For veterans and their families, military award display cases occupy a place of honor in the home as a testament to personal achievements and career, as well as an object of historical significance. There are several ways to display a medal collection, and each person or family can choose one that best adapts to their need – or create one themselves.
Shadowbox display cases physically protect medals and awards and come in different shapes and sizes. There are wall-mounted display cases with space for medals and awards, as well as memorial boxes that can incorporate skill badges, patches, company insignia, and flags. Further enhancements can be achieved by using mementos such as photos, dog tags, and signed letters of commendation.
How to Use Medal Display Cases
According to the general protocol for displaying medals, the highest honors should be placed to the top left in order of precedence. It’s also advised to assemble medals of the same category together. For example, all the stars, with the highest-ranking to the top left, and then patches, pins, and ribbons.
Making your Own Medal Display Case
There are several videos online with detailed instructions on how to make your own medal display cases. These are some of our favorites:
Buying a Medal Display Case
Wall-Mounted Medal Display Cases
Wall-mounted cases are a good way of displaying large quantities of medals and became a feature in your home. It’s important that you plan your display of medals and awards beforehand, so you know how large a display case you may want. Wall-mounted cases come in different styles and are made of different materials. Here are some of our recommendations:
Frame Display Cases
Frame display cases are perfect for smaller collections of medals. They usually come in two styles: Transparent (ideal to be able to see both sides of a medal) or with a back layer made of cloth, plastic or wood (for displaying one side only). A lot of coin display frames can be used for medals, so we’ve included some below as well.
Memorial Display Cases
Memorial display cases for medals and awards usually include space for other objects and the flag. Flags need to be folded in a specific (but generally shared) way. Here’s a video on how to do it.
Display Boxes
Horizontal display boxes are also ideal for larger collections of medals and awards. With a glass top, they can be used to display objects, but can also potentially be stacked and stored. These boxes can be made of wood, metal or plastic. Here are some of our favourite ones:
