Description

This auction is for a AUTHENTIC and VERY RARE Medal of Honor MoH Michael Crescenz 31st Infantry 196th Army Challenge Coin Cpl. Crescenz distinguished himself by conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action while serving as a rifleman with Company A. In the morning his unit engaged a large, well-entrenched force of the North Vietnamese Army whose initial burst of fire pinned down the lead squad and killed the 2 point men, halting the advance of Company A. Immediately, Cpl. Crescenz left the relative safety of his own position, seized a nearby machine gun and, with complete disregard for his safety, charged 100 meters up a slope toward the enemy's bunkers which he effectively silenced, killing the 2 occupants of each. Undaunted by the withering machine gun fire around him, Cpl. Crescenz courageously moved forward toward a third bunker which he also succeeded in silencing, killing 2 more of the enemy and momentarily clearing the route of advance for his comrades. Suddenly, intense machine gun fire erupted from an unseen, camouflaged bunker. Realizing the danger to his fellow soldiers, Cpl. Crescenz disregarded the barrage of hostile fire directed at him and daringly advanced toward the position. Assaulting with his machine gun, Cpl. Crescenz was within 5 meters of the bunker when he was mortally wounded by the fire from the enemy machine gun. As a direct result of his heroic actions, his company was able to maneuver freely with minimal danger and to complete its mission, defeating the enemy. Cpl. Crescenz's bravery and extraordinary heroism at the cost of his life are in the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit on himself, his unit, and the U.S. Army I’m thinning out my Challenge Coin collection and need to get rid of most of my coins. There will be no Second Chance Offers as this is the only one that I have. I drastically reduce shipping with each auction you win within the same order!!! Let me know if you have any questions. This coin is NOT a reproduction. Nor is it a Chinese knock-off done by an overstamp (the process of taking an authentic coin and stamping it wax to build a mold to make knock-offs. You can generally tell these coins by their lack of detail, shallow relief, poor epoxy and paint, and overall "something is not-quite-rightness") I have served in both the Army and Air Force, in the Pentagon for senior military leaders, at the Old Guard, the Army's Escort to the President, and for numerous units all over the world. I know coins, know what they mean both as professional mementos and collectibles. I'm not by any means the fore most authority, but I've owned literally thousands of coins in my collection, and will do what I can to provide you with the highest quality product and information. Best Regards! I do try to incorporate recycled shipping materials into my orders; mailers, boxes, coin sleeves, bubble wrap if necessary, etc. I do this to keep my shipping cost down and in doing so, pass those savings on to you. The size, shape, and weight of your coin will dictate the packaging and how it is mailed. We do dollar cost averaging to ensure that we can keep USPS First Class mail cost down. I take ALL photos in natural sun light to try to best capture true color. This can make some softer bronzes seem almost grey and shiny gold-tones appear silver. I find the natural sun light gives the best contrast for 3d detail and preserves natural epoxy color. The counter to this is it can also cause a glare at the tops of coins with High Gloss coatings. Please email me with ANY questions. Please support your local VFW Thank you for your consideration