German coins and military medals WWI/ WWII

Pour LeMerit Medal
Werner Voss 58 Victories
His Albatross fighter/ with fellow ace Flying Circus
German States/ Anhalt AV 20 Marks Friedrich II Herzog Von Anhalt

 

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Here are a few from my small but growing collection. Mostly WW1, but i have a small number of WW2 and 57er medals as well

 

I'd stay away from those Iron Cross 2nd class that they issued to every German soldier in 1945, controversial to say the least... Hopefully they're grandpa's war trophies...

 

If you want to stay away from them that's your prerogative. I'll continue to collect them

 

I forgot to mention in my opening post/ please post your German coins/ medals from WWI/ WW2/ plus photos of receipients/ history behind awards
John

 

Here's a few....

BTW: I probably should but I have no idea what the medal or pin represents.

 

The medal is a war merit cross, but the ribbon on it is incorrect, here's a pic of the ribbon that goes with it

 

Here is a obscure ace by luftwaffe standards/
Oberleutnant Kurt Welter 63 victories (57 night) 29 flying ME-262 Jet (Nightfighter version) He scored 27 Mosquitos.
He is the top jet ace of all time (29) Yet he was not even in top two hundred luftwaffe aces. He was awarded Knights Cross/ Oakleaves. The Nightfighter variants had the radar antennae front.

 

Really??? Okay, thank you very much for that! I had no idea. I found the medal and pin at a flea market in a place called Bad Aibling, Germany, back in the early 90's.

These items (not sure how it is today) were very taboo back then. You had to ask the vendors if they had any WWII German military memorabilia. If they did, the items would always be in the back or covered up.

 

In WW2 era, Germanys top award where the Ritterkreuz/ Eichenlaub/ Schwerten/ Brillantan 27 receipients from the KreigsMarine/ Heer/ Waffen SS/ Luftwaffe.
However many deserving men never received the top award.
Gunther Rall JG-52 (276 victories) only got the Swords Gerd. Barkhorn JG-52 (302 victories) same deal. So histories second and third top scorer where robbed of this award. Another raw deal was Panzer (Tiger) Ace Kurt Knispel 168 Soviet tanks/120 PAKS knocked out/ yet he never got the Knighs Cross. Reason, he had long hair/ beard/ never saluted officers!
Gerd Barkhorn/ girlfriend
Gunther Rall
Kurt Knispel (civilized shot) shows he got German Cross in Gold at least. The award system was like a graduated system. 1st award Iron Class 2nd. class 2nd/ Iron Cross First Class/ German Cross in Silver/ German Cross in Gold/ then came the Knights Cross/ add Oakleaves/ add Swords/ Diamonds.
same guy (unkept hippie look)

 

Excellent post, @panzerman ! I’ve always had a fascination for military campaign and commemorative medals which are a numismatic cousin to world coins. I think many of them are quite beautiful. I’m afraid my German campaign medals are a bit lacking at this point but that could change in 2020 now that my interest has been rekindled.

 

That’s a very impressive collection, @atcarroll ! Thank you for posting. I really like the way you are displaying them. It’s great to see what other collectors are doing.

 

Kunker Auction 240 had the estate of Leutnant General Der Panzertruppen Hermann Balck on auction block. He was awarded Germanys highest award for valour/ Knights Cross/ Oakleaves/ Swords/ Diamonds. In 2013, his medals fetched 400K euros. In the book, "Knights of the Reich" about the 27 soldiers awarded the Diamonds. It was stated, Balck was a warrior and a gentlemen.

 

The highest award for valour was specially minted for "the Eagle of the Eastern Front" Oberst Hans-Ulrich Rudel.
This was the "Golden Oakleaves". He had already been awarded everything to the Diamonds.
He achieved all of this flying the obsolete JU-87 "STUKA"
In 1941 he started his career with a bang. His unit was ordered to sink Soviet Battleships which where shelling Finnish troops in Leningrad sector. He ended up sinking the Battleship "Marat" and the cruiser "Kirov" in Kronstadt harbour. By the ended of the War, he flew 2500 combat missions. Later in 1943, his Stuka was fitted with two 3.7cm. flak cannon/ dubbed the "Cannon Bird" . By May 45, he had knocked out 519 Soviet tanks. Amazingly, he shot down 11 Soviet fighters, flying a dive bomber. Also destroyed 150 artillery emplacements/ 70 landing craft, 800 other strategic targets. His legs where shot off by flak in 45/ yet he kept flying combat with artifical legs. He even climbed mountains/ played tennis after the War. He ended up In 1977 he married a 20 year lady, died of a heart attack in 1982. He did not smoke or drink, was very active all his life.

His plane museum coll.

 

@Islander80-83, in 1969 I was making my way to Norway to study, a circuitous route through Europe, and stopped at Bad Aibling to try to see my cousin stationed there. Couldn’t notify him ahead of time (no cell phones). Got to the base, stood by his bunk and could only leave a message. The six girls with me were anxious to keep going. He had been in the movie theatre.

Were you stationed there?

I’ve appreciated this thread

 

Yes I was. I've been in that movie theater as well.

 

Austrian Waffen SS Knight Cross winner Vincenz Kaiser served with the 2nd SS Panzer Division "Das Reich"
He ended up as Obersturmbannfuhrer = Colonel
He also was awarded :
Close Combat Clasp in Gold
Infantry Assault Badge in Silver
4 Tank Destruction Badges=single handedly knocking out enemy tank with explosive charge
Wound Badge in Silver
In 1945 he served with 17th SS PanzerGrenadier Division, "Gotz Von Berchtlingen"
He was captured by US forces and on April 20/45 was beaten/ shot in detention camp.
On photo you can see all the different awards....also in the Waffen SS you can see the rank by right collar tab/ the left collar has the Nordic "Siegruenen"

 

Highest scoring U-Boot Ace
Kapiten-Leutnant Lothar Von Arnauld de la Periere 1886-1941
Commanded U-35
Sank 94 enemy ships from 1915-18 making him histories most successfull sub. commander. He shows his many decorations for valour.

 

Very cool medal and gold coin

I've always found it a touch creepy the way some Americans covet nazi memorabilia. I've noticed a good number of those who do also covet civil war memorabilia from the south. I support people who collect historical items, but just never understood those who thought that nazi items were superior/more desirable to any of the others.

 

This is a sterling silver ladle made by Körner & Proll, as identified by its maker's mark. Körner & Proll is a company founded in 1845 in Berlin that is still in business today.