Circular silver medal with loop for ribbon suspension; the face with the head of King Wilhelm II of Württemberg facing right, circumscribed ‘WILHELM II KOENIG VON WUERTTEMBERG’, signature ‘K SCHWENZER’ (for Karl Schwenzer of Stuttgart) partially erased (no idea why this might be); the reverse inscribed ‘FÜR TAPFERKEIT UND TREUE’ (For bravery and loyalty) within a wreath of laurel; slight edge knock to the base and tiny edge nicks; on replaced pre-April 1914 ribbon. The medal was instituted in 1818 to be awarded for military merit. Wilhelm II became king on 6 October 1891 and the new version of the medal bearing his image was introduced on 26 June 1892. It was suppressed in 1918 when, along with all other German rulers, Wilhelm was deposed at the end of World War I. This example dates from the period 1892 to 1918 and, as it is of silver (later examples were of silvered bronze and eventually 'Kriegsmetall' zinc alloy) and on an early (though replaced) ribbon, was probably awarded in the late 19th or very early 20th Century. A nice example.
|