Help ID medals/badges

It is the "Pennsylvania coat of arms" and not the state seal,add whatever the type of cross and you may find something.Many cities and local areas had their own medals made at local shops ,so there may be hundreds of different designs.

 

I've seen more than a few oddball municipal medals. They turn up for WWI too, although they seem to have disappeared after that.

 

Do you have a copy of the whole photo? The reason I wonder is that if it was taken during the Civil War it's unlikely that the medals/badges had anything to do with the GAR. If it was taken later, it's hard to tell.

And I don't have access to newspapers.com but I found this obituary because a user there had made a clip of it. Apparently they let random users look at clipped articles. Do you think this was the right person? Lived in or near Reading, Pennsylvania and died in 1917?
https://www.newspapers.com/clip/16642561/reese_john_obituary/

 

Thank you for the help Figtree. I will send the link to this discussion to my cousin who is asking about the medals. She can post the photo -- and I am sure that is the correct obit. My cousin is hands-down the best amateur genealogist I have ever had the pleasure to know, and learn from, so I suspect she found that obit, too, but I will be sure she is aware of it.

Many thanks.