Walther Eberbach 1919
・ENGLAND・KNEBELT・ — NEUTRALEN・WETTBEWERB・UM・GER — AUBTES・DEUTSCHES・GUT・ (England stifles neutral competition for stolen German property). Cast bronze, light-brown patina, 69.5mm, 84.51 g. Beveled edge (diameter of reverse slightly smaller than that of obverse). Edge-punch of uncertain meaning (E - ?). Vorzüglich (extremely fine). Rare!
Obverse: On low pedestal at left sits anthropomorphic British Bulldog, to right, wearing tiny crown and holding in its right hand large bag inscribed 81000 KA / KARAT / DEUTS[CHE] / DIAMA[NTEN] (81000 account statement(?) carat German diamonds - see below), left hand holding high a radiant diamond; kneeling at right, facing left, shabbily clothed, gagged man raises bound hands in supplication; gag free-end inscribed HOLLAND・; title legend in double border encircling edge, separated by image as indicated; artist's signature and date W.EBERBACH・1917・ on base of pedestal; raised rim.
Reverse: From smoldering landscape of thorny vines rises single spiraling shoot bearing radiant long spines; dates 1914 - 19 separated by plant stem; monogram interlaced EW at lower right; raised rim.
Cf: Lipp, Peter. 2018. Heilbronn geprägt und gegossen: Stadtgeschichte auf Münzen und Medaillen vom Mittelalter bis heute, p. 194: no. 462.For an example in the Staatliche Museen zu Berlin Münzkabinett, see Münzkabinett, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin Acc. 1920/413, Objekt-Nr: 18235026:
https://ikmk.smb.museum/object?lang=en&id=18235026.
Design of obverse dated 1917 predates that on reverse (1919). Eberbach used the same reverse design and date on another medal with an obverse dated earlier (1916): "Poilu and Death/Marianne" (see my previous post). Whether either of these medals had originally been produced in 1916 or 1917 is uncertain: thus far no examples are known. Two of his original wartime iron "
Totentanz" designs, dated 1916, reissued in bronze with the identical 1919 reverse design are in the Landesmuseum Württemberg Münzkabinett:
https://bawue.museum-digital.de/index.php?t=objekt&oges=18546&cachesLoaded=true and
https://bawue.museum-digital.de/index.php?t=objekt&oges=18541&cachesLoaded=true.
The incident satirized on the obverse of this propaganda medal is thus far unknown to me. Also uncertain is the meaning of the inscription on the Bulldog's bag: KA can be an abbreviation for
Kontoauszug (statement of account),
Konzessionsausgabe (licensing return), or
Kreditabkommen (credit- or loan agreement).
I would welcome any reader's comments or further explanation of this medal's meaning.