Being recognised and appreciated for doing an outstanding job always feels better when you’re rewarded. Whether it’s a gift, a raise, or a medal, it encourages you to do better in the future.Receiving medals for defending one’s country has been a way to get acknowledged for thousands of years. Although it was halted between WW1 and the start of WW2, it was once again reinstated that medals of honour were to be given to war veterans. But today, medals are not only awarded to war veterans. Soldiers also get medals for their outstanding service.
Having more medals means you’ve been successful in a variety of fields. Some medals are awarded simply because one has a lot of experience in one area. Yes, even showing up regularly can result in you getting a medal. As simple and insignificant as that may sound, it shows that you’re disciplined and consistent. Besides medals, ribbons and badges can also be awarded. If you’re someone who has a lot of awards, you should be proud of them and have all your memorabilia showcased in a nice presentable case for medals.
What to Look for in a Medal Box?
Shape
A medal case or box is the best way to show off your orders without them being too obvious or eye-catching. But in order for the box to be complementary to your orders, you need to consider its shape. Quality medal boxes can be found both in small and big sizes and a variety of different shapes. The size and shape of a medal case will be strictly determined by the number and size of medals you’ve received over the years. Too small of a box will make the medals seem too evident and too big of a box will overshadow their presence.
Frame Depth
The depth of the box’s frame affects the appearance of both the medals and the box. A shallow frame depth is not going to make your medals and badges look great. Pictures go well with a shallow frame depth and bulkier items go well with a deeper frame.
Material
There are mainly two materials you can look for when searching for medal boxes – plastic and glass. Glass boxes may have a clearer finish but they are quite heavy and easy to break. Plastic ones are a lot lighter but they are not as stylish. If you have pets, go for plastic cases or boxes rather than glass ones.
How to Display Military Medals in a Medal Box
Attaching
The first thing you need to decide on before buying a medal presentation box is how you’re going to attach the medals. There are a lot of ways you can do this – from using pins and glue guns to thin stainless wires, silicone adhesive, double-stick tape and plastic tagging guns. There’s no best way, it’s all up to what feels and looks best to you.
Organize
While the way you attach your medals is a matter of personal preference, organising them is not. You want to place them in a way so that every medal and badge can be seen without impeding the view of a nearby medal. Usually, bigger medals are placed lower and smaller ones higher up, but you can come up with a formation of your own too. You can also lay out your memorabilia on a sheet of paper so you can have a better idea of how your box will look like, You can even write down the location of each medal on the paper so it’s easier to remember where each medal goes.
Place
Place the medals by lining the back with the desired way of attaching them and make sure they are even with the same amount of room between each medal. Take your time and don’t rush the process. With even space between each medal, you’ll make your box more presentable and thus, your honours too.
Secure
To secure each medal, you might need to use a bit of needle and thread to stitch it to the backing piece. Securing your medals this way will ensure they won’t fall off even if the box is shaken up a bit. If a medal comes with a pin at the back, however, you probably won’t need to do this.
Other Items You Can Display
Badges
No matter the badge, you can have it displayed in your case for medals. These include medical field badges, rifle badges, parachute badges, combat badges, bayonet badges and so on.
Flags
A medal box isn’t complete without a flag, and you can put more than one as long as it doesn’t overshadow the presence of other memorabilia. The flags can be country flags or even military or burial flags. Burial flags need to be folded in a triangle.
