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Rittmeister Militaria, LLC. Imperial German Merchandise Page 27: Imperial German Table Medals. Updated 9 January 2010.
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German table medals were an art form before, during, and after WW I. The absolute top practitioner of this art form was a sculptor named of Karl Goetz. His work was both beautiful and articulate. He boldly delved into Germany’s political and social issues. One of his best-known works is a table medal that salutes Manfred von Richthofen. The "Red Baron" was a national hero in Germany during WW I. He remained equally as popular (if not more so) after his death on 21 April 1918. The table medal measures 1 1/2" in diameter. The obverse sports an image of von Richthofen wearing a visor cap, and a flying coat with the collar turned up. At his throat, we can clearly see the Orden Pour le Mérite that he received in January 1917. Around the medal’s edges are the words "Rittmeister Manfred Frhr. v. Richthofen." The reverse features a mourning eagle looking at the sky. We also see an arrow through "80," which is, of course, his total number of confirmed victories. Superimposed over a headstone with an Iron Cross and his death date is the helmet of a Teutonic knight. A small shield displaying the von Richthofen family coat-of-arms is also present. Across the medal’s top is the legend "Der Rote Kampfflieger (The Red Battle Flyer)." If you look very closely below the eagle’s tail, you will see Karl Goetz’s signature. Finally, on the medal’s edge are the words "Bayer. Hauptmunamt. Fein Silber." This was the Bavarian firm that produced the table medal, and the proclamation that the table medal was made of "Fine Silver." The table medal was released on the 10th anniversary of von Richthofen’s death in 1928. It is exquisitely made, yet remains one of the most reasonably-priced of the original "Der Rittmeister’s" artifacts. Even von Richthofen’s unsigned Sanke Cards are approaching $200-a-pop, so a silver piece like this is a real bargain! $325.00
27-33 MANFRED von RICHTHOFEN - TABLE MEDAL - KARL GOETZ.
17-51 COMPLETE SET (1914-1918) OF KARL GÖTZ WEIHNACHTEN (CHRISTMAS) TABLE MEDALS. Karl Götz was the leading sculptor of the Imperial German period and beyond when it came to the production of table medals. He specialized in producing table medals relating to the Great War and his work is very much prized. I was delighted to be able to acquire a complete set (5 ) of the table medals which Götz released for every year of the war. While there were actually only four Christmas's during the Great War he had produced one for 1918 in anticipation of another holiday. Of course as we all know today the war ended in November 1918 a full six weeks before Christmas. That makes the 1918 table medal something of an oddity. These table medals are bronze toned and about 1" in diameter or about the size of a U.S. Nickel. Each has a different obverse along with the initials "K. G." for Karl Götz. The reverse of each one bears the date, the legend "Christmas In the Field", and a bough of holly with a candle. They are all in excellent condition and represent an example of art of the period that ties in with a patriotic theme. $595.00
27-34 MEISSEN PORCELAIN TABLE MEDAL -
RESERVE-INFANETRIE-REGIMENT Nr 104.
27-35 CASED SET - TABLE MEDALS - SAXON RED CROSS - MEISSEN. This is a fascinating item. We have never seen anything like it before. It is a cased set of four table medals for the Saxon Red Cross, made by the famed porcelain manufacturer Meissen. The case is 4 ½" x 4 ½," and covered in somewhat soiled white leatherette. A simple red cross decorates the top lid’s center. The Meissen hallmark appears in the upper left corner. Inside the case, the Meissen hallmark is repeated on the white silk upper lid, again in the upper left corner. The words "Vom Sächsischen Roten Kreuz Dresden" are printed in gold. The lower half is covered in green velvet, with four hollowed spaces for the four table medals. Although they all sport the same design, each one is colored somewhat differently. One is totally chocolate brown, one is brown with gold trim and highlights, one is totally white, and the other is white with gold trim and gold and red highlights. Each has a picture of a praying mother with two children beside her on the obverse. The words encircling the coin are "Es Klagen die Mütter In Hunger In Not Es Klagen Die Kinder Es Wütet der Tod (The Mother laments in hunger and need, the children lament, Death rages)." The reverse features a (red) cross, the date 1921, and the words "Landesnotopfer - Für das Sächsische Rote Kreuz." One of the case’s back hinges is broken, and the box is a little warped. This does not detract from the piece’s overall attractiveness. The table medals are in exquisite condition. $295.00
27-32
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE TABLE MEDAL - ORIGINAL PRESENTATION CASE - BRAUNSCHWEIG.
This handsome silver-toned table medal was created by the Carl Poellath
firm from Schrobenhausen in Bavaria. The same firm produced top flight badges
for the Bavarian contingent of the Imperial German Air Service. In this case
they made a table medal for the Handelskammer (Chamber of Commerce)
from the Duchy of Braunschweig. The medal measures 2 1/4" in
diameter. It may be made of German silver (nickel). Its
obverse features the Braunschweig Stallion rearing on his Shield in the center
of the medal. The Shield is garnished with oak leaves on the top, left,
and right. The words around the inner edge of coin read "Handelskammer F.
D. Herzogt. Braunschweig-Für Treue Mitarbeit (Chamber of
Commerce Duchy of Braunschweig - For Faithful Employment)." Our best
guess is that the medal was given to retiring members of the Chamber in thanks
for their service. The medal's reverse exhibits a high-releif,
richly-detailed rendering of a municipal building from the Imperial German
era. Undoubtedly it is where the Chamber was housed. The Latin
motto "Quod Tibi Hoc Alteri, (Do to others what you want done to you)" is
printed beneath the building. The medal is contained in a handsome,
maroon presentation case, with the title, "Handelskammer für das Herzogtum
Braunschweig," on the front. The case is 3 5/8" x 3 5/8"
square. Inside, the upper lid is white silk with the name Carl Poellath
and Schrobenhausen imprinted in black ink. The lower half is covered in
blue velvet, with a circular cutout for the medal. It is a substantial
piece, well-made and very attractive.
$195.00
27-42 CASED TABLE MEDAL. This is a cased table medal in its original
presentation case. The circular table medal, which appears to be made of
light gray pewter, measures 1 3/4" in diameter. Its obverse sports a high-relief
portrait of a bare-chested, heroic male figure clad only in an animal skin
pelt. His hair is long and his feet are bare. He brandishes a long spear in
his right hand, and balances a tall, eagle-bedecked shield with his left. A
hunting horn and a short hunting blade are at his waist. He has a bracelet
around his upper right arm and on his left wrist. He may very well be a
depiction of the mythical hero, Siegfried. Indeed, the medal’s reverse
features the words "Der Sieger (the Hero)," separated by oak leaves and acorns
from "Das Kriegsministerium." In the center is "Weltkämpfe (World
Battle 1917)." The case is covered with dark maroon leatherette, and measures 2 3/4" x
2 3/4 x 1/2."
The velvet lining both sections of the case is the same dark maroon as its
exterior. The lower half has a cutout section in which to fit the medal. The
upper half has a small section slightly marred by a somewhat sticky residue
(perhaps from another dealer’s price tag). [It might be removable via a
cleaner designed to treat glue. We will leave this to its new owner].
Otherwise, the presentation case and medal are in excellent condition. This
handsome medal was probably produced as a reward for supporting a War
Ministry fund-raising campaign.
This is a fine black leatherette table medal case. It measures 3" x 3" x 3/4." The top half features a red silk liner. Its bottom half is covered with red velvet. The recessed area for the table medal measures 2" in diameter. A small silk ribbon piece is present that helps one remove the table medal from the case’s recessed area. $50.00
27-43 EMPTY CASE - TABLE MEDAL.
The Befreiungshalle ("Hall of Liberation") is a monument built upon Mount Michelsberg above the city of Kelheim in Bavaria, Germany. King Ludwig I of Bavaria ordered the Befreiungshalle to be built in order to commemorate the victories against Napoleon during the Wars of Liberation that lasted from 1813 to 1815. The following quote from King Ludwig I is embedded into the marble floor: "Möchten die Teutschen nie vergessen was den befreiungskampf nothwendig machte und wodurch sie gesiegt. (May the Germans never forget what made necessary the Struggle for Freedom and by what means they won)." It also graces the reverse of this handsome bronze table medal, which measures 1 3/4" in diameter. The medal was issued on 25 August 1913, when Kaiser Wilhelm II visited the Befreiungshalle to celebrate the Battle of Leipzig’s Centennial, one of the battles for which the monument was created. The medal’s obverse features a high-relief rendition of the monument. The occasion is noted around the medal’s edge, while the date is listed at the medal’s bottom, "25 VIII 1913." $75.00
27-37 TABLE MEDAL CENTENNIAL - BATTLE OF LEIPZIG - BEFREIUNGSHALLE - BAVARIA.
14-256 TABLE MEDAL FOR EAST WEST TRANSATLANTIC FLIGHT 1928. This is an ultra high quality table medal that commemorates the East to West Trans Atlantic Passage. This flight was made by pilots von Hünefeld and Hermann Köhl, who was a WW I PLM winner. The flight took place on 13 April 1928. It was actually more difficult than Charles Lindbergh's’s West to East trip, which, even today, is assisted by favorable tail winds. The reverse of the table medal shows the plane that was used. It also announces that the takeoff point was Bremen. The table medal is manufacturer hallmarked and silver hallmarked for .900 silver on the edge. $250.00 .
.
In 1923, some five years after the end of WW I, the economy of Germany struggled not only to recover from the devastating effects of the war itself, but to pay the War Reparations required by the Treaty of Versailles. With all of this came the massive devaluation of the German Mark. I remember as a young child being amazed in reading history books that the Mark was worth so little that it often took a wheel barrow full of them to buy a loaf of bread. The printing presses literally spewed larger denominations until bills were valued in the BILLIONS of Marks. We offer here an interesting set of three table medals. Each of the table medals is brass-toned and measures 1 1/4" in diameter. The reverse of the three medals charts the price of simple items in Germany. On 1 November 1923 a pound (Pfund) of bread cost 3,000,000 Marks. By 15 November 1923 that same loaf was 80,000,000 Marks. By December 1923 that loaf cost 260,000,000 Marks. Another example was a pound of meat. 1 November 1923 36,000,000 Marks, 15 November 1923 900,000,000 Marks, and December 1923 3,200,000,000 Marks! The three table medals are housed in a case that measures 2 1/4" x 5 1/2." It is in very fine condition. $150.00
27-26 THREE TABLE MEDALS COMMEMORATING 1923 GERMAN REICHSMARK CRASH - ORIGINAL PRESENTATION CASE.
21-205 TABLE MEDAL - HUGO ECKNER AND LZ 126. This is a circular table medal commemorating the LZ 126. The
LZ 126 was a part of Germany’’s war reparations to the victorious
allies. Dr. Hugo Eckner, who assumed the Zeppelin Company’s
control after Graf Ferdinand von Zeppelin’’s death, personally delivered the LZ 126 to the U. S. Navy at Lakehurst, New Jersey in 1924. [Lakehurst
was where the zeppelin Hindenburg exploded thirteen years later]. The LZ 126 became the U. S. S. Los Angeles. The medal’s obverse
displays a high-relief likeness of Dr. Hugo Eckner. Its reverse depicts the LZ 126 and the various stops on her voyage to America.
$210.00
This is a very distinctive, large, table medal. It is in the shape of an octagon, and measures 2 3/4" in diameter. On its obverse it proclaims "Der Eiserne Schmied (the Iron Smith)von Hagen 1915." The reverse of the table medal says "Hammer Sprühe Flamme Glühe Schwert Erstreite Deutschen Sieg. (He hammers Germany’s Sword of Victory from the glowing flames)." In the reverse’s center is an anvil with a sword being forged for battle. The anvil’s base reveals manufacturer’s hallmarking, which appears to read F. Bagdon. The table medal is housed in an interesting metal presentation case. This oversized case measures 3 ½" x 3 ½." The exterior was painted to mimic the appearance of burled wood. Nevertheless, the case is metal and not wood. The orange silk liner of the upper lid has the selling information of the shop from where the medal came: "GERLACH Uhrmachermeister & Optikermeister (Watchmaker & Optometrist) Hagen-Haspe Kölner Straße 4." $240.00
27-23 TABLE MEDAL - ORIGINAL PRESENTATION CASE.
This is a table medal from the "Gold for Iron" program. It measures 1 1/2" in diameter. On the obverse we see a woman offering her jewelry. Above her is "In Eisner Zeit (In the Iron Time)." The date 1916 is below. This program encouraged citizens to offer up their gold jewelry in exchange for iron to help the war effort. On the reverse we "Gold Gab Ich Zur Wehr Eisen Nahm Ich Zur Ehr (I gave gold for iron defense, I took the honor)." $50.00
27-39 GOLD FOR IRON TABLE MEDAL.
10-229 CASED TABLE MEDAL. Silver toned Table Medal, 2" in diameter, featuring a profile of Paul von Breitenbach. The reverse of the medal has the wheel of the railroad system at the bottom and a man carrying a sword and a torch. It is also dated 1914 on the reverse. The cardboard box in which the Table Medal rests makes mention of the storm clouds of the War, which were gathering. Box is in poor condition, but this is an interesting Table Medal. $75.00
27-38 TABLE MEDAL - 100-YEAR-COMMEMORATIVE - VÖLKERSCHLACHT
DENKMAL LEIPZIG - ORIGINAL PRESENTATION CASE.
Over the years we have offered a variety of items to the Völkerschlacht
Denkmal Leipzig. Today we are offering a cased
table medal that commemorates the monument. It was, and is, an impressively
large monument located in Leipzig. It consists of a large monument (in the
form of a building), along with a reflecting pool and magnificent grounds. The
monument was dedicated in 1913. It saluted the struggles and participation of
Saxony and Germany 100 years before during the 1813 Napoleonic War. Kaiser
Wilhelm II and Saxon’s König Friedrich August III were present at the 1913
dedication. The table medal’s obverse states that it was presented by the
Deutscher Patrioten Bund. Below that is a scene showing the monument,
along with the legend "Leipzig 1913."
The table medal’s reverse depicts four battling eagles. Three eagles are
attacking the fourth. The attacked eagle assuredly represents France and
Napoleon’s forces. Two of the attacking eagles represent Prussia and Saxony. I
do not know whom the third attacking eagle represents, although it might be
another smaller German state with whom they were allied. The table medal’s
edge displays the dates "16-18 Oktober 1813," which was the occasion of
the heroic battle.
Table medals for any and all occasions were an integral part of Imperial
German culture. Germany’s people supported various occasions and causes with
heartfelt patriotic fervor. Higher-quality table medals often were purchased
in presentation cases of matching elegance and superiority. Our offering today
has such a case in red leatherette, with the dates 1813-1913 embossed
in gold on its outer lid. The case measures 2 1/4" x 2 1/4" x 3/4." Inside the
case, one finds the conventional white-silk upper lid and fitted black-velvet lower half. The table medal nestles comfortably in its place
of honor. Back in the day, the case would then be opened and placed on display
in a patriotic German’s home. Today, it is ready to grace your home, display
shelves or desk as a handsome reminder of a hard-won battle for freedom.
$250.00
27-29 GOLD FOR IRON TABLE MEDAL.
18-135 TABLE MEDAL HONORING KING WILHELM I OF PRUSSIA AND QUEEN AUGUSTA IN THE ORIGINAL PRESENTATION CASE. This is a very large cased table medal, measuring 2" in diameter, honoring King Wilhelm I of Prussia and Queen Augusta. Prior to her marriage to Wilhelm I, Augusta was a Princess from Saxony. The royal couple is shown in high relief profile. On the reverse within a wreath we see the following: "Z. E. D. XI Juni 1854 - D.L. Zur Treue I. O. Berlin D. Br. Julius Haller U. Seiner Gattin Martha Geb. Koehler Z. Silbernen Hochzeit D. 9. April 1932." It was evidently purchased by a woman to give to her husband on their silver anniversary. The table medal is hallmarked .999 silver. It is housed in a very light blue presentation case, which has the initials G. N. M. L. Both case and table medal are in excellent condition. $350.00
18-144 TABLE MEDAL FOR THE 300th BIRTHDAY OF ALBRECHT DÜRER. This large format table medal, 2 d" in diameter, commemorates the 300th birthday of Albrecht Dürer. It was produced by the premiere maker of table medals, both during and after WW I, Karl Goetz. The obverse has a profile of Dürer. The reverse has a unique collage of images. It also has the hallmarking for Goetz. $95.00 . . .
17-105 OVERSIZED TABLE MEDAL FOR PAUL von HINDENBURG. This is one of the most massive table medals I have ever seen. It is nearly 4 ½" in diameter and features a high relief profile of Paul von Hindenburg. It commemorates von Hindenburg’s celebration of his 80th birthday in 1927, while he was the President of Germany (this information is on the reverse). This is a very heavy item and would be useful as a paper weight or an interesting desk piece. There is a small slot at the top of the medal where a ribbon may have been but, due to the weight and size, I cannot imagine wearing it around one’s neck. Quite unique. $75.00 .
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