Ghost Army Bronze Medals Now Available

The United States Mint has started selling Ghost Army bronze medals, available in 1.5-inch and 3.0-inch sizes. These medals share the same designs as the congressional gold medal honoring the Ghost Army, which consisted of soldiers from two U.S. Army units who engaged in tactical deception tactics, fooling the German army across European battlefields during World War II.

The 23rd Headquarters Special Troops and the 3133rd Signal Service Company, collectively known as the Ghost Army, saved thousands of lives and made a significant contribution to Allied victory. It was unique in the variety of media it employed and its ability to portray the size and movement of actual units.

As described by the U.S. Mint when it presented the medal designs, the Ghost Army employed four types of deception:

• Visual Deception: They deployed inflatable rubber tanks, trucks, artillery, and other vehicles, as well as pyrotechnic displays, to create convincing scenes for enemy observers. They also used bulldozers to create phony tank tracks.
• Sonic Deception: They played sound effects from powerful speakers to simulate the sounds of units moving and operating at night.
• Radio Deception: They sent fake messages to fool enemy intelligence officers listening in. They mimicked a radio operator’s method of sending Morse code, so that the enemy wouldn’t catch on that the real unit and its radio operator were long gone.
• Special Effects: Soldiers carried out theatrics for the benefit of enemy spies. They wore fake shoulder patches, rode in vehicles with fake bumper markings, pretended to "talk loose" at cafes, and even impersonated generals to make their deceptions more convincing.

Congress authorized the congressional gold medal on Feb. 1, 2022 (Public Law 117-85), and it was presented on March 21, 2024. The same law authorized the bronze medal duplicates.

Medal Designs

Obverses (heads side) of the medals depict the four main methods of subterfuge practiced by the Ghost Army. A telegrapher is shown keying a message in Morse code together with a soldier sewing a phony unit patch onto his uniform. In the background, a soldier stands alongside a half-track with a loudspeaker attached to it, and behind a group of soldiers carry an inflatable tank. Inscriptions include "THE GHOST ARMY," "WORLD WAR II," and "ACT OF CONGRESS 2022."

Reverses (tails side) depict the emblems of the 23rd Headquarters Special Troops and the 3133rd Signal Service Company. A narrative inscription fills the field, presenting the information like a telegraph transmission, the treatment of the text reinforcing the secretive nature of the Ghost Army’s mission. The inscription reads "IN HONOR OF THE 23RD HEADQUARTERS SPECIAL TROOPS AND THE 3133RD SIGNAL SERVICE COMPANY – AKA THE GHOST ARMY – FOR GREAT COURAGE, INGENUITY – IN NORMANDY, NORTHERN FRANCE, CENTRAL EUROPE, ARDENNES-ALSACE, THE RHINELAND, PO VALLEY."

Ghost Army Bronze Medal Specifications

Ordering

With prices set at $20 and $160, the pair of Ghost Army Bronze Medals can be purchased directly from the U.S. Mint through their online store for military medals.

No mintage, product or household order limits are in place.