Austria-Hungary Commemorative Medal for the Defenders of the Tyrol 1797

[Megan]

Commemorative Medal for the Defenders of the Tyrol 1797

Erinnerungsmedaille für die Tiroler Verteidiger 1797

The Commemorative Medal for the Defenders of the Tyrol was created by order of Emperor Francis II in 1797 to reward the Tyrolean volunteers who resisted the Revolutionary French forces under General Barthélemy Joubert who were advancing into Austria over the Julian Alps by Napoleon’s command following their victory in northern Italy. It consists of a large circular silver medal with a circular loop for ribbon suspension. The obverse shows the laurel-crowned head of Emperor Francis II facing right encircled by the inscription ‘FRANZ II R. K. ERZH. ZU OEST. GEF. GRAF VON TYROL’ (Francis II, Duke of Austria, Count of Tyrol), signed ‘I. N. WIRT. F’ (for the great Viennese medalist to the Imperial Court and Chief Engraver at the Vienna Mint, Johann Nepomuk Wirt, 1750-1811). The reverse is inscribed ‘DEN / TAPFEREN / VERTHEIDIGERN / DES / VATERLANDES’ (The Brave Defenders of the Fatherland) and dated ‘MDCCXCVII’ (1797) within a circular laurel wreath. The diameter of the medal is 38.91mm (1.53 inches). The ribbon is yellow with 3 black stripes.

[Picture credit: Morton & Eden]

[Elmar Lang]

This is a very interesting medal, parallel to the very similar one for Niederösterreich, also from 1797.

The Tyrol one existed in three "classes":

large Gold, for corps commanders;

small Gold, for officers;

silver, for NCOs and troops.

Here, a picture of the pieces in my collection:

[Megan]

So, does the Niederösterreich one also come in 3 classes?

Must go update the webpage for the Tyrol one to show the 3 classes, and start looking for pictures of the large & small gold ones.

[Elmar Lang]

The 1797 medal for Lower Austria (Niederösterreich), come in three grades:

1) Gold

2) Large Silver (same die as the Gold one)

3) Silver for troop, NCOs and junior officers (same die and size of the Silver Tyrol Medal 1797, but different inscription to the reverse (DEN BIEDEREN SOEHNEN OESTERREICHS DES LANDESVATERS DANK MDCCXCVII).

I will provide pictures of these medals soon too.

Best wishes,

E.L.

Edited July 5, 2014 by Elmar Lang

[Megan]

Are you talking about the Lower Austria Military Merit Medal (Erinerungsmedaille für Niederösterreichische Aufgebot 1797)? The one with a half red, half white ribbon? (Unless you are reading Barac's Iron Book, which gives a yellow ribbon with 2 black stripes... and which doesn't mention the Tyrol one at all!)

This one, I mean:

Edited July 7, 2014 by Megan

[Elmar Lang]

Exactly: I mean this medal.

It was awarded in silver (like the one shown in the picture) for NCOs and OR; in silver and gold for Officers.

Best wishes,

Enzo

[Megan]

Thank you...

[Elmar Lang]

Here's my gold Medal for Lower Austria: as it can be seen, it's struck from a different die than the "Thaler"-like one of the normal silver Medal.

I apologize for the low-quality scan...

[Elmar Lang]

Hello,

to add some further details, I would like to post the pictures -obverse and reverse- of the Large Silver Medal for Lower Austria, 1797:

[paul wood]

Interesting that is also from medallic dies.

Paul