Medals, Medallions & Tokens | Collectibles & Collectors Items

Medals and medallions are broad terms that encapsulate many forms of decoration and are often awarded to a person for military, athletic or academic achievements. They can signify length of service, accomplishments, loyalty and acts of bravery. They can also become extremely collectable articles for anyone that is particularly interested in the symbols which they represent. Depending on your background you could build your collection around eras, achievements or maybe a significant war interest. No matter what your reason for collecting, you will no doubt be left with a hugely historical, absorbing collection.

How do you begin your collection?
When you are thinking of starting a medal or medallion collection, you need to focus on the areas that you are interested in. As with any collection, you will generally find that your collecting decisions will be based around significant date ranges or particular wars, countries of interest, ranks and achievements etc. Focusing your efforts in this way will certainly help you when starting out. There are so many items available to you it can be difficult to know where to start.

Where to look to start building your collection
More often than not, your collection may be inadvertently started by inheriting some medals or medallions from a member of your family. There are however many other places you can look to build on a collection. Try starting at some of the more generalised places like car boot sales and antiques fairs. These events will usually have items at lower prices but you may have to search that little bit harder for them as quality examples may be few and far between. You could attend a more focused fair that specialises in medals or medallions. These functions will be held throughout the year all across the country, and will have many suitable examples all in one place. You will also get a chance to meet many other individuals that have a similar interest to yourself, giving you the opportunity to ask any questions you like regarding your chosen subject. Using the internet is also a great tool to find any fairs in your area.
Whilst searching the internet, make sure you take a look at the internet auction and classified sites. These websites can be a gold mine of interesting artefacts to add to your collection. You also have the added ability of being able to search thousands of sources in minutes. It does however remove some of the charm of seeing the items you are purchasing first hand. All that said and done, you can often get some excellent bargains from these internet sites if you are in the right place at the right time.

Research locations
If you think you are ready to make your first purchase to either start or add to your new collection, you should really research the item of interest to you. You may have already found something that you wish to purchase but where do you go to get more information? There are a number of ways in which to identify any medals or medallions you may have found. I would personally start at the public library. Go and get yourself a good book covering your area of interest, whether it be Olympic medals from the early games or 500 year old Roman medallions. The internet can obviously be used to search but you will not find anything as focused and detailed as a book specifically written about these areas. You can also carry this book around with you when you visit the sales and fairs throughout the country which will be of great benefit.
You will also find that there are a number of organisations that will be only too happy to help. The National Archives (TNA) and the Orders, Medals, and Research Society (OMRS) will both be useful sources of information. Take a look at their websites for more information.

How do you identify legitimate collectables?
Due to the vast number of products spanning hundreds of years it can sometimes be very difficult to guarantee that you are getting the items described. Your best weapon towards this issue is research and experience. The internet sites, books and organisations mentioned should be combined to provide you with the necessary information you need. You can also find online forums which will give you the chance to quiz the experts so don't be afraid to ask questions.

Collecting medals, medallions and similar trinkets will provide you with a wonderful collection that will bursting with history. Collections can be started for next to nothing, and can be built up over time to be worth a fortune. You will begin to build a collection of items that have had monumental significance to many people over the years, providing you with an enjoyable hobby and a sentimental collection to be proud of.