How to Replace UK Military Medals
The Ministry of Defense (MOD) in the United Kingdom will replace campaign medals for service to The Sovereign but only under special circumstances. Once a medal is given, it is considered the responsibility of the recipient (or next of kin) to preserve and treasure it. If the medal is lost, the MOD does not feel obligated to replace it. There are some exceptions, when beyond the owner's control, such as theft or loss in a fire.
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Instructions
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Acquiring Replacement Medals
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Determine if you qualify to receive a replacement. You must be a veteran or the heir of a veteran, down to one generation, and the medal must have been lost in a way beyond your control. Pre-World War II medals cannot be replaced.
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Report the loss of the medal to the MOD using the form JPA S001 DOC [511.0 KB], available here: http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/DefenceFor/Veterans/Medals/ApplyingForMedals.htm. The form will ask for details of the loss, your service number and rank, the name of the medal, the clasp, and the type of engraving on it.
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Provide proof that specifically mentions the medal and how it was stolen or destroyed, such as a police report or an insurance company claim. A crime reference number alone is not sufficient. A lost property report is also insufficient.
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Send in the form. Wait for the MOD to return a declaration. This Statutory Declaration should then be completed as directed--witnessed and signed by the appropriate authority--and returned to the office.
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Pay the fee for the medal's replacement. It should be relatively small, but you will not know how much it is until the MOD bills you. The medal itself will not be vintage, but newly manufactured. The new medals may also have stamp marks to distinguish them from the originals, if they are ever found.
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Do not apply to the MOD if the medals were simply lost. Your option in this case is to buy replacement medals from a reputable vintage medal dealer, which, given the small value of most medals, should not be expensive, except in the case of medals for valor, which are more valuable. You are more likely to acquire a vintage replacement from a dealer than from the MOD, which, though it is still replacing medals from World War II, distributes more recently minted versions.
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