C16853 CASED "LUSITANIA" MEDALLION. A British copy, struck for propaganda purposes, of a German medallion commemorating the sinking of the trans-Atlantic passenger liner "Lusitania," complete with its original case and supplementary material. The 2 3/16" diameter medallion, which is cast in approximately 3/16" thick iron, depicts, to its obverse, the liner sinking stern first, with armor, artillery and aircraft slipping off of its bow, which is modeled to resemble that of a warship. "Keine Bannware!" (No Contraband!) arches over the sinking vessel, and "Der Grossdampfer =Lusitania= Durch Ein Deutsches Tauchboot Versenkt 5 May 1915" (The Great-steamer =Lustania= By A German Diving-boat [Submarine] Sunk 5 May 1915) is embossed beneath the image. Although the medallion is a very close reproduction of the original, including its erroneous date (the second German issue corrected the date to the seventh of May), the British copies differ in that there is no decimal point after the "5," and the German spelling of "Mai" has been changed to its English equivalent. The reverse depicts a crowd queuing before the Cunard line’s "Fahrkarten Ausgabe" (Ticket Distribution) booth, which is manned by a skeleton, with one of those present reading a newspaper whose headline is "U-Boot Gefahr" (Submarine ["Unterseeboot"] Danger). The figure behind the man with the newspaper, with a beard and wearing a top-hat, is supposed to be a representation of the German Ambassador to Washington, Count Johann-Heinrich von Bernstorff, who had issued a warning, published in the New York newspapers opposite the advertisements for the Lusitania’s voyage, that passengers were at risk traveling in waters which were declared war zones. "Geschäft Über Alles" (Business Above All) arches above the image, and "K.G" is to its base, which are the initials of the original designer, Karl Goetz. The medallion looks much the same as it must have when it was first produced, with only light soiling and surface spotting betraying its age. The included, 3 1/8" x 3 1/8" x 7/16", cardboard case is covered in burgundy leatherette along both its exterior and interior sides, and opens along a hinge of this material to its top edge, that has presently separated. Whereas the base of the case has an unremarkable white paper facing, its cover features an illustration of the four-stack liner slicing through the waves, with "R.M.S. Lusitania: Cunard Line - 32000 Tons: Sunk On Her Return Journey From The United States By A German Submarine May 7th 1915" printed underneath. The base of the interior is lined in a white, felt-like material, with a depression for the medallion set into it. To the inside of the cover is printed a brief explanation of the point of the medallion. The interior is lightly to moderately soiled, and the exterior of the case exhibits moderate to heavy edge wear and moderate age soiling. Accompanying the cased medallion is a 7 3/8" x 9 7/8" sheet of paper, with three horizontal and two vertical folds to it, entitled "A German Naval Victory." Following a quotation from the Cologne People’s-daily are illustrations of the obverse and reverse of the medallion, and a more detailed explanation of the object itself. The paper is age yellowed and edge worn, and has separated along many of its seams. This leaflet was one of two versions, in this case, the one included with the medallions sold to raise money for the Red Cross. Also accompanying the medallion is a 7 1/2" x 3 3/4" sheet of glossy paper, printed to both sides, whose obverse features a black and white photographic reproduction of each face of the medallion, beneath the headings "The Lusitania Medal," and "Issued in Berlin May 5, 1915 - Two Days Before the Great Liner was Sunk (May 7, 1915)." This created two myths - that the medallion was officially issued by the German government (and not, as was the truth, as a limited, private production), and that the mistaken date was not an oversight on the part of the designer, but evidence of a premeditated action. To the reverse of this paper, entitled "A Matter Of Secret History," is a development of these myths along with a translation of the inscriptions, among which is the assumption that the designer’s initials actually mean "Kaiser und Gott" (Emperor and God). There is one horizontal and three vertical fold lines to this paper, and it exhibits light to moderate age yellowing and soiling. Although not part of the supplementary material, also included is a 2 1/8" x 3 1/4" clipping from a Canadian newspaper, with a "1930" date handwritten on it, entitled "Novel German Medal Found." The brief article explains "...those who have examined the local medal claim it is novel in that it is dated May 5, 1915, while the Lusitania was torpedoed on May 7." It is typically age yellowed. Overall, a very complete grouping of an excellent example of First World War allied propaganda.

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