‘For services to the German sheep’ (Für Verdienste um die deutsche Schafzucht)

[DrPMC]

I thought I'd update this thread with the latest addition to my decidedly 'niche' collection, the silver award of the Reichsverband deutscher Schafzüchter (Reich Association of German Sheep Farmers). The pictures below are from the seller - hopefully it's now in transit.




As I mentioned in the first post, I have been puzzled as to how these awards were originally mounted but now may have the correct answer. Given that these are very obscure awards, I was surprised to see a set of bronze, silver and gold awards currently for sale. As you will see, on this occasion, they are on what seems to their original mounting. The vendor states: 'Medals are all uni-face, and period mounted on a thick cardboard (they were period framed, but due to transportation difficulties I had to remove them from old frames). In mint condition, one flap missing on one medal. Three medals are named/engraved to "Georg Mayer Sixenhoft Aalen"'. Great pity that original frames have gone, although, in any case, these are priced too highly for me to consider.

So mystery solved. Probably not of a great deal of interest on a militaria forum, but the quality of the piece is superb and a great example of the fine craftsmanship of the period.

Regards, Philip



















Photos: A Collection of Merit Awards of German Sheep Farmers Association - Other Civil Awards - Third Reich - Civil Awards - Germany - Europe

[Adrian Stevenson]

Very interesting. Just goes to show there is always something new out there to learn about.

Thanks for showing these.

Cheers, Ade.

[leuss]

is it the same galvano as the first one here, or original medal?

[DrPMC]

is it the same galvano as the first one here, or original medal?

I'm sorry, I'm not clear about the word 'galvano'. All the awards I have posted are of the same type of construction. The first one I posted was a bronze, the most recent one a silver. The three other eMedals examples (which I don't own) are of identical form and construction but in a mounted condition.

Actually, I think that the example that you posted pictures 0f (#12 above) is also the same and not a double sided medal. If one looks at the right hand image below, it can be seen from the way that medal is lying that the other side is flat - if the ram's head was on the reverse it would not lie like that. Hope that is clear, its not easy to explain.

[leuss]

yes, I know, but I am not sure about it - why unusual one side plaque like galvano? I have many Reichsnährstand medals and award, but never seen something from RNST like this one side pieces. Its very very untypical. But I had a lot of one side galvano (?) copies of well knonw and unknown (for me) medals from 19-20 C. (about 300 pieces). With the same mounting. I'll search for the pictures and post it here

[DrPMC]

[...] I have many Reichsnährstand medals and award, but never seen something from RNST like this one side pieces. Its very very untypical. [...]

It is certainly an unusual award, but it seem to me that it is hard to speak of a 'typical' Reichsnährstand award. This one was issued by an affiliated organisation (Reichsverband deutscher Schafzüchter), of which - as you will know - there were many. Also, even within the main Reichsnährstand organisation, there was no standardisation across the Reich, with each area apparently issuing awards of its own devising. For example, in my own small collection (below) I have awards for long service which take a number of different forms - I suspect there must be others that I haven't even seen.

It's an area of collecting of which relatively little seems to be known - there is little published and seemingly few contemporary photographs of awards being worn. I imagine that there are images in archives and old newspapers and journals but little incentive for anyone to do all the hard work to find, collect and study them.