✚11121✚ German pre WW1 mounted medal group + miniatures bow General Honour Medal

Original German / Prussian pre WW1 parade mounted medal group: General Honour Decoration II. Class, Long Service Award for 9 Years's Service, Landwehr Service Medal II. Class & Wilhelm II. Centenary Medal 1897 + matching miniatures on ribbon bow, IN VERY NICE CONDITION, GENUINE RIBBONS, PERFECTLY WORKING PIN DEVICE, A VERY GOOD PARADE MOUNTED MEDAL GROUP WITH MATCHING MINIATURES (SIZE OF EACH MINIATURE: cca 16 mm)

HISTORY OF THE AWARDS:

The Prussian General Honour Decoration II. Class (German: Allgemeines Ehrenzeichen, II. Klasse) was a decoration of Prussia between 1847 and 1918. Large silver medal with ring for ribbon suspension; the face inscribed ‘VERDIENST UM DEN STAAT’ (Merit to the State) within a laurel wreath; the reverse with the crowned cipher of King Friedrich Wilhelm III; diameter 39.31mm (1.55 inches).The decoration can trace its origin back to awards established in 1793 by King Frederick William III of Prussia. The various levels of the decoration recognised peacetime merit to Prussia. These awards were often to commemorate long and particularly meritorious service or for special contributions from people who would not be considered for appointment to an order due to their rank. In general, recipients were lower and mid-level officials and officers. The General Honour Decoration originally consisted of a First Class medal in gold, and a Second Class medal in silver. After 1814, the gold medal was discontinued being replaced by a silver cross for the First Class. In January 1830, the cross was made into the Fourth Class of the Order of the Red Eagle, leaving only the silver medal for award. In 1890, a gold medal was reestablished as a higher level class. In 1900, the gold medal was replaced by the Cross of Honour of the General Honour Decoration, which was awarded along with the Second Class Medal, and a Third Class Medal in bronze established in 1912, until the fall Prussia in 1918.

Prussian 9-Year Military Long Service Medal (9 Jahre Dienstauszeichnung) was instituted in 1913 to replace the Militär Dienstauszeichnung Schnalle 3. Klasse. It was awarded to military active duty NCO's and enlisted personnel for 9 years active service and required the recommendation of their Commanding Officer. Awards of this medal continued until the 3rd Reich introduced a series of new medals. These medals are often found on WWI German medal groups and identifies the wearer as a Prussian. Originally, only one long service award could be worn, so this medal could not be worn with any other (as well as any of the Landwehr long service awards). It's important to remember that the Prussian Landwehr had a similar award which is very often confused with this one. During the 3rd Reich era, the rules were changed which allowed for the wearing of 2 long service awards. The 9-Year Long Service Medal was made of a metal similar to a silver cupro-nickle with a ring loop soldered on for the suspension ring (which is often of a dissimilar metal) through which a blue silk woven ribbon (UV-negative) is worn. The diameter varied over the years from about 32 mm to 35 mm and was relatively thick at slightly over 2 mm. The obverse had the Prussian crown centered with Treue Dienst  (Faithful Service) arching the upper portion and bei der Fahne (with the colors) arcing in the lower portion. The reverse carried only a IX, which represented 9 years. No attachments were authorized but you sometimes encounter one with a 3rd Reich eagle device - which is absolutely incorrect. The presence or absence of a miniature 3rd Reich eagle device on a ribbon bar helps in identifying which medal is represented since the ribbons were often exactly the same.

Prussian Reserve and Territorial Army Service Award, II class (Landwehr-Dienstauszeichnung II. Klasse), 1913-1920 - Small circular copper medal with loop for ribbon suspension; the face with the royal crown centrally, circumscribed ‘Treue Dienste Reserve Landwehr’ (Faithful Service Reserve and Territorial Army); the reverse inscribed ‘Landwehr Dienstaus-zeichnung II. Klasse’ (Reserve and Territorial Army Service Award, II class); diameter 15.58mm (0.6 inch). The Award was created on 16 January 1842 in buckle (Bandschnalle) form to be awarded for long and faithful service in the Reserve and Territorial Army. It was superseded by the medal on 4 July 1913 and suppressed on 1 February 1920.

Prussian 1897 Centenary Medal (Zentenarmedaille) was officially titled the Medaille zur Erinnerung an des Hochseligen Kaisers und Königs Wilhelm I., des Großen, Majestät to honor the 100th Birthday of Kaiser Wilhelm I. It was established by Kaiser Wilhelm II (Kaiser Wilhelm I's grandson) through a Royal Order effective 22 March 1897 and was given to all active duty Imperial German military personnel and veterans of the wars of 1848, 1864, 1866, and 1870-1871. The recipients promptly dubbed it the Apfelorden (The Order of the Apple, due to it's size and color). Modern German collectors often call it the Zitronorden  (The Order of the Lemon, again due to it's size and color and partly because they forget the name Apfelorden). It is interesting to note that any 1870-1871 Kriegdenkmünze (KDM or Franco-Prussian War Medal) with official clasp(s) should be with this medal as well since the clasp issue was after the Centenary. The Centenary Medal is 4.0cm wide and made with bronze French cannons captured in the 1870-1871 Franco-Prussian War. The medal was designed by Professor Walter Schott and was made by the firm of L. Ostermann, Berlin (a well known manufacturer of medals). The obverse shows a raised relief profile portrait of Kaiser Wilhelm I with the inscription WILHELM DEM GROSSE DEUTSCHER KAISER KOENIG VON PREUSSEN (Wilhelm the Great, German Emperor and King of Prussia). The reverse has the raised relief inscription ZUM ANDENKEN AN DEN HUNDERSTEN GEBURTSTAG DES GROSSEN KAISERS WILHELM I. 1797-22MAERZ-1897 (In Rememberance of the Hundredth Birthday of the Great Emperor Wilhelm I. 1797-22 March-1897).  A design of a laurel leaf spray, oak leave branches, crown, scepter, orb, Bible, and sword arcs from the 3:30 to 11:00 position. The original silk ribbon is plain yellow (representing gold) which varies in width from 3cm +/- .5cm (depending on the maker).