Ostmedaille Eastern Front Medal – Förster & Barth

Product Description: This Ostmedaille Eastern Front Medal is a very appealing gem. It is made of zinc, as all of these were, and retains virtually all of the original finish, with bright silvering to the helmet and outer rim that contrasts handsomely with the original darkening in the center. Both sides of this medal retain excellent original detail and beautiful finish. The original suspension ring is intact, and is marked with the Präsidialkanzlei code “10” indicating manufacture by the firm of Förster & Barth in Pforzheim. It is very rare to find this award by this maker, in such good condition. This Ostmedaille Eastern Front Medal is complete with its correct original red, white and black ribbon, which is full length, crisp, and fresh, with virtually no age toning. Of the Eastern Front Medlas that have survived to this day, only a tiny fraction retain this original, almost factory fresh look. The condition of this award rates as near mint. It would likely be impossible to upgrade.

Historical Description: The Eastern Front Medal (Medaille “Winterschlacht im Osten” 1941/42) was a German military campaign decoration awarded to all Axis personnel who met specific criteria pertaining toduty on the Eastern Front between November 15, 1941, and April 15, 1942. This was the bitter, horrible first winter on the Eastern Front, in which millions of men who were unprepared for the brunt of the Russian winter were forced to fight in often inhuman conditions. The award was designed by SS-Unterscharführer Ernst Krauit. The obverse featured a striking Wehrmacht eagle on a massive, static swastika, surmounted by a Wehrmacht steel helmet and hand grenade. Early examples of this award were tombak, with later issues being struck from zinc. The medal had a chemically darkened finish, with silvering on the rim and to the helmet and hand grenade motif. It was suspended from a red, white and black striped ribbon. On field uniforms, only the ribbon was worn; the medal could be worn as part of a medal bar on dress uniforms. To earn this award, soldiers had to have served within a specific geographic region that had been officially designated as the area of the Eastern Front. Within this region, to qualify for the award, ground soldiers had to have experienced 14 days of active combat, or 60 days of continuous service in a combat zone. Soldiers who were wounded in combat or who suffered frostbite severe enough to merit the award of a Wound Badge were also eligible for the Eastern Front Medal. Luftwaffe soldiers had to have flown 30 combat sorties over the Front to qualify. In 1943, the award criteria were expanded to allow for awards to non-combatants who had served within the area of the Front. By the time award of the Eastern Front Medal ceased in September 1944, over three million of the medals had been awarded.

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