BACKGROUND: On January 30^TH 1938 Hitler instituted a series of Long Service Awards to recognize loyal long service in the police. The award was originally issued in three classes with the first class award for twenty-five years service, the second class award for eighteen years service and the third class award for eight years service. Allegedly another class of the award was introduced in August 1944 to recognize forty years loyal service and consisted of a golden metal cypher with "40" encompassed by an oak-leaf wreath to be affixed to the ribbon of the twenty-five year service award. 

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: First class, die struck alloy construction award with a fire gilted finish for twenty-five years service. The award is in the form of a Pattée style cross with a central, vertically oval, centerpiece. The obverse centerpiece features an embossed oak-leaf wreath encompassing a national eagle with out-stretched wings, clutching a canted, wreathed swastika on a smooth background field. The eagles wings extended beyond the oak-leaf wreath onto the horizontal arms of the cross. The reverse centerpiece has embossed block Latin script, "Für Treue Dienst in der Polizei", (For Loyal Service in the Police), also on a smooth background field. The arms of the cross have a slightly textured background field with a smooth, raised, outer border edging. The fire gilted finish is fully retained and is still quite clean and bright. The ribbon suspension ring and medal loop are both intact and the suspension ring is well marked with the impressed manufacturers numerical code that appears to be, "16", indicating manufacture by Alois Rettenmaier of Schwäbisch-Gmünd. The award comes complete with a roughly, 1 3/16" wide, 6" long, piece of original ribbed, cornflower blue, moire rayon ribbon.

GRADE ****                             PRICE $234.00