What could this be?

[vadigger89]

I went digging with a buddy today and he dug this item, any ideas? It has two swords crossed and two guns crossed and says world war service 1912. It also has buildings on the top of it and says USA in the center.

 

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[capt-zero]

Old boy scout pin?

 

[nhbenz]

I don't think a couple of details have been read right on that... WW1 didn't start until 1914, and the US wasn't officially involved until 1917. Also the U in "USA" doesn't quite look like a u to me. Perhaps 1917 is the date on it? And th initials may be read starting at the left or in the center. But it looks like a neat old veterans pin, anyway that would be my guess.

 

[Breezie]

I think this can be solved, but we're going to need closer and better photos of the front & back, the size, and the type of metal. At this point, we don't know if it is a brooch, pin, medal, or what. Judging by what I can see, it appears to be a WWI Medic pin since it has Caduceus (at the bottom,) 2 crossed rifles, and a building, which could be a hospital at the top. It's a really neat find, and I'd love to see it ID-ed. Breezie

 

[A/CMan]

Could be Birmingham small arms company?!

 

[plymouthian12]

i think i see a date of 1917

 

[NeoTokyo]

What I can make out is.

Left side Top: WORLD
Left side Bot: SERVICE
Center: USA - HSA - RSA (Looks more like RSA to me due to the faint bridge at the top)
Right side top: 1917
Crossed Rifles
Stone castle in the rear
Caduceus bottom center with what looks to be Scythes on either side.

I did a lot of google searching and did not find anything even close to this.

 

[nhbenz]

Well, I found a better picture of one on Worthpoint.com, with no exact identification, but I could now definitively read it as USA, and 1917, as well as seeing the caduceus at the bottom, which I'd totally missed. Theirs had a makers mark of HH Steatton?

 

[cw0909]

you can see a better img here

1917 WW1 USA Victory Service Medal
Manufactured by H H Stratton, Chattanooga, Tenn. (see back)
Very nice condition
A great historical piece for your collection!
USA WW1 1917 Victory Service Medal World War Military H H Stratton | eBay

just a side note while looking for vadigger89 item, i saw these 2 items and thought something
similar had been posted in whats it,but i cant seem to find the posts
MS1106 World War II U.S. Navy Hand Projector MK-4
This "USN HAND PROJECTOR MK-4" (flare gun) with three original flares is in excellent condition. Two flares are still in the original celluloid containers. The flares are all "SIGNAL LIGHT, VERY, MK II, RED." $175
===============
MS1003 Set of five original World War II thirteen-star buttons, use to repair HBT uniforms, with five correct mounting studs, $10
Overlord Military Collectables
a great source for Chattanooga$/Tokens
http://schafluetzel.org/Chattanooga$/Tokens/Tokens Master.pdf

 

[cw0909]

a little more info on Stratton,maybe the badge/medal is a souvenir
[FONT=Georgia, Palatino, Palatino Linotype, Book Antiqua, Times New Roman, Times, Serif]H.H. Stratton (1908-1915)[/FONT]
[FONT=Georgia, Palatino, Palatino Linotype, Book Antiqua, Times New Roman, Times, Serif][SIZE=-1]Chattanooga, TN[/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Georgia, Palatino, Palatino Linotype, Book Antiqua, Times New Roman, Times, Serif]Published international view-cards and manufactured patriotic souvenirs. They are best known for their postcards depicting scenes of the Great White Fleet at call in various ports around the world. Some of their black & white cards had false real photo backs. Also published Tarjeta Postals of Cuba. They were notorious for stealing images from other publishers, retouching them, and then printing them under their own name.
MetroPostcard Publishers S p3[/FONT]

 

[Lafitte Deux]

Nice ID, cw0909!

 

[cw0909]

looks like most branches of the army were covered,i dont see aircraft, a cool find
army corps of engineers,...the castle building
(field guns) for Artillery ,....the Crossed Cannons
infantry,...the crossed rifles
cavalry unit's,...the crossed swords
Medical Corps,....the caduceus symbol


credit
USA WW1 1917 Victory Service Medal World War Military H H Stratton | eBay

 

[ABruce]

It's a generic hanger of some sort, NOT an official U.S. Government issued medal. This might have been a mass produced item sold to towns and cities or organizations for presenting to those going off to war. The top of the ribbon would have had the name of the town or the organization presenting the medal.