Medal and ID needed

ReidMan · Nov 17, 2008

Ok found this 20 years ago. No one has ever properly ID it. Lots of speculation of what it is but no real ID as far as I am concerned. You guys are great at IDing stuff so here it is.
Oh and it was found in an area that had Rev war through Civil war. A fort located in Portsmouth VA.
I have always thought the Paramid was a target in the water so maybe it's like a shore battery artillery Medal.

baspinall · Nov 17, 2008

Man that's a tough one. I'm still looking.................

Brian

Blacksheep · Nov 17, 2008

Could the depicted pyramid be Meade`s pyramid? :icon_scratch:

baspinall · Nov 17, 2008

There's Pyramid of Honor medals. But they don't look like these.

Brian

cheese · Nov 17, 2008

This looks like it could be a pyramid on water, especially with the flag on it, much like the pyramid buoys used in sailing races. The cannons could represent cannons on a boat. There is a sailing award called the Lexington Cannon. I don't know what it is or looks like.

Also...the stripes on the buoy(?) may represent the finish line for sailing events. I think this is a nautical award.

baspinall · Nov 17, 2008

cheese said:
This looks like it could be a pyramid on water, especially with the flag on it, much like the pyramid buoys used in sailing races. The cannons could represent cannons on a boat. There is a sailing award called the Lexington Cannon. I don't know what it is or looks like.

Also...the stripes on the buoy(?) may represent the finish line for sailing events. I think this is a nautical award.

You know I think your on to something there.....

Ramitt · Nov 18, 2008

near the bottom this page is a similar medal attributed to coastal artillery, but they don;t have a really solid indentification.http://www.snyderstreasures.com/pages/usmilitaria.htm

Monty · Nov 18, 2008

Well, it's obviously an artillery marksmanship medal for a cannoneer that fires at water targets, but what branch of the military and the age I haven't a clue. Monty

PBK · Nov 18, 2008

An apparently identical badge (maybe yours) is identified as follows in the March 1993 issue of Western & Eastern Treasures:

"According to military insignia author Leon W. Laframboise, this is an authorized Coast Artillery first class gunner's badge of the type issued between 1903 and 1908. A special qualification course was held each year to determine first class gunners in both Field Artillery and Coast Artillery. Badges were then awarded, with the recipient's name [to be] engraved on the suspension bar at the top. The company and company number were to be stamped on the reverse of the bar."

Mr. Laframboise, who passed away some time ago, was an extremely knowledgeable and highly respected researcher and collector. I had the pleasure of speaking with him a few times. I have all three of his books on insignia, and have always found them very informative and reliable.