals moves to the USA then the FBI would come and see them. But EMedals is in Toronto.

MC

[Darrell]

Darrell:

The law only applies to the USA not Canada. The medals can be bought/sold etc in Canada. If Emedals moves to the USA then the FBI would come and see them. But EMedals is in Toronto.

MC

Exactly. That's my point. Generic statements that the FBI will come after you tend to scare off people outside the US. I don't know how many people interested in buying a MOH off me are scared that they will get thrown into prison if "caught".

[Brig]

I assumed that it was implied that, since the FBI is an American and not international agency, they wouldn't be knocking on foreign doors.

Yes, perfectly legal for someone outside the US to buy/sell the medals...which is why many are in foreign collections

[NavyFCO]

I assumed that it was implied that, since the FBI is an American and not international agency, they wouldn't be knocking on foreign doors.

Yes, perfectly legal for someone outside the US to buy/sell the medals...which is why many are in foreign collections

Of course, then again...the FBI got involved in the MOH in the UK that was listed up on eBay last month, and the owners were eventually forced to turn it in. Now was it owned by someone in the US, and just being brokered by someone in the UK? I don't know that...so that might be a factor in the whole kerfuffle.

[Brig]

Of course, then again...the FBI got involved in the MOH in the UK that was listed up on eBay last month, and the owners were eventually forced to turn it in. Now was it owned by someone in the US, and just being brokered by someone in the UK? I don't know that...so that might be a factor in the whole kerfuffle.

I believe that was the belief, if I recall correctly people recalled seeing it in the US not long before the auction...a couple of years or so

Of course, if the owner wasn't a US citizen brokering through the UK, the auction house could easily have told the FBI to pound sand (or bugger off, in their dialect) and that would have been the end of it. Unless some British agency decided to play ball with the Bureau and badger the auction house. Which I suppose could also have been what happened, and the auctioneer just decided it wasn't worth the trouble

That said, I want to say that I am not a proponent of the current laws. I feel it's causing these national treasures to be sold under the table to foreigners, never to be seen here again. There's nothing wrong with foreign collectors, but these are going to drive a disproportional amount out. I myself have a dress mess or two named to MOH recipients, and they will sadly have to go for the rest of my life without the medals, unless I grant my wife's idea of retiring to Newfoundland

[Bill D.]

The original intent of the law which created enhanced penalties for the sale of a Medal of Honor, back in 1994, was to prevent the sale of modern examples of the Medal of Honor because of the fact the some individuals purchased them and then wore them, claiming that they had earned the medals in Vietnam.

The fact that there is now a problem for collectors with old examples of the medal is a classic case of throwing the baby out with the bathwater.

[phild]

The original intent of the law which created enhanced penalties for the sale of a Medal of Honor, back in 1994, was to prevent the sale of modern examples of the Medal of Honor because of the fact the some individuals purchased them and then wore them, claiming that they had earned the medals in Vietnam.

The fact that there is now a problem for collectors with old examples of the medal is a classic case of throwing the baby out with the bathwater.

I agree. This is a classic and all too typical example of trying to (or claiming they are trying to) stop someone's behavior by regulating what anyone and everyone is allowed to merely own or not own. This has always struck me as the essence of iron handed oppression as it never has a limit.

[Jeff V]

I agree. This is a classic and all too typical example of trying to (or claiming they are trying to) stop someone's behavior by regulating what anyone and everyone is allowed to merely own or not own. This has always struck me as the essence of iron handed oppression as it never has a limit.

Agreed!

[emccomas]

I am looking at the reverse of this MOH, specifically the part that has the phrase "THE CONGRESS TO".

It looks like this phrase is raised above the surface, and not engraved into the surface.

Can anyone comment on that, or perhaps the owner / seller confirm this information.

Does anyone know of a version of the MOH that has the phrase raised above the surface.

[TP Alexander]

By the way I once saw a guy selling a MOH awarded to a survivor of the little big horn battle for 5000.00 I wish I had the money at the time as the guy sold it in Pomona over 30 years ago. Wonder who got that one?

I guess he was being facetious but he’s expelled, so I can’t ask.