18 Year Long Service Award

Product Description: This 18 Year Long Service Award is an attractive cross, in the pattern used by the Heer and Luftwaffe. It is made of a silvered brass alloy (Tombak), and is a top quality piece, with a substantial feel. It is likely prewar production. Virtually all of the original, factory applied silver finish remains intact, with only light scattered marks. The original finish has great shine, with minimal age toning and nice gleam to the polished highlights. There is a bit of patina, mostly to the obverse. All of the crisp original detail is intact, and there is no sign of wear. There is no suspension ring or ribbon. This is an appealing original example of a Wehrmacht 18 Year Long Service Award, that remains in near mint condition.

Historical Description: Prior to WWII, the German military and civil authorities instituted a wide range of Long Service Awards to reward personnel for years of service. These awards were used by all branches of the German military, as well as civil and political organizations such as the police, the customs service, and the National Labor Service (RAD). There was also a general Long Service Award for civil service. Each of these awards was issued in the form of a medal that was suspended from a cornflower blue ribbon. Many of these were made in different grades denoting a specific number of years of service. They were worn on the uniform in the form of ribbon or medal bars, and up to two long service awards could be worn at the same time. In most cases, a device affixed to the ribbon bar would denote for which service the award had been issued; sometimes the medals themselves had devices on the ribbons, either in the form of pinned-on metal emblems, or else hand or machine embroidery applied directly to the ribbon. Some German Long Service Awards were very widely awarded, others were made and issued only in small numbers.

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