Flipped German War Medal of 1870-71

The war between the Second French Empire and a Germanic coalition led by Prussia lasted from 1870 to 1871. It ended in a German Empire and a humiliated France. This is the second German Franco-Prussian War Medal I’ve posted. The earlier one was an unmounted version.

The German War Commemorative Medal of 1870-71 was created in 1871 in two classes, Bronze for combatants, and steel for non-combatants. The edge of this bronze medal is stamped “AUS EROBERTEM GESCHUETZ” (From conquered cannon). What should be the front has the royal cypher of Wilhelm I over the inscription “Dem siegreichen Heere” (To the victorious army). Inscribed around it is “Gott war mit uns, Ihm sei die Ehre” (God was with us, to Him be the glory). What is technically the reverse shows a Germanic cross, and at the center is a laurel wreath surrounding the years 1870 and 1871.

It is interesting that the medal is mounted reversed. Although the medal can be detached from the mount, I’ve left it as it came to me because photographic evidence of the time shows that many veterans wore the medal with the back side showing, and it does not look tampered with. Also, I think the back has a more attractive design, which is probably why it was reversed in the first place. The ribbon is mounted in the typical fashion of the time. The medal ring slides through a long slender vertical hook on the back that is further secured under the horizontal pin which is also used to attach it to the uniform.

At some point in time the regulations allowed that the ribbon could be worn with or without the medal depending on the occasion. No way to know when it was reversed, or by whom.