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This is the third grade of precious metal gallantry awards of the old Austrian army. The first was a large medal in gold, followed by a large one in silver, this one being the third class, a smaller one in silver. It has the name of the artist (Tautenhayn) under the right shoulder of the emperor (Franz Joseph). The medal (about 3cm diameter) was first introduced in 1789 and this particular issue would have been introduced in 1914 as Austria had been at peace since the war with Prussia in 1866. It was the equivalent of the MM for the British Army, which was introduced in 1916, or perhaps even the DCM. Its condition is near EF. However, the medal itself would appear to have been struck from a somewhat worn die, as part of the logo of the emperor's title round the rim is fading out on the obverse and, on the reverse, the banner tops of the standards also appear to fade out somewhat. But the piece is unquestionably original, a period item produced under war time conditions, when worn medal dies were the least of Austria's worries. The ribbon is an accurate modern nylon copy (it is red and white, not pale blue as appears in the photo). |