If anyone can help provide information on this piece, I'd appreciate it. All I know at this point is that this is some famous German dude. I believe the plaque is made in bronze, as the edge is stamped "bronze" -- pretty slick detective work, eh? Thanks!
Looks like something Karl Goetz (pronounced gets) would have done, but I couldn't find it in my book. Born in Augsburg June 28, 1875. He lived for 60 years in Munich and before that in quite a few other places. May not be his work, but it may e a good place to start. Or try searching here :http://www.muenzauktion.com/shops/index.php5?lang=en
Thanks; that's a great site. I did about half a dozen different searches and found plenty of coins and medals with this guy on them, but nothing that looks like mine.
Cannot really say anything about this plaque, but the texts help to some extent: GEB. MDCCCXXVI - born in 1826 DEUTSCHLAND über ALLES - Germany above all FRIEDRICH GROSHERZOG von BADEN - Friedrich Grand Duke of Baden The motto on the other side is: "Frei sei die Wissenschaft / des Volkes Stärke / sind Kunst / und Gewerke / und Sonnenschein / sei dem Korn und / dem Wein" which could be translated like this maybe: "Free be the science / the strength of the people / are art / and Gewerke (crafts?) / And sunshine / be for the grain / and the wine" (Now in German that rhymes, but it does not sound much better than the English version ...) On this page http://www.archive.org/stream/kunstgewerbeblat13leipuoft/kunstgewerbeblat13leipuoft_djvu.txt you find a rudimentary text version of some old document which also mentions two medals: Die Plaketten Orossherzog von Baden mit der Aufschrift "Deutschland über Alles" und Königin Luise, Dr. Fieses, sowie grosse Plakette mit der weiblichen Figur und deren Inschrift: "Frei sei die Wissenschaft etc.", sind nach Professor Mayer's Modell in der Prägeanstalt von B. H. Mayer in Pforzheim ausgeführt. Forget the part about Queen Luise; that seems to be some other medal. But that "plaque with the female figure" could be yours. In that case it was made by the Mayer Mint in Pforzheim (now in Karlsfeld, BY). Judging from when the text was published, I'd say it was made in 1900/01 ... Christian
Christian, Thank you for your effort! My German is terrible. I only know enough to talk about German wine. Per Wikipedia, there were 2 Grand Dukes of Baden with this name: Friedrich I from 1857-1907 and Friedrich II from 1907-1918. Oy! This is frustrating.
Now I don't know much about wine, but as I started learning German at the age of 0 to 1, it is not all that difficult for me. And, Friedrich I it is. He was born in 1826 (see date on plaque) and became grand duke in 1856 ... Christian
