Forty Men and Eight Horses Veterans Medal-Invitation only Society-American Vets

Description

This offering is for a special military medal, often called the
The Forty and Eight
. It is an item that was for members of an invitation only honor society of American Veterans and service members.
A great explanation can be found on www.fortyandeight.org  The medal on the obverse (face) side shows a French narrow gauge railroad boxcar that was used to transport WWI soldiers. The boxcar would hold 40 soldiers or eight horses. This Society was established in 1920. I am not a medal collector or expert. I will do my best to describe the piece. Exact age is unknown. The exact base metal is unknown. It has a coppery color that may be anodized. The pale blue ribbon is faded & a little dirty. The bar is a soft metal grey in color. Most likely lead or pewter. It is marked. The brass (pin) brooch is intact and functional.
Using a 8x magnifier I was able to read the very small makers mark stamped on the reverse. Located at the lower center. Within a circle is: I.J.W.U. NO.10 UNION MADE There is a also a small diamond image. The IJWU stands for International Jewelry Workers Union. The same marking is located on the left side of the bar in a mirror image. It is backwards. There are different variations of this metal including Sterling.
Five pictures!