IRELAND. MERCHANT MARINE MEDAL 1939-46 (An tSeirbis Muir-Tractala), no bar, with its original ribbon and top brooch suspender (unnamed, as issued). Medal mounted "reverse" style, as worn, a few minor edge nicks, otherwise Good Very Fine to Almost Extremely Fine and rare.
Medal worn "reverse" style by the original recipient, no doubt because he wanted it to be obvious that he was wearing the Merchant Marine Medal, rather than the Emergency Service Medal, both medals having an identical obverse and, but for their different ribbons, being indistinguishable from each other when worn with the obverse facing front.
Eamonn O'Toole, in his "Decorations and Medals of Ireland", records a total of only 513 examples of this medal as having been awarded, of which 299 were awarded without bar, O'Toole additionally noting "this is one of the rarer service medals, and certainly the only one that was earned at considerable risk to life and limb, and in consistently unpleasant and dangerous conditions?
