Franco-Prussian War Commemorative Medal

[Troy Tempest]

Could someone please tell me the correct German name for this medal please?

[Kev in Deva]

Hallo Troy,

Its the: Kriegsdenkm?nze 1870 / 71 f?r K?mpfer,

mit Randinschrift "AUS EROBERTEM GESCH?TZ" 1871 - 1872.

OR

1871 / 72 Franco-Prussian War Medal for Combatant,

with the side engraving: loose translation "From our Enemy Weapons made".

Kevin in Deva.

[Schießplatzmeister]

Hello Troy:

Your medal is a non-officially awarded period copy of the 1870-1871 medal. It therefore does not have the "made from captured cannon" impression aroud the rim.

Best regards,

"SPM"

[Troy Tempest]

Thank you Kev for that, and thanks SPM, I have looked again at the edge of the medal and it is indeed smooth with no writing on it. When you say non-officially awarded period copy, who would have been awarded this, and who did the awarding?

[Schießplatzmeister]

Hello again Troy:

Sorry, sometimes my command of the English language suffers a bit!

I meant to convey that the medal was not an awarded example. This item would have been purchased by the recipient of an awarded medal as an extra piece to wear on his mounted medal group, or to replace a lost original, for example. The piece is a "copy", but it is something that was made during the period in which a recipient of the official medal lived. It therefore has collectable value (although perhaps a little less than that of an officially-awarded medal).

I hope that this clarifies the situation.

Congratulations on owning an interesting piece of history!

Best regards,

"SPM"

[Paul R]

That is a piece to be happy with, Troy! Bear in mind that this medal is most likely 100 years old and perhaps worn with pride at one time.

[TS Allen]

Probably older than 100 years, actually.

I'd like to think it was worn with pride. I can never resist bringing up a joke, so here it is (its shamelessly copied from another forum, I can't remember which):

Four Generations of German's are sitting around a table. A young child asks one, "what did you do in WWII, dad?" He just points to his Iron Cross. He then asks "What did you do in WWI, Grandpa?" He just points at his Iron Cross. Finally, he asks, "So what medals did you get in the Franco-Prussian War, Great Grandpa?". He says, "None." After a moment, he finishes "But we won that one!!!"

Now that I have that out of the way, I have to ask, was it common to make medals of captured artillery? I could swear I've heard of it in other conflicts (I'd say Napoloeonic era but I couldn't imagine Boney melting down any cannon). I'm just wondering because the Germans were very effective during the war when it came to artillery, and I was wondering if making the medal from captured guns was some kind of direct sleight (beyond what it normally would have been). I should note, though, the only French victory in the whole war was thanks to a clever French artillery officer sneaking up on a bunch of waiting Bavarians and raining hell upon them from the heights.

~TS

[Guest Rick Research]

We find many many Franco Prussian medals that are in mounted medal groups without the captured cannon rim. I suspect that the solder used on the ring (government low bidder? ) was at fault and many of them simply fell apart in the wearers' own lifetimes.

I've never figured out any way to DATE the replacements, aside from what else is mounted on a medal bar. There would have been a diminishing market for such veterans' replacements into the 1930s. Given the old fashioned style of enlisted medal bars with awards swinging on reverse hooks, there would have been a LOT of bashing around for bars worn for decades and decades.

Digressing-- the British were, at least until recently, still making Victoria Crosses out of Russian cannon captured in the Crimean War!

The Bible speaks of beating swords into plughshares, but making an enemy's weapons into medals also serves as effective disarmament!

[TS Allen]

We find many many Franco Prussian medals that are in mounted medal groups without the captured cannon rim. I suspect that the solder used on the ring (government low bidder? ) was at fault and many of them simply fell apart in the wearers' own lifetimes.

I've never figured out any way to DATE the replacements, aside from what else is mounted on a medal bar. There would have been a diminishing market for such veterans' replacements into the 1930s. Given the old fashioned style of enlisted medal bars with awards swinging on reverse hooks, there would have been a LOT of bashing around for bars worn for decades and decades.

Digressing-- the British were, at least until recently, still making Victoria Crosses out of Russian cannon captured in the Crimean War!

The Bible speaks of beating swords into plughshares, but making an enemy's weapons into medals also serves as effective disarmament!

When exactly did the British stop doing that with the VC? I'd like to imagine that it must have bugged the hell out of the Russians whenever it was brought up, especially when the two nations ended up as allies....

~TS

[Noor]

Hi,

My two are here. Left one with the text on the rim. Right one without.

and here is noncombatand one without text. My question: is there also noncombatants medals with this text or all "AUS EROBERTEM GESCHUETZ" one awarded just 12th and 14th June 1871 parade?

[saschaw]

and here is noncombatand one without text. My question: is there also noncombatants medals with this text or all "AUS EROBERTEM GESCHUETZ" one awarded just 12th and 14th June 1871 parade?

No, this text reffers to Bronce from the captured guns, and as the steel medals are made from steel there isn't. But your's is though an awarded one. These are always made from steel, so they are magnetic. Many of the period copys are from silvered brass. The rings aren't magnetic, but have the typical look ... compare to the Bronce ones and you'll see what I cannot manage to express in English at the moment ...

[Troy Tempest]

Thanks again for all the extra info! I think this is now the second oldest medal I own!

[Wild Card]

Gentlemen,

To round this discussion out a bit, I think that it is worth noting that the Napoleonic campaign combatants medals of Prussia were made from captured cannon and it is so noted on the rim - ? AUS EROBERTEM GESCHUTZ?.

[Wild Card]

The combatants medal for the 1864 war is also made from captured cannon and it is so noted on the rim.

[dond]

Now that I have that out of the way, I have to ask, was it common to make medals of captured artillery? ~TS

Victories were determined by the number of cannons and flags captured so making a medal to commemorate your victory out of a captured cannon was just another "in your face" to your foe. Look at the Victory Column in Berlin. It is lined with cannon captured from the French. After WW2 the French wanted to tear it down but the Americans and Brits wouldn't let them.

Edited September 17, 2007 by dond

[Wild Card]

After WW2 the French wanted to tear it down but the Americans and Brits wouldn't let them.

Correct. So the French took the four panels which are mounted around the base of the column which depict victories in the wars of 1864, 1866 and 1870. The whole matter was really quite distasteful and ultimately the French were more or less shamed into returning them in 1987.

[VtwinVince]

Speaking of distasteful, I think it was the French who pulled down the huge equestrian statue of Wilhelm I which stood at the "Deutsches Eck" at Koblenz.

[Troy Tempest]

Thanks for that dond and wildcard, I didn't know that about the Victory Column and the French.