Value ranges by award type
The starting point for understanding any medal's value is the award type. Gallantry medals — awarded for specific acts of bravery under fire — sit at the top of the market. Campaign medals — awarded for service in a particular theatre or conflict — form the broader, more accessible part of the market. The distinction is significant: a Military Medal for gallantry in France 1916 can be worth fifty times a standard British War Medal for the same conflict.
The following ranges reflect current UK market values for medals in typical collectable condition, named to a traceable recipient. Unnamed medals are worth 30–60% less.
These are indicative ranges only. The actual value of any specific medal depends on the combination of award type, naming, clasps, condition, accompanying documentation, and current collector demand. A single medal group with outstanding provenance — a named DCM with the original citation letter, photographs of the recipient, and his London Gazette entry — can exceed these ranges substantially.
Why named medals are worth significantly more
The impression of a recipient's name, regiment, and service number on a medal rim is not merely an administrative record — it is what transforms a metal disc into a historical document. A named medal can be researched: the recipient can be identified, their service traced, their citations located, and their story told. That story is what collectors pay for.
An unnamed British War Medal is worth £15–£25. The same medal named to a recipient who can be identified in the medal rolls, linked to a specific action through regimental war diaries, and whose service record survives at the National Archives can be worth £150–£300 — and more if the service record reveals anything of note. Add a London Gazette citation for a gallantry award to the same man and the value climbs further still.
Naming also confirms authenticity and rules out replacement or transfer. A medal correctly named — with the naming style, typeface, and depth of impression consistent with the issuing authority for that award and period — is more trustworthy as a collectible than an unnamed piece.
How to research a named medal
Researching a named medal is a methodical process. Most of the primary sources are now accessible online, either free or via subscription services. Here is the approach our specialists use as a starting point.
Read the rim naming carefully
Note the name exactly as it appears, the rank, the service number, and the regiment or unit. The format varies by period and award: WWI campaign medals were impressed by machine; some Victorian medals were engraved by hand. Spelling variations, abbreviations, and punctuation are all worth noting as they help locate the individual in rolls.
Check the medal rolls at the National Archives
Medal rolls list every recipient of a campaign medal by regiment and service number. For WWI, the medal rolls are held at the National Archives (WO 329 series) and are searchable via Ancestry and Findmypast. They confirm which clasps were awarded and often provide a battalion or company designation that enables further research.
Search the service records
WWI service records are held in the WO 363 and WO 364 series — approximately 40% survive, the rest having been destroyed in the 1940 Blitz. Surviving records are digitised and searchable at Ancestry. WWII service records are held by the Ministry of Defence and can be requested by next-of-kin. Records give rank, unit postings, medical history, and in some cases conduct sheets that mention specific actions.
Search the London Gazette for citations
All gallantry awards were gazetted — published in the London Gazette with a citation describing the act of bravery. The full archive of the London Gazette is available free at thegazette.co.uk and is searchable by name, regiment, and date. A citation found here adds substantial research provenance to a medal group and directly increases its value.
Contact the regimental museum
Every major British regiment has a museum with a regimental archive. Many hold casualty lists, nominal rolls, war diaries, and photographic collections. The museum curator can often identify an individual from a regiment and service number and may hold information not available in the national archives. This step is particularly valuable for Victorian and early Edwardian medals where national records are less complete.
Check the regimental war diaries
Battalion war diaries from WWI and WWII are held at the National Archives (WO 95 and WO 169–WO 179 series respectively) and are available on microfilm and increasingly digitised. War diaries record daily activities, casualties, and sometimes list individual soldiers by name in the context of specific actions. For gallantry medals, cross-referencing the gazetted citation date with the war diary often reveals the precise action and the names of other soldiers present.
What else affects value: clasps, condition, and groups
Clasps and bars
Campaign medals were often issued with clasps or bars identifying the specific actions or theatres where the recipient served. The presence, absence, and combination of clasps fundamentally affects value. An India General Service Medal with the "Waziristan 1919-21" clasp is worth considerably more than the same medal with a common clasp. A Naval General Service Medal with "Syria" and "Egypt" clasps together reaches a different tier of the market than single-clasp examples. Always check that clasps are contemporary with the medal and appropriate to the recipient's service record.
Original ribbons and mounts
Original ribbons — especially if sweat-stained and worn from actual use — contribute to a medal's authenticity narrative. Replaced ribbons reduce value only marginally unless the replacement is obviously incorrect. Court-mounted groups (medals fixed to a bar or brooch and worn on a dress uniform) in original mount are preferable to demounted medals.
Group completeness
A medal group — all awards to one individual mounted together — is nearly always worth more than the sum of its parts. The completeness of the group, the relationships between the awards (a DSO, MC and Bar, with campaign medals is a different proposition to the same decorations separately), and the coherence of the provenance together create value that individual medals cannot.
Comparison: where to sell British military medals
| Selling route | Best for | Commission / cost | Timescale | Specialist knowledge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fair Vintage | Mixed collections, single medals, estate clearances | None — direct purchase | Offer within 5 days, payment within 72 hrs of acceptance | Dedicated militaria specialists |
| Specialist auction (Spink, DNW, Morton & Eden) | High-value single lots, VCs, notable gallantry groups | 15–25% sellers' commission | 4–12 weeks to sale | Very high — but variable by lot |
| General auction (local salerooms) | Common campaign medals, unnamed pieces | 15–25% sellers' commission | 2–6 weeks to sale | Low — medals often catalogued generically |
| Medal fairs | Named and researched pieces sold to dealers | No commission, but dealer margin applies | Day of the fair | Good — dealer buyers are specialists |
| eBay | Unnamed common medals, individual ribbons | 12–15% fees | Variable — 7–30 days | Buyer dependent — significant fraud risk for high-value pieces |
When you submit medals to Fair Vintage, our militaria specialists assess the award type, verify the naming, check against available medal rolls and London Gazette records, and value the piece at collector-market prices — not melt or scrap. You receive a written valuation per item explaining what the medal is, what we are offering, and why. You can accept or decline each piece individually.
Get a specialist medal valuation
Send a photograph of your medals for a free preliminary estimate before posting anything. Our militaria specialists will identify, research, and value your pieces at current market rates.
Upload a photo for a free estimate →Is it legal to sell military medals in the UK?
Yes, entirely. There is no legal restriction on the sale of British military medals in the UK, including gallantry awards. Medal collecting is a well-established and legitimate market supported by specialist auction houses, medal fairs, and dedicated dealers operating openly.
The one exception relates to export: Victoria Crosses are listed as objects of cultural interest under UK export legislation, and require an export licence before leaving the country. This restriction does not affect domestic sale within the UK.
Some families have concerns about selling medals that belonged to a relative. These concerns are understandable and we treat them with care. Our view is that medals which are properly researched, correctly described, and sold to informed collectors are far better served than medals stored in a drawer where the family history attached to them will eventually be lost. The collector market preserves these objects and the stories they represent.
For more on the selling process, see our guide to selling military medals in the UK, or read about selling inherited items more broadly.
Frequently asked questions
Values vary enormously by award type, naming, and provenance. Common WWI campaign groups (1914-15 Star, British War Medal, Victory Medal) are typically worth £40–£120 unnamed and £80–£300+ named to a traceable recipient. WWII campaign stars are £15–£60 each. Gallantry medals are in a different league: a Military Medal typically starts at £200 and can reach £2,000+; a Distinguished Conduct Medal ranges from £500 to over £5,000 depending on the action cited. Victoria Crosses and George Crosses are worth tens of thousands of pounds when genuine.
The main value drivers are: award type (gallantry medals outvalue campaign medals), whether the medal is named and to whom, the recipient's documented history (a citation in the London Gazette, a record of notable service), the completeness of a group (all clasps present, original ribbons, accompanying documents), rarity of the specific clasp or bar, and whether photographs, service records, or personal effects accompany the medal.
Start with the name and number on the medal rim. For WWI and WWII medals, service records at the National Archives (many digitised via Ancestry or Findmypast) can identify the recipient. The London Gazette (available free at thegazette.co.uk) records all gallantry award citations. Medal rolls — held at the National Archives and available through specialist publishers — list every recipient of campaign medals by regiment and number. The regimental museum of the recipient's unit is often a further source.
Yes — it is entirely legal to buy and sell British military medals in the UK. There is no restriction on the sale of medals awarded to service personnel, including gallantry awards. The only exception is Victoria Crosses, which cannot be exported from the UK without a licence under the Export of Objects of Cultural Interest legislation. Selling military medals from an estate or collection is a straightforward and well-established market.
Options include specialist medal auction houses (Morton and Eden, Spink, DNW), dedicated medal fairs, and specialist postal buyers like Fair Vintage. Auction provides market price discovery but involves 15–25% sellers' commission and transport logistics. Fair Vintage offers a free insured postal submission, specialist assessment, a written valuation explaining the offer, and payment within 72 hours. You can accept or decline the offer with no obligation.