Anyone have a clue?

cacheman

A buddy of mine is trying to find out what this 1916 WWI German medal might be commemorating. The date is June 5 even though it looks like it would read May 5 because of the european way of writing dates. He and I have both exhausted our libraries looking for what event this was made for but we were unsuccessful...anyone (Askari, elverno) have a clue? Thanks, S.

elverno

There's an M. Gotze in Forrer. What's the measurement in mm on this? He seemed to work mostly in iron...

syraq

As long as we figure out what this triple headed turtle is supposed to represent. Hmmm, probably the allies, since the hand is clearly German.

Also the word "anonymous" on the reverse might be a clue.

harasha

Using a nonexistent knowledge of German, the medal seems to commemorate anonymous tipsters who alert the authorities to Allied spies.

I would translate:

Obv. "The Hidden Knight"
Rev. "For the Anonymous Informant."

cacheman

" There's an M. Gotze in Forrer. " Thanks elverno, we are aware that it is a Gotze piece (not Goetz, but Gotze) we're just trying to find out what the imagery represents.

Thanks Harasha, I'll pass on the info!!

elverno

It's pretty clearly not the Somme or Verdun pieces that were listed for him in 1916. The mole and crushed three-headed turtle certainly supports Harasha's translation but like you the date doesn't connect for me.

cacheman

yeah, I hear you elverno....and I MUST learn German!!!

harasha

Stupid me. Shortly after responding this morning, it occurred to me what might be a more logical explanation. I will wager that the medal refers to the creation of an internal security service, such as our FBI. The security agent would be a servant of the state, a "knight" if you will. And he gathers intelligence, secretly.

cacheman

hmmm, interesting...I'll pass it along. Thanks

Askari

Um, what picture???

Askari

I suppose that came from your friend ... if I'd seen it on eBay, I'd have seriously contested you for it!!

I'm really not sure what the story is behind this medal, but I'm pretty sure it's political. "Der verkappte Ritter" means "The hidden Knight" and "Fuer die anonymen Bessermacher" means "For the anonymous Improver." I think the first part has a literary allusion -- it brings to my mind a poetic phrase "Der verkappte Ritter von der brennenden Burg"; I can't recall where that's from, but I seem to associate it with Swabia or Brandenburg. I believe the three-headed turtle is a symbol for a political party, probably the socialists (or anarchists?).

0john0

CLEARLY, somebody hates turtles. (three-headed turtles, at that!)

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