How to identify a British campaign medal

Start by working out what you have

If you are thinking of selling a military medal, questions come up quickly. What is it worth? Can I sell it? What kind of medal is it? The last one is often the hardest, because medals can be difficult to identify.

Once you know what you have, you can tell whether it is suitable to sell. This guide looks at the different kinds of military medal, and what makes one more valuable than another.

British military medals can be bought and sold freely. The one rule is that you must not wear them to claim service that was not yours.

First World War medals

First World War medals vary a great deal in scarcity. As a rule of thumb, the rarer the medal, the more it tends to be worth.

The Victoria Cross is one of the most valuable medals from this war. It is the highest award for bravery, and very few exist.

The Military Cross has been awarded since 1914, and the earlier ones are relatively scarce.

Other First World War medals include the British campaign medal sets: the British War Medal and the Allied Victory Medal. They were issued in far greater numbers than a medal such as the Victoria Cross, so they are worth much less, although they still have some value. Medals given for specific campaigns or battalions may be worth more.

Second World War medals

On the whole, Second World War medals are nowhere near as valuable. The exception is the Victoria Cross, which was still awarded in remarkable cases during this war.

The Distinguished Service Order is often described as the second-highest military decoration. It is one of the scarce medals that can be worth a great deal.

The 1939-1945 Star and the War Medal went to a huge number of servicemen and servicewomen, so they are fairly common and not hugely valuable.

American awards such as the Medal of Honor can be very valuable, but other American awards do not hold high values. The key is knowing what you have.

Some German medals from the war have sold for large amounts, but the rules on selling them can be complex. Many marketplaces have banned the sale of Nazi militaria. The Knight's Cross was the highest German decoration of the war.

Knowing what a medal is worth

Even when you know the type, it can be very hard to say what a medal is worth.

Condition plays a part. A broken medal, a missing ribbon or a filed-off inscription is worth less. A medal in good condition is worth more, and the original papers and presentation box add to it.

The story behind a medal can change its worth. Some collectors pay more for medals awarded to certain soldiers, or for reasons such as bravery.

A medal has to be seen to be valued. Be wary of any company that names a price before it has seen your medal. The figure can change when the medal arrives, usually because of a disagreement over condition. We make our offer only after your box has arrived and we have looked at it.

Auction sites and auction houses show what similar medals have sold for, or what lots are expected to reach. That is not the offer you will receive, but it shows potential. Two medals that look alike can be valued differently, and some very common medals have reached high amounts because of who held them. So do your research.

Medals from anywhere in the world

The market for medals is a small one, so a valuer who knows it matters. We buy from people in the UK.

A valuer looks at each medal and places it in its category before an offer is made.