Help to ID a medal

[Georg]

I picked this medal up with in a lot of WW1 stuff at auction, can anyone help to ID it, at first I thought that it may be RELIGIOUS, but as I look at it may-be not, can anyone read the back ( I tried but the word seems to run together).

[Rommel1942]

How big is this? could you compare it to a penny or something in a photo?

[tampalam]

It appears to have something to do with work in the international red cross during fighting in WWI from 1914 to 1915. It is hard to tell wherre words end and begin. Looks like a little token medallion.

[Georg]

Thanks for the information,It is approx 2 in long and it is not magnetic.

[oradour]

Georg, I have not seen this medallion before, rather nice little number !...however the text on the back does seem to suggest that the medallion was for the men of the town of "Offenbach am Main" that served in the great war 1914-1915 in the national (German) Red Cross organisation, issued on their behalf by the war welfare service. I could be out on the translation as this is a 'literal' translation attempt, as their are a few words that won't translate, if a German member can translate that would be super. It seems to read, " IN ERINNERRUNGAN DEBENAGELUNG DESEIESERNAN MANNS OFFENBACHaM IN DEN JAHREN DES GROSSEN KRIEGES ZU GUNSTENDES ROTEN KREUZES-DERNATIONALSTIF TUNGUND DER KRIEGSFUERSORGE". phew ! hope I got that right !.....IMO this is a medallion issued after the end of WW1, commemorative, lots of towns/cities in Germany in the years after the Great War honoured their citizens with various medals/coins etc....through local organisations set up to help/assist in the welfare of veterans.
Prost ! Steve.

[Redgemak]

IN ERINNERRUNG AN DEBENAGELUNG DES EISERNEN MANNS OFFENBACHaM IN DEN JAHREN DES GROSSEN KRIEGES ZU GUNSTEN DES ROTEN KREUZES-DER NATIONALSTIFTUNG UND DER KRIEGSFUERSORGE
which translates
IN REMEMBRENCE OF NAILING THE IRON MAN OF OFFENBACH at the river MAIN IN THE YEARS OF THE GREAT WAR IN FAVOUR OF THE RED CROSS, THE NATIONAL FOUNDATION AND THE KRIEGSFUERSORGE.

The Iron man was a propaganda figure to help the shortage of mainly iron for the war effort.
People could place an iron nail in the statue to support the army.

Wehrmann in Eisen


Jean

[oradour]

Redgemak, another snippit of WW1 information gleaned, thanks for that ! (nearly got it right!)...for other members this is what I have since learnt via Wikapedia "The establishment of the nail column in Mainz was an idea of Dr. Karl Emil, mayor of Göttelmann. Inaugurated on 1 July 1916 in a pompous celebration, the seven metres high nail column, with an "iron cross “, and the saying "In war emergency help us God ", consisted of oak trunks and three surrounding stone columns. First and most prominent donor was the entire großherzogliche family: Grand Duke Ernst Ludwig of Hessen, his wife and the two princes were allowed to hit the first nails. On 20 August 1916 the nailing of the column was terminated. The donation action brought altogether 170,000 Marks, at today's purchasing power that is approximately 800,000 euros. The nail column is in the east of the cathedral at the 'dear woman place', "...........
fascinating stuff indeed...
Prost ! steve.