40 & 8 chapeau medal

Medal is made of an unknown metal and depicts a boxcar as part of a train, carrying a horse and a soldier and inscribed, "40 HOMMES 8 CHEVAUX". Facing the boxcar, with only his back visible, is a second soldier, carrying a rifle with a bayonet. These are likely meant to be World War I American Doughboys. There is also an engraved mark near the top which may be a letter "M". This is the chapeau medal of the Forty & Eight (full name: La Société des Quarante Hommes et Huit Chevaux), a charitable veterans' organization in the United States. Originally founded in 1920 as a part of the American Legion, the organization was named after the French boxcars that transported American Doughboys to the battle front during World War I, which could hold either 40 men or 8 horses. These medals are worn by Forty & Eight members on the chapeau (cap) suspended by a ribbon, which is absent here.

  • OCLC #: 974948748
  • Physical Location: Special Collections — Artifacts — REALIA 03407
  • Personal Collection:
    • WWI Hunter Collection
  • Production, Publication, Distribution, Manufacture, and Copyright Notice: [United States?] : [The Forty & Eight?], [not before 1920]
  • Physical Description: 1 medal : metal ; 4 x 4 cm
  • General Notes:
    • Title by cataloger.
    • Production date range based on the year (1920) that the Forty & Eight was founded.
  • Electronic Access: