✚10561✚ German Baden post WW1 mounted medal group Baden War Medal Honour Cross

Original Original German / Baden (post) WW1 mounted medal group: Baden War Merit Medal, Honour Cross With Swords, Baden Long Service Award (III. Class for 9 Years’ Service Medal) & Hungarian Kingdom Commemorative War Medal for Combatant, IN VERY NICE CONDITION, GENUINE RIBBONS, PERFECT PIN DEVICE, the Honour Cross is maker marked: "R.V. 25 PFORZHEIM", A REALLY GREAT MEDAL GROUPING

HISTORY OF THE AWARDS:

Baden Silver Medal of Merit (Silberne Verdienstmedaille), Friedrich II, 1916-1918 - Circular silvered medal with integral bar for ribbon suspension; the face with the head and shoulders portrait of Grand Duke Friedrich II in uniform facing left circumscribed ‘FRIEDRICH II GROSSHERZOG VON BADEN•’, SIGNED ‘R.M.’; the reverse inscribed ‘FÜR VERDIENST’ (For Merit) within a circular oak wreath. The medal can trace its origins as far back as 1769 when Grand Duke Karl-Friedrich instituted a large and small silver medal of merit. The version showing Grand Duke Friedrich II was issued from his accession in 1907 until his abdication at the end of World War I in 1918. This example, dates from the latter years of that conflict, 1916-1918.

Cross of Honour, also known as the Honour Cross or, popularly, the Hindenburg Cross, was a commemorative medal inaugurated on July 13, 1934 by Reichspräsident Paul von Hindenburg for those soldiers of Imperial Germany who fought in World War I. It came in three versions: Honour Cross for Combatants (Ehrenkreuz für Frontkämpfer) - for soldiers who fought on the front, Honour Cross for War Participants (Ehrenkreuz für Kriegsteilnehmer) - for non-combatant soldiers, Honour Cross for Next-of-Kin (Ehrenkreuz für Hinterbliebene) - for the next-of-kin of fallen soldiers. After the annexation (Anschluss) of Austria in 1938, Austrian veterans of World War I were also eligible for the Cross of Honour. A total of 6,250,000 Crosses were awarded to combatants, 1,200,000 were awarded to non-combatants and 720,000 medals were awarded to next-of-kin. The medal was designed by Eugene Godet, its shape is similar to the Iron Cross (although smaller in size), in the center of the obverse are the dates of the First World War (1914-1918) surrounded with a wreath of oak leaves, the reverse of the medal in plain. A variation with an anchor in the center, and referred to as the Naval Cross, was issued to veterans of the Imperial German Navy. The Honour Cross for War Participants differed from the Honour Cross for Combatants by not having the crossed swords. The Honour Cross for Next-of-Kin also lacked swords, was lacquered in black, and had a different ribbon. The medal is suspended from a ribbon with a thin black lines of its sides, a red line in the center and next to it a black and white lines on each side, on the next-of-kin medal the ribbon colors are reverse.

Baden Long Service Award, III class for 9 Years’ Service Medal (Dienstauszeichnung III. Klasse für 9 Dienstjahre, Medaille (1913-1918 issue) - Circular ‘neusilber’ (nickel silver) medal with loop for ribbon suspension; the face with the crowned cipher of Grand Duke Friedrich II within a circular laurel wreath; the reverse inscribed ‘Für treue Dienste bei der Fahne’ (For loyal service under the colours), the Roman numerals ‘IX’ (9) below within a circular oak wreath. The award was instituted by Grand Duke Friedrich II on 18 December 1913, replacing the previous ‘Bandschnalle’ (buckle) form, to acknowledge the completion of nine years’ service in the Baden army by non-commissioned officers.

Commemorative War Medal (Háborús Emlékérem) - Instituted on May 26, 1929 by the Hungarian regent Admiral Miklós Horthy de Nagybánya to commemorate Hungarian subjects who participated and fell during the Great Wart. Medal’s statute was finalized only on November 14, 1929 and gazetted two days later in the official publication of the Hungarian Ministry of Defence, “Honvédségi Közlöny” (“Military Bulletin”). Awards presentation started early next year. Commemorative War Medal was awarded to military personnel regardless of rank and status, frontline soldiers and non-combatants, wounded and disabled war veterans, medical personnel and awardees of the Red Cross badges, ex-POWs, relatives of KIA. Civilians who worked at homefront and those participated in Hungarian Soviet Republic defeat in summer and fall 1919 were also eligible for this medal. Documents verifying participation in the Great War had to be presented to military authorities and in case of their absence one had to enlist support of two reliable witnesses. Central Powers military personnel who fought alongside Hungarians during the Great War had to apply for the medal. Foreigners received award in envelope that also contained certificate and miniature after verification and reimbursement worth 15 pengő. Medal had to be purchased privately in licensed outlets upon presentation of approval letter. Reimbursement fees depended on status of the awardee – officer had to pay 6 pengő, other ranks – 3 pengő, next-of-kin – 2 pengő. Nevertheless levy could have been lifted by a decree of the Minister of defence due to exceptional circumstances. Outlets distributed medals wrapped in filigree exactly as they came from the mint. No boxes or envelopes were provided. Commemeorative War medal was instituted in two classes – for frontline soldiers and war participants, i.e. non-combatants. These variants different in obverse and reverse design as well as in ribbon colors. In case an applicant was eligible for both classes he received Commemorative War medal for frontline soldiers. Medal was designed by famous Hungarian sculptor Kisfaludi Strobl Zsigmond (01.07.1884 – 14.08.1975) who was Great War participant himself. Circular 37 mm medal with laterally-pierced loop for ribbon suspension was made of bronze with silver finish and was 3 mm thick. It was worn on the left breast suspended by the traditional Austrian triangular ribbon while women wore it on a bow. Commemorative War medal for frontline soldiers (Haborús Emlékérem kardokkal és sisakkal): obverse had crowned arms of Hungary imposed on crossed swords within a wreath of laurel and oak. Reverse had an image of German M16 steel helmet facing left above the dates “1914-1918”. Latin inscription “Pro Deo Et Patria” (“For God and Fatherland”) was on the upper part while two laurel leaves at the bottom tied at the base by a ribbon tie. 40 mm wide ribbon of a Commemorative War medal for frontline soldiers was white with two wide vertical red stripes close to edges and thin horizontal green stripes placed between red ones. Special combat clasp in form of two silvered crossed swords could be applied to the ribbon bar. Commemorative War medal for noncombatants (Haborús Emlékérem kardok és sisak nélkül): obverse had crowned arms of Hungary within a wreath of laurel and oak. Crossed swords were missing. Reverse had the dates “1914-1918” in the centre, Latin inscription “Pro Deo Et Patria” (“For God and Fatherland”) on its upper part and two laurel leaves at the bottom tied at the base by a ribbon tie. Steel helmet image was missing. 40 mm wide ribbon of a Commemorative War medal for noncombatants was white with two wide red stripes close to edges and two wide green stripes between them. Miniatures of this medal with a wide clip on reverse were also issued, their design followed obverse of the respective class. Disabled Great War veterans were decorated with a special badge. Disabled War Veteran Badge (Háborús Emlékérmek Hadirokkant jelvénnyel) was instituted in 1931 and was attached to the central part of the ribbon of Commemorative War medal of both classes. Circular 22 mm badge made of gilt copper was topped with a Holy Crown of Hungary (Magyar Szent Korona). Its central medallion had two letters “HR” (standing for “Háború Rokkantság”, i.e. “Disabled War Veteran”) within a laurel wreath  tied at the base by a ribbon tie.