United States: United States Coast and Geodetic Survey Corps Distinguished Service Medal (Obsolete)

The corded riband fitted with a 12mm un-marked 'crimp brooch' mounting bar. The mounting brooch retaining its long hinged pin and intricate drop lock clasp fittings as issued

The Coast and Geodetic Survey Corps Distinguished Service Medal - the highest ranked decoration of the Coast & Geodetic Survey Corps - could be awarded to any Coast and Geodetic Survey commissioned officer or to any ship's officer or member of the crew of any Coast and Geodetic Survey ship who distinguished himself by outstanding conduct or service in the line of duty between 8 September 1939 and 28 April 1952

The United States Coast and Geodetic Survey Corps - the original precursor / ancestor organization of the subsequent NOAA Corps - existed from 1917 to 1965, then went through a transitional period as the Environmental Science Services Administration Corps (ESSA Corps) from 1965 to 1970 before becoming the NOAA Corps. Like NOAA Corps personnel today, Coast and Geodetic Survey Corps officers, as well as other Coast and Geodetic Survey personnel such as civilian ship's officers and crew members, were eligible for the Department of Commerce awards described above, as well as awards such as the colbert and Karo Medals and the awards and decorations of other uniformed services with which they served. However, although the Coast and Geodetic Survey traced its history to 1807, it had no awards of its own until 21 July 1945, when President Harry S. Truman signed Executive Order 9590, authorizing six awards in recognition of Coast and Geodetic Survey service during World War II, the national emergency preceding it, or its aftermath

For budgetary reasons, Executive Order 9590 established the awards as ribbons only, but it also authorized the United States Secretary of Commerce to "provide and issue an appropriate medal, with suitable appurtenances, to the recipient of any ribbon at such time as he may determine, and when necessary funds are available therefore. However, it was not until after the United States Congress passed the Merchant Marine Decorations and Medals Act in 1988 that NOAA, as the Coast and Geodetic Survey's successor organization, took action to create a medal for each of the awards. Later in 1988, via NOAA Corps Bulletin 880401, NOAA authorized medals to supplement the ribbons previously awarded. Although obsolete, the six Coast and Geodetic Survey medals are part of the history and heritage of NOAA and the NOAA Corps

An extremely rare award to the smallest of the conventional uniformed services of the United States of America

Condition: EF

Code: 23704