What's this medal?

October 25, 2024 7:57 AM

Can you help me identify this medal? Is it a medal?

I found this item years ago in Ontario. I've made a few futile attempts to identify it since.

I have effectively zero information on what this is. Is this a medal of some kind? Or just a knickknack or replica? Any leads welcome!

posted by hayvac to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (5 answers total)

It's strongly reminiscent of this pre-WW1 French medal, though not identical.
posted by mhoye at 8:02 AM on October 25, 2024

It looks a little....rough-hewn, and that's making me wonder if it was a fake medal someone made for a costume, either for Halloween or a play. There are loose threads and the medallion looks like a random pendant from costume jewelry, and the fastener is just a safety pin stitched to it. That's what's making me think "costume".
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 9:44 AM on October 25, 2024 [3 favorites]

From the back of the object it appears it was originally a brooch or pin of some sort- based on the square green area. It was turned into a pendent/medal where you can see a loop soldered onto the top which has since failed.

I think the style is an art nouveau piece and was something like a silver women broche.
posted by zenon at 10:25 AM on October 25, 2024 [1 favorite]

Yup, it's an art nouveau/Gibson Girl brooch that's been hacked into a medal. This brooch on Etsy has an almost identical design, but looks more like a second generation copy.
posted by zamboni at 10:42 AM on October 25, 2024 [2 favorites]

It kind of looks like the French Honour Medal of Foreign Affairs, but as others above have said, a sort of homemade version of it. The figure does appear to be a repurposed brooch, and generally, for a French medal, the ribbon would be presented blue/white/red, like the flag, rather than reversed as in your image. I think EmpressCallipygos has it with "piece made for a costume".
posted by xedrik at 11:37 AM on October 25, 2024