Circular gilt bronze medal with crown suspension; the face with the head of Emperor Franz Joseph I facing right and circumscribed ‘FRANCISCUS IOS. I. D. G. IMP. AUST. REX BOH. ETC. ET REX APOST. HUNG.’(Franz Joseph I, by the grace of God Emperor of Austria, King of Bohemia etc. Apostolic King of Hungary); the reverse inscribed ‘SIGNVM LAVDIS’(sign of praise) encircled with a wreath of laurel and oak; on original ribbon; in original fitted embossed case of issue by Rothe & Neffe, Vienna. The medal, usually known as the ‘Signum Laudis’ medal after the inscription on the reverse, was instituted on 12 March 1890 and intended for lower ranks of the military for outstanding acts (‘für außergewöhnliche Taten’) worthy of the sovereign’s praise and recognition (‘allerhöchste belobende Anerkennung’). This very good example is from the period 1890 to 1917 and was probably awarded during World War I in 1914 to 1917.
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