Medals Order of Wear

When ribbons alone are worn, up to four ribbons can be mounted in one row on a ribbon bar before a second row centered above the first is started. The senior medal ribbon is displayed on the top row closest to the lapel and the junior medal on the bottom row furtherest from the lapel.

We can advise on mounting and correct Order of Wear.


Court Mounting Style
The Court style presents your medals with ceremonial excellence! The style evolved from within the Royal Courts to eliminate the noise of medals clinking together as a wearer went about the court business. Hence, this style is the accepted standard for medals mounting that includes ensuring the medal itself is fastened. The swing style can contribute early damage to the face of medals and ribbon.

Medals Etiquette
It is dictated by etiquette that medals be worn in court-mounted style when in Royal and Vice-Regal presence, and on full ceremonial occasions.

Medals Width
Often there is doubt about the quality of a job when the owner sees medals mounted and overlapped. The simple answer is that a single group of medals should not exceed a width of 163mm.

Thus, the normal ribbon is 32mm wide. An average group of five WWII medals mounted side-by-side, with tolerance for butting of ribbon edges, can equal 163mm.
For six or more medals the group is overlapped to equal 160mm, on average. There are exceptions in order to maintain balance that include Honours, Decorations, and Awards for campaigns. For example, the ribbon width for some Honours, Korean and Vietnam war medals is 35mm to 38mm wide.

Medals Length
The length of a mounted military medal should not be less than 90mm, nor longer than 95mm. Requests for specifications outside these parameters will be met, however, please do not be offended if we point the preceding specifications in the first instance.

Medals Obverse/Reverse Sides
There are two sides to a medal, the obverse side and reverse. The obverse side is normally referred to as the 'face' side and consists of depictions of a monarch or coat of arms. The reverse side can include depictions of a variety of symbolics.

The correct order of medals mounting is the obverse side outermost, or to the front.