Understanding British Campaign Medals: A Beginner’s Guide

What Are Campaign Medals?

Campaign medals are awards issued to members of the armed forces who served in specific military operations or theatres of war. Unlike gallantry awards (which recognise acts of bravery), campaign medals acknowledge presence and participation in a particular conflict or campaign.

For collectors, campaign medals offer a tangible connection to history. Each medal carries the name or service number of its recipient, making it possible to research the individual soldier, sailor, or airman who earned it.

A Brief History of British Campaign Medals

The systematic issuing of campaign medals to all ranks is relatively modern. Before the 19th century, medals were typically reserved for officers or struck as commemorative pieces. The key milestones are:

The Waterloo Medal (1815)

Often regarded as the first true campaign medal issued to all ranks who fought at the Battle of Waterloo on 18 June 1815. Approximately 39,000 were awarded. The Waterloo Medal established the precedent that every soldier present at a battle deserved official recognition — a revolutionary concept at the time.

The Military General Service Medal (1847)

Issued retrospectively to cover actions between 1793 and 1814, the MGSM came with 29 different clasps. Because it was only awarded to those still living in 1847 who applied for it, surviving examples are comparatively scarce and highly sought after.

Victorian Campaigns

The Victorian era saw an explosion of campaign medals: the Crimea Medal (1854), Indian Mutiny Medal (1857–58), Egypt Medal (1882–89), and the Queen’s South Africa Medal (1899–1902) for the Boer Wars. Each reflected Britain’s global imperial commitments.

The World Wars

World War I introduced the 1914 Star (the “Mons Star”), the 1914–15 Star, British War Medal, and Victory Medal — collectively known as “Pip, Squeak, and Wilfred.” World War II brought the 1939–45 Star and its theatre-specific variants (Africa Star, Burma Star, etc.), the Defence Medal, and the War Medal.

Post-War to Modern

Post-1945 campaign medals include the Korea Medal, General Service Medal (1918–62 and 1962 patterns), the South Atlantic Medal (1982), and more recently the Operational Service Medal for Iraq and Afghanistan.

How to Start Collecting

If you are new to medal collecting, here are the key steps to building a meaningful collection:

1. Choose a Focus

The field is enormous. Consider narrowing your focus to:

• A specific regiment — collect medals to men of the Royal Fusiliers or Coldstream Guards
• A specific campaign — the Boer War or World War I
• A type of medal — gallantry groups or long service awards
• A geographic connection — medals to men from your county or town

2. Learn to Read a Medal

Every officially named medal tells a story. The naming conventions vary by era:

3. Research the Recipient

Once you have a named medal, research brings it to life. Key sources include:

• Medal Index Cards (WW1) — freely available on The National Archives
• Service Records — TNA for WW1, Ministry of Defence for WW2 onwards
• Medal Rolls — official lists of who received each medal
• War Diaries — daily unit records describing actions and movements

4. Verify Authenticity

Unfortunately, fakes and renamed medals exist. Key checks include:

• Correct naming style for the period
• Edge lettering matches known official patterns
• Recipient verifiable in medal rolls or service records
• Patina and wear consistent with age
• Buy from reputable dealers — membership of bodies like the OMRS (Orders and Medals Research Society) is a good sign

Medal Groups vs Single Medals

A medal group is a set of medals awarded to the same individual, ideally still mounted on their original bar. Groups are generally more desirable (and valuable) than single medals because they tell a more complete story. A WW1 trio “Pip, Squeak, and Wilfred” to a named individual, for example, confirms the man served overseas between 1914 and 1918.

Always try to acquire complete groups where possible. A single Victory Medal is common; a 1914 Star trio with casualty is significantly more interesting.

Condition and Terminology

Medal condition is described using standard terms:

• EF (Extremely Fine) — virtually as issued, minimal wear
• VF (Very Fine) — light wear, all details clear
• Fine — moderate wear, some detail loss
• Good — heavy wear, major details still visible
• Contact marks — small nicks from medals touching each other on a bar

Where to Buy

Campaign medals can be acquired from specialist dealers (like Militaria.co.uk), auction houses (DNW, Noonans, Spink), medal fairs, and online marketplaces. Always verify naming and buy from sellers who offer guarantees of authenticity.

Further Reading

For those wanting to deepen their knowledge, the following resources are invaluable:

• The Orders and Medals Research Society (OMRS) — the specialist society
• British Battles and Medals by Joslin, Litherland & Simpkin — the reference book
• Medal Yearbook — annual guide with current values
• The National Archives — campaign medal records and war diaries

Displaying and Storing Medal Collections

Medal care is an important consideration for collectors. Named medals should never be polished — the engraved or impressed naming is often only a few microns deep, and polishing can erase it permanently. Store medals flat in display frames or in padded trays, never loose in drawers where they can chafe against each other and cause “contact marks.”

Medal ribbons deteriorate over time. Replacement ribbons are widely available from specialist suppliers, but original ribbons — particularly on brooch-mounted or court-mounted groups — add value and should be preserved where possible. If remounting, keep original bars and stitching for future reference.

For groups intended for display, a shadow box frame with UV-filtering glass and acid-free mounting is ideal. Many collectors pair framed medal groups with photographs, cap badges, or other ephemera related to the recipient, creating a comprehensive display that tells the soldier’s story.

Medal Mounting Styles

Understanding mounting styles adds context to collecting:

• Court-mounted — Medals pinned side by side on a bar, lying flat against the chest. The standard for display wear. Court-mounted groups are neat and uniform but require professional mounting.
• Swing-mounted — Medals hanging freely from a bar. The traditional British style for everyday wear. Shows both obverse and reverse.
• Brooch-mounted — Period-mounted groups (typically Victorian and Edwardian) using a decorative brooch bar. These original mountings are highly prized — never remove medals from an original brooch bar.

The Order of Wear is prescribed by regulation. British medals are worn in a specific sequence: orders of chivalry, then gallantry awards, then campaign medals (in chronological order), then long service, coronation/jubilee medals, and foreign awards. Wearing medals in the incorrect order is immediately noticeable to anyone familiar with military custom.

The Medal Market

The militaria medal market has grown significantly over the past two decades. Auction houses specialising in medals include Dix Noonan Webb (DNW), Noonans, Spink, and Morton & Eden. Prices have risen substantially: a common WW1 British War and Victory Medal pair that might have sold for £20 in the early 2000s now fetches £40–60, while a casualty trio (where the recipient was killed) commands significantly more.

The Orders and Medals Research Society (OMRS) is the leading collectors’ organisation, publishing the quarterly Journal of the OMRS and hosting an annual convention. Membership gives access to a network of knowledgeable collectors and researchers — invaluable for verifying attributions and sharing research.

Sources

• Joslin, E.C., Litherland, A.R. & Simpkin, B.T. British Battles and Medals. Spink, 2001 (7th edition).
• Medal Yearbook. Token Publishing, annually.
• The National Archives. Medal Index Cards and Campaign Medal Rolls (WO 100, WO 329). nationalarchives.gov.uk
• Orders and Medals Research Society. omrs.org.uk
• Abbott, P.E. & Tamplin, J.M.A. British Gallantry Awards. Nimrod Dix, 1981.

Medal Verification and Research

One of the most satisfying aspects of medal collecting is researching the recipient. British campaign medals from 1793 onwards were impressed or engraved around the rim with the soldier’s name, rank, number, and unit — making each medal a unique historical document linked to an identifiable individual.

The Medal Index Cards (MICs) at The National Archives are the starting point for WWI research. Available free online via the TNA website, MICs record which medals each soldier was entitled to, their unit, and often their theatre of war entry date. From there, researchers can consult the Medal Rolls (WO 329) for more detail, and the War Diaries (WO 95) to understand what the soldier’s unit experienced on any given day.

For earlier periods, the Campaign Medal Rolls (WO 100) cover conflicts from the Crimean War through the Boer War. Victorian medal rolls are often handwritten and can be challenging to read, but they are an invaluable primary source. Many have been transcribed and published by specialist researchers.

Forgeries and Altered Medals

The medal market is not immune to fraud. Common issues include:

• Re-named medals — a common medal has had its original naming erased and replaced with a more desirable name (e.g., a casualty, a Victoria Cross recipient, or a famous regiment). Look for traces of the original naming under magnification.
• Added clasps — additional clasps soldered onto a medal to increase its value. Genuine clasp rivets show consistent wear with the medal; added clasps often have suspiciously bright rivets.
• Outright copies — complete reproductions, typically of high-value gallantry awards. The best defence is careful comparison with known genuine examples in terms of weight, diameter, metal composition, and naming style.

Reputable dealers and auction houses stand behind their attributions, and the OMRS verification service can assist with problematic medals.