Meine Dienstzeit / Meine Rekrutierung Medals

Meine Dienstzeit / Meine Rekrutierung Medals

Listed here are three German Imperial era military service medals. These are private purchase souvenir medals. Germany had a system of conscripted military service even before the unification. The system included training and active duty years followed by time in the active and inactive reserves. Conscripts called their years Meine Dienstzeit ( my time in service). Wealthier individuals who volunteered and paid for their own kits, usually cavalry, got a much better deal with shorter active duty time periods and often referred to their time as Meine Rekrutierung (my recruitment).

1) Meine Dienstzeit medal, bronze with loop circa 1872, 28 mm in diameter. Obverse Kaiser Wilhelm I. Reverse 1870 Iron Cross indicating that this medal was intended for Franco Prussian War veterans whose service ended in the early 1870‘s.

2) Meine Dienstzeit medal in nickel plated bronze with loop circa 1888, 28 mm in diameter. Obverse portraits of the three German emperors: Wilhelm I, Friedrich III, Wilhelm II. The only year that Germany had three Emperors was 1888; Wilhelm I died early in the year and was succeeded by Friedrich III who had terminal throat cancer and sadly only lasted three months. (We can only imagine how much better the world would have been had he lived to old age.) He was succeeded by Wilhelm II who managed to destroy Germany and the old world order in thirty short years. The reverse has the normal inscription with the dates 1887/90.

3) Meine Rekrutierung medal, this one is a shell card which is made of two thin layers of copper metal with a card board center, holed at the top which is normal for these, 28 mm in diameter. Circa 1890. Obverse has a very young portrait of Kaiser Wilhelm II. Reverse has the normal inscription.