War Commemorative Medal of 1870/71
Kriegsdenkmünze für die Feldzüge 1870/1871
- Medal instituted on 20 May 1871.
- Medal awarded to members of the united German armies for combat and non-combat service.
- The medal for combatants is manufactured from captured bronze cannon barrels. The obverse shows the crowned Royal cypher of William I over the inscription Dem siegreichen Heere (To the victorious army). Inscribed around the edge is Gott war mit uns, Ihm sei die Ehre (God was with us, to Him be the glory). The reverse shows a cross with rays between the four arms. In the center of the cross is a laurel wreath surrounding the dates 1870 and 1871. On the edge of the coin is inscribed AUS EROBERTEM GESCHUETZ (From conquered cannon).
- The medal for non-combatants is made of steel. It follows a similar design with only minor deviations. The center inscription on the obverse is Für Pflichttreue im Kriege (For devotion to duty in the war). On the reverse the wreath on the cross is of oak leaves.
- To commemorate the 25th anniversary of victory, clasps were authorized to be worn on the medal on 18 August 1895. The clasps were only allowed to be worn on combatant medals by front line soldiers. The clasps are 6 mm high and 32–39 mm wide and were made of gilt bronze or brass. They are as follows: Amiens, A.Mont Valerien, An Der Lisaine, An Der Hallue, Beaumont, Beaune LA Rolande, Beaugency-Cravant, Bapaume, Belfort, Colombey-Nouilly, Gravelotte-St.Privat, Loigny-Poupry, Le Mans, Metz, Noisseville, Orleans, Paris, Spichern, Sedan, Strassburg, St.Quentin, Vionville-Mars La Tour, Villiers, Wörth, Wissenburg.
