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    German imperial colonial campaign medal, 2 sizes, why ?


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    Westfalische Auktions Gesellschaft, auction 51, september 2009, contained 2 colonial campaign madels: http://www.wag-aukti....de/auktion-en/ click top left „online catalog", click Auktion 51, click Medaillen, click Kolonien, scroll lots 2491 & 2492.

    The two medals, with text „Den tapferen Streitern für Deutschlands Ehre", differ only in size.

    Lot 2491 ( http://www.grafficse...=2494&typ=popup ) is 27,8 mm and is described as being for coloured. Reference given Slg. Grönegreß 1235, Hüsken 11.11 a.

    Lot 2492 ( http://www.grafficse...=2495&typ=popup ) is 32,5 mm and is described as being for whites, Reference given Slg. Grönegreß -, Hüsken 11.10 a.

    My question is if these two different sizes do indeed indicate difference of race of the receiver or if there is some other reason why they differ in size.

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    Westfalische Auktions Gesellschaft, auction 51, september 2009, contained 2 colonial campaign madels: http://www.wag-aukti....de/auktion-en/ click top left „online catalog", click Auktion 51, click Medaillen, click Kolonien, scroll lots 2491 & 2492.

    The two medals, with text „Den tapferen Streitern für Deutschlands Ehre", differ only in size.

    Lot 2491 ( http://www.grafficse...=2494&typ=popup ) is 27,8 mm and is described as being for coloured. Reference given Slg. Grönegreß 1235, Hüsken 11.11 a.

    Lot 2492 ( http://www.grafficse...=2495&typ=popup ) is 32,5 mm and is described as being for whites, Reference given Slg. Grönegreß -, Hüsken 11.10 a.

    My question is if these two different sizes do indeed indicate difference of race of the receiver or if there is some other reason why they differ in size.

    My understanding is the smaller ones were issued to native troops while the normal size were issues to white troops. The native issue is somewhat scarcer.

    Paul

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    My understanding is the smaller ones were issued to native troops while the normal size were issues to white troops. The native issue is somewhat scarcer.

    Paul

    Thank you Paul.

    Would you know any "official" source for this?

    Kees

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    Guest Rick Research

    That must be specified in the A.K.O. of 12 June 1912 creating this medal.

    Given the delays in processing claims-- most of which were from many years if not decades earlier, and the outbreak of the World War (when I suspect that awards processing simply ceased since I have never sen any Urkunden after the war started)...

    I would venture that virtually none of the "native" issues ever reached Africa and remained in Germany, unissued.

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    Rick,

    I would agree with you,

    All the "Native" issues I have seen are in virtually mint condition which would suggest that they are unissued specimens. British medals to Africans(especially the AGS 1902) often look as if they have passed through the digestive tract of a wildebeest. It would be interesting if any forum members have seen any obviously worn native issues of the Colonial medal.

    All the best,

    Paul

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    That must be specified in the A.K.O. of 12 June 1912 creating this medal.

    Given the delays in processing claims-- most of which were from many years if not decades earlier, and the outbreak of the World War (when I suspect that awards processing simply ceased since I have never sen any Urkunden after the war started)...

    I would venture that virtually none of the "native" issues ever reached Africa and remained in Germany, unissued.

    Has anybody got acces to the A.K.O. of 12 june 1912 ? Where could it be found ?

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    That's why it pays to attend medal collector societies meetings. The BDOS just had it's annual trade fair and meeting in Gunzenhausen and it's this years exhibitions was about the colonial commemorative medal. The lecture by Bernd Döbel

    was very conclusive in regards to this topic.

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    In a few words some explanations to this issue.

    There were two different sizes of the medal just to make a difference between Germans and natives. A native couldn’t get the same medal as a German.

    The Emperor signed the deed of foundation on June 13th 1912.

    The first medals were issued in March/April 1913, the last in 1918. Everybody who was involved in one of the conflicts according the battle list had to apply for it.

    The only native soldiers who received the medal were Cameroon police troops for a conflict in 1912. No medals could be issued to natives for a conflict before Ponape 1910/11. This information’s were taken from German state archive.

    Bernd

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