Australian Army Museum of Western Australia > Records

Court Mounted and Swing Mounted Medals

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Overview

There are two ways in which medals in Australia are worn. These are the “Court Mount” style or the “Swing Mount” style.
Court mount medals are tied down to a backing board and the broaching fitting is attached to this backing board. Therefore, the medals don’t move about when being worn. This method of mounting is now considered more formal. The medals are usually positioned in a way that presents a clean and ordered appearance. Current serving members of the Australian Defence Force are required to have their medals in the court mount style.
Swing mount medals basically means the medal “swings” from the ribbon when attached to the fitting that is pinned onto a uniform or clothing. This allows the medals to move independently, swinging back and forth. Prior to the 1970s the majority of veterans from the Boer War up to and including WW2 wore their medals in the swing mount style. The jingling of massed medals was a feature of Anzac Day marches

Details

Registration number

cwa-org-32-99-529

Contextual Information

Previous curatorial practice was for all medals on public display to be court mounted for respectful honouring and consistent visual impact.. Currently additional consideration is given to the history of the medals as treated by the recipient which may include lack of mounting, mismatched ribbons and other conditions. Decisions are made on a case by case basis to determine the best manner to convey the personal story of the medals and a respectful interpretation. Medals not on display are archivally stored in the condition which they were donated. Medals are displayed in context throughout the Museum. All medals not on public display are accessible for viewing with prior notice

Australian Army Museum of Western Australia

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