Mine Rescue Medal

Product Description: This Mine Rescue Medal is a nice example of this hard-to-find award. The medal is made of a fine, high grade zinc alloy. It shows some age and wear, but still retains some of the original factory applied silver finish. Both sides show a nice, even age patina. The obverse shows nice detail to the eagle, and the surfaces of the background are smooth, with some small marks. The lettering on the reverse is crisp, and there are some light scratches in one area. The original suspension ring is intact and retains a short length of original white, black and orange ribbon. The ribbon shows age, with heavy fading and a small area of deterioration and fraying. Overall, this scarce and all-original Mine Rescue Medal remains in excellent condition.

Historical Description: During the Third Reich, the various German trade unions were nationalized and consolidated. One of the trade associations that was not wholly incorporated into a larger organization was the German Miners Association (Bergbau). The National Bureau of Mines was created in 1936 to oversee the German mines tasked with extracting and distributing various raw materials. This National Bureau of Mines was the successor to many state and individual miners’ associations. The German miners service was steeped in tradition, with miners having their own formal regalia long before WWII. This tradition continued in the Third Reich, with the various Bergbau formal uniform items being among the most elaborate of all German uniforms from that time. In addition to these ceremonial uniforms and headgear, Bergbau personnel had specific belt buckles and various edged weapons bearing the crossed sword and mallet organizational Bergbau emblem. Bergbau items were manufactured in smaller quantities than items made for other, larger organizations, and are often difficult to find today.

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