Worcestershire Medal Service Ltd was founded in 1988 to provide a cost effective service, with quality at its heart, to serving, and former members of HM Armed Forces in the provision of medals and medal mounting.
The Company built a reputation in providing quality at competitive prices, as well as a quick response to customer’s requirements, and grew to become one of the leaders in this field in a very short timescale.
Always keen to improve, the Company commenced manufacture of its own medals and miniatures, using a factory based in Birmham's Jewellery Quarter and eventually became their largest customer. In December 2004 the production facility was purchased by Worcestershire Medal Service Ltd.
In January 2008 Worcestershire Medal Service was granted a Royal Warrant as Medallists to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
Our factory was founded in 1910 by two friends, Alfred Gladman and Samuel Norman who had met at the School of Jewellery in Birmingham.
Samuel had trained as an artist and taught at Handsworth Art School. He used his skills to engrave dies for companies in the Jewellery Quarter and their newly established company used to undertake the stamping for these firms.
Samuel Norman died prematurely from TB, a complication of his war service in 1919 and left his entire estate to Alfred who subsequently died in 1932, again complications from being gassed in the First World War led to his early death.
Alfred’s widow Laura and their daughter Grace sold the business and it was incorporated it as a limited company in 1936.
The Company expanded its badge making and produced a vast range of commemorative items with town crests for most of the popular holiday resorts being a major part of the production. The business expanded, and by the time the Second World War broke out it was producing cap badges for the Armed Forces. During the war years, badge production grew and ran alongside production of parts for aircraft and naval ships. At its peak, over 300,000 badges were being produced for the government each year.
Following the move by the government to move to Aluminium or ‘stay brite’ badges, Military badges ceased to be produced and the Company concentrated on badges for various organisations and events, as well as medal and regalia production.
The Company continued producing medals and badges and following the joining with Worcestershire Medal Service expanded into state honours and awards, which had been produced as a sub-contractor historically.
Today Worcestershire Medal Service is an approved manufacturer of all honours awarded by the UK and has been establishing many new relationships that have now been continuing for a number of years with various governments around the world.
In 2018 it was awarded the contract by the UK Ministry of Defence to produce all of the gallantry, campaign and long service awards for the UK Armed Forces. This contract was renewed in 2022.