TOPIC:

Hello

When the QSA was issued did it include the clasps that the receipient was entitled to, or were the clasps sent at a later date for a jeweller to affix to the QSA ?

Thank you, WilloW

In most cases, where a particular recipients entitlement was perfectly clear, both the medal and clasps were prepared by the mint and then sent out

willow1899 wrote: Hello

When the QSA was issued did it include the clasps that the receipient was entitled to, or were the clasps sent at a later date for a jeweller to affix to the QSA ?

Thank you, WilloW

Thanks Frank for the prompt reply.

I also thought the same. I ask as I am debating purchasing a QSA that has a few clasps attached.

The seller has told me that the clasps are loose, as they were attached by a jeweller after the medal was issued. I have since discovered that the clasps are hinged together loosely but not attached to the actual medal - you can slide them on and off the ribbon

The clasps seem to match the owners entitlement, but it sends alarm bells to me.

Cheers, WilloW

Have a look at the roll, if there is no obvious reason to suggest the medal and clasps were not prepared and sent to the recipient as a single entity, then I would simply buy another similar example without any issues.

Thanks Frank

I will pass on this QSA as the clasps are not attached to the medal as they should be. The QSA is not cheap by any means and I try to always ensure the medals in my collection are correct in every way - especially when paying a premium price

Regards, WilloW

You raise an interesting subject - from my limited understanding of these matters the QSA was issued by the mint with the clasps the man was due. There was, however, in most cases a supplementary list which detailed the date clasps the man was entitled to - these would, more often than not, be issued separately and at a later date off a later roll.

This is why you very often find QSA's with their battle and state bars but without the date bars. Many collectors (and there are various schools of thought on this), slide the date bar(s) over the ribbon loosely - there is nothing wrong with this. Others will go the trouble of having date bars added to the others. Again this depends on personal choice. Yet others will leave the medal as is - in other words with the clasps with which it came but make a note in the file that the man was entitled to others.

Regards

Rory