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Military Decorations and Medals: A Collector's Guide
A collector's guide to US military decorations and medals: how they are grouped and worn, how to identify and authenticate them, and how to care for them.
Militaria collecting
Know what you are holding, from ribbon to maker mark.
Guides to identifying military medals, badges, patches, uniforms and gear from the Civil War to WWII, with tips on spotting fakes and replicas.
99 in-depth guides 9 topics Nov 2026 latest guide
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WWII German Military Badges: Identification and Authentication
Guide to WWII German military badges: the main types, how to spot genuine pieces, what to check before buying, and how to preserve them safely.
Military Patches, Badges and Insignia: How to Identify Them
A practical guide to military patches, badges and insignia: the main categories, an identification routine, reproductions and how to preserve them.
US WWII Standard Issue Uniforms and Equipment
A guide to the standard-issue uniforms, helmets, boots, gaiters and web gear of the US Army in WWII, with how to tell originals and reproductions apart.
Civil War Military Insignia and Rank Identification
Identify Civil War rank and branch insignia on Union and Confederate uniforms, from officer straps to enlisted chevrons, and spot common reproductions.
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Medals, Badges and Insignia
Decorations, award badges, patches and rank insignia, with how to tell originals from replicas.
Medals and Decorations US and British medals, ribbons and orders of precedence, plus what drives a medal value and how to spot a replica. 10 guides German Badges and Awards WWII German combat, wound and assault badges, the Iron Cross and Knights Cross, and the eagle symbols they carry. 10 guides Patches and Insignia Division patches, chevrons, marksmanship badges, lapel pins and shoulder boards, and how to date a patch by its construction. 10 guides
American Militaria
US uniforms, helmets, buttons and field gear from the Civil War through World War II.
European and Soviet Militaria
German, British, Commonwealth, Soviet and other European uniforms and kit, mostly from World War II.
German Uniforms German Army, Kriegsmarine, Panzer and Waffen-SS uniforms and caps, and how they changed from 1870 to 1945. 10 guides British and Commonwealth British, Canadian and Australian uniforms from World War I onward, RAF and airborne kit, and the Victoria Cross. 13 guides Soviet and Russian Red Army uniforms, field caps, ushankas, medals and patches from World War II through the Cold War. 10 guides Other European Uniforms WWII uniforms and insignia of France, Italy, Poland, Hungary, Finland, Belgium, Denmark and Sweden. 10 guides