✚11445✚ Austro-Hungarian pre WW1 40 Years Faithful Service Medal Signum Laboris

Original Austro-Hungarian Empire pre WW1 Franz Joseph I. Faithful Service Medal for 40 Years' Service (Signum Laboris) - 1898, IN VERY FINE CONDITION, ON GENUINE HAND-STITCHED TRIFOLD CIVILIAN RIBBON, A VERY GOOD EXAMPLE WITH FINE FINISH

HISTORY OF THE AWARD:

Austro - Hungarian Empire Military and Civil medal "SIGNUM LABORIS", awarded for 40 years of faithful services to the Kaiser. The medal was instituted in 1898, on the occasion of the Golden Jubilee of Kaiser Franz Joseph. The medal is round, bronze, with a diameter of approx. 35 mm, its weight is about 20 g. The obverse with a rightward-facing profile of Franz Joseph I circumscribed by name and title: FRANC. IOS. IDG IMP. AVSTR. REX BOH ETC. ET REX AP. HVNG (Franz Joseph I of the grace of Emperor of Austria, the King of Bohemia, etc., and the Apostolic King of Hungary), outside partly framed by oak leaves. The reverse with an inscription of “XXXX ANNORUM” (“40 YEARS”) circumscribed by an additional inscription of “SIGNUM LABORIS FIDELITER PERACTI” (“SIGN OF FAITHFUL WORK”). Honors were given by Franz Joseph I. on August 18, 1898, in the 50th anniversary of his government. The medal was intended for all military and civilian persons, except for active officers who have completed 40 years of service on that day or will be able to do so in the future. Military personnel wore the medal on a golden triangular ribbon with a wider black side stripe, civilians on a red triangular ribbon.