BACKGROUND: The Allgemeine-SS, (General-SS), was originally formed in May 1923 as the Stosstrupp Adolf Hitler (Shock Troops), and redesignated Schutzstaffel, (Protection Squad), in April 1925 with the official acceptance of the name verified on the second anniversary of the failed Munich "Beer-Hall" Putsch on November 9^TH 1925. On January 6^TH 1929 Heinrich Himmler was appointed as Reichsführer-SS, (National Leader {of the} SS), and on July 20^TH 1934 shortly after the, June 30^TH 1934, purge of the SA, Sturm Abteilung, (Storm/Assault Detachment), on the "Night of the Long Knives", the SS was rewarded by Hitler by being granted the status of an independent organization under direct control of the NSDAP, Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei, (National Socialist German Worker’s Party). From its inception the SS began an aggressive policy of expansion which resulted in the formation of the SS-SD, SS-Sicherheitsdienst und Sicherheitspolizei, (SS-Security Service and Security Police), in June 1931, the SS-VT, SS-Verfügungstruppe, (SS-Special Purpose Troops), the SS-TV, SS-Totenkopfverbände, (SS-Death’s Head Units), in March 1933 and eventually the Waffen-SS in December 1939. Like other NSDAP, organizations the SS held numerous assorted rallies and events that were generally held as a show of strength and solidarity or were assorted sports competitions that were thinly veiled para-military exercises. With a deep understanding of the psychological effectiveness of awards and the recognition of special accomplishments the German army and the SS introduced numerous unofficial and semi-official items to acknowledge and reward a wide variety of achievements. Being unofficial or semi-official these types of items were generally privately purchased by a specific unit and came in numerous assorted designs and patterns. These type of items were quite often bestowed to acknowledge and reward a profusion of accomplishments including the victors of sporting events, superior vehicle maintenance, exceptional marksmanship or even to commemorate service in a particular unit or garrison.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Roughly, 3 1/8" diameter, 3/8" thick, heavy, cast alloy construction, table medallion with a bronze wash features the embossed, high relief, profile of a SS man wearing a driver’s crash helmet on a shield shaped base flanked by embossed, laurel leaves, SS runes and a three towered castle. The medallion has embossed script positioned above the SS man’s profile, "4.SS-Motor-Standarte", (4^TH SS Motor Regiment), and the engraved date positioned below the SS man’s profile, "21. 6. 1936", (June 21^ST 1936). The medallion retains about 95% of its age dulled, bronze wash. The medallion has a plain, solid reverse and no visible manufacturer’s markings.

GRADE ****                             PRICE $610.00