Condition: Excellent Plus
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Product Description: This cased Heer West Wall Table Medal is a really attractive and scarce object. It’s made of metal, with most of the original finish intact. Slight wear to high points reveals the whitish color of the base metal, which contrasts with the mellow, slightly golden tone of the finish. The obverse depicts a German Army soldier, the wording “Die Wacht am Rhein” (The Guard at the Rhine, hearkening back to a traditional German soldiers’ song), and a map of positions along the Westwall as well as a shovel emblem and the wording “West Wall.” The reverse shows two sprigs of oak leaves, and a German swastika emblem, as well as a blank field for engraving (this example has no inscription). This nice Heer West Wall Table Medal is complete with its original case. The exterior of the case is covered with a leatherette material, with eye-catching brown and black mottled tones. There is some silver leaf ornamentation still present around the edge of the lid, and the push button and hinge remain functional. Inside, the medal rests in a recess in a black flocked insert. The silk lining to the lid and the hinge cover show age toning. This piece has great visual appeal, and is not often seen. The condition rates as excellent plus.
Historical Description: Military, political, civil and paramilitary organizations during the Third Reich created a wide variety of non-portable awards, mostly in the form of award plaques and table medals, but also including decorative plates, various kinds of trophies, and usable gift items. These awards were generally presented in cases where a medal or award to be worn on the uniform would not be appropriate. Non-portable awards were given to winners of various types of sport contests, as well as to recognize distinguished service to military or civilian organizations, and even private companies. The table medals were typically originally awarded inside special custom fitted cases, similar to those used for some military awards. They could be made of metal, or in some cases porcelain, and were generally finely struck, and of high quality. The wall plaques were typically made of metal, often mounted to a wood base. They could feature Hitler, organizational emblems, or other military or patriotic themed decoration. There was a vast range of non-portable awards made and used during the Third Reich. Some were unique, custom works of art. There were also factories that issued catalogs filled with all kinds of different mass-produced items. After the war, most of these items that bore images of the swastika or Hitler were destroyed to comply with Allied denazification policy.
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