02-25-2008, 02:46 AM
I've never held a real HSU or HSL. I've been offered a couple, but the prices were beyond my means.
If the wear on the links of these are like those on lesser awards, it's probably simply wear. When an award is very heavily worn, the ring on the medalion eventually thins out quite a bit at the top and sometimes one side. The connecting link also wears. They seem to start by twisting over time in a strange helix pattern, and then eventually break. Some day I'll post some images of some heavily worn rings and links.
I bet the holders of the HSU and HSL put in a LOT of wearing hours on their awards, and simply wore through them. Even today, there's a lot of medal- and ribbon-wearing in the region. I guess after four to six decades of regular wear, the ring would have a good chance of breaking.
If the wear on the links of these are like those on lesser awards, it's probably simply wear. When an award is very heavily worn, the ring on the medalion eventually thins out quite a bit at the top and sometimes one side. The connecting link also wears. They seem to start by twisting over time in a strange helix pattern, and then eventually break. Some day I'll post some images of some heavily worn rings and links.
I bet the holders of the HSU and HSL put in a LOT of wearing hours on their awards, and simply wore through them. Even today, there's a lot of medal- and ribbon-wearing in the region. I guess after four to six decades of regular wear, the ring would have a good chance of breaking.
