Hannover Waterloo medal

[scottplen]

Good ? Bad? 
stumbled on this . Any good ? Value ?

[VtwinVince]

Hi Scott,

 

These are a bit of a minefield and have been heavily faked. Looks like period replacement suspension. I get a good feeling from the patina on this one. There are some serious people over at SDA who could give you some info on the recipient. As for value, in this condition it's a bit of a guess.

[scottplen]

It went at auction about $500 . Not knowledgeable about them so I did not bid ? 
 

[Wild Card]

Actually this is a very fine example. Sure, the suspension ring is a replacement, but it safe to say that well over half of these medals that still exist have replacement rings. The original iron claw and ring system just did not hold up over time - especially if the awardee spent a lot of time bouncing around on a horse. One has to wonder how many of these medals were lost over the years for that reason.

 

This medal is in super fine condition with minimal, if any, wear (usually from excessive “cleaning” and polishing) or contact marks, which are not necessarily detrimental. Contact marks only show that the medal was actually worn along with a friend or two. With regard to the patina to which you refer, let’s just say that there is a difference between patina and dirt and grime; and these really old guys are often prone to having a little of each. At the risk of stirring up a storm, I will say that light contact with a soft cloth, soap and warm water would not hurt this piece.

 

Now comes what is probably the most important part of all. To whom was this medal awarded? What was his rank or position? In what unit/regiment did he serve? This information is impressed on the outer border of the medal. While the importance of rank or title are obvious, such is not necessarily so with regard to units or regiments. The role of the Hannovarian units at Waterloo is a study in itself. They range from among the bravest and with most casualties to units with moderate/minimal contact to the cavalry unit that in the course of maneuvering for position prior to the battle, infamously rode off… to the safety of Brussels.

 

Value? Consider this. These medals are among the earliest Imperial German decorations and were awarded for participation in one of the most famous battles in modern history. We know to whom they were awarded and often biographical information on these recipients is available. Taking all of this information into consideration, the current market runs from (estimated) $300 to $2,000.

[scottplen]

i should of bid but was not sure ? thanks for info ! 

Soldat Christoph. Block if i remember right.

 

Edited August 7, 2020 by scottplen

[VtwinVince]

I'm glad you chimed in, Wild Card. I have a couple of Brunswick Waterloo medals, and based on their condition I was sceptical as to authenticity, but apparently they were commonly dug out of graveyards where they were buried along with the recipient, and both of mine have what looks like damage from a shovel! Pretty ghoulish stuff.

[BlackcowboyBS]

On 07/08/2020 at 05:39, VtwinVince said:

I'm glad you chimed in, Wild Card. I have a couple of Brunswick Waterloo medals, and based on their condition I was sceptical as to authenticity, but apparently they were commonly dug out of graveyards where they were buried along with the recipient, and both of mine have what looks like damage from a shovel! Pretty ghoulish stuff.

Hi Wild Card, nice to read from you! 

VtwinVince, I have never heard of that, as far as I know, these medals normally were kept in the family of the guys who got these medals. So I guess that it is pretty seldom that these medals are burried together with their former recipients. But I am with you, if this is true, then this is scary and ghoulish! (love that word, Thx for it!)