Baden War Service

[Signalcorps45]

Hello to everyone,

I picked this up at recent show.  Can anyone provide me with any background on this medal?

 

Dean

 

 

 

[Dave Danner]

Field Service Decoration (Felddienst-Auszeichnung).  This was a general service or campaign medal, instituted in 1839 and awarded retroactively back to the Napoleonic Wars. Date bars could be worn on the ribbon to indicate campaign service. There were 18 bars: 

1805
1806
1806-1807
1807
1808-1813
1809 1809-1810
1812
1813
1814
1814-1815
1815 1848
1849
1866
1870
1870-1871
1871 
 

[Signalcorps45]

Dave,

You have helped out many times with information, I thank you.  But why would someone have 1870-71, 1871, 1870 clasps on one bar?

[David M]

My guess: because they did not know beforehand for how long the war would continue. So they probably got the 1870 first, followed by the 1871 and concluded by the 70-71 for the entire war.

But thats just me...I have no idea

[Signalcorps45]

David,

Makes sense to me, thank you for your help.

Dean

 

 

[saschaw]

I had the same recently, and must clearify: such a combination of metal bows was never worn officially, but rather put together by a collector. You could only have the "1870 - 71." or one of the two other "1870." and "1871." bows, or maybe both of the latter in strange cases, plus, of course, the "1866." to any of those combinations. But not all at once. Your medal, Dean, seems to be an early striking, with the spotty arranged letters in the reverse inscription. Such a medal would most likely have been awarded in 1839 to a veteran of the Napoleonic wars...

See Volle, Henning. Die Orden und tragbaren Ehrenzeichen des Großherzogtums und der Republik Baden. Freiburg im Breisgau 2019. p. 389–408.