Brass-colored medal with words Pour Le Mérite words and design

[kstf]

Hi guys,

This is the first thread I'm posting, and I'm hoping someone can help me identify this item.

It has the words and design of the Pour Le Mérite medal, but is made of what appears to be brass and has nothing on the back. I've put a penny and a 1 euro cent coin next to it in the picture for scale.

I don't have much information on the origin of this item other than it seems to have belonged to a relative in the US midwest. Along with it I came upon a pin with Berlin Hauptstadt der DDR on it. I'm not aware of anyone going to East Germany, so that is also a strange item.

Does anyone have any information about what this item is? My default assumption is that it's some sort of replica, but that leads me to the question of why one would have it? If one wanted a replica or fake PLM medal, why not make it have the colors of the original?

Thank you so much, and if anyone has thoughts on the DDR pin, I'd also be very curious although I know this isn't the right forum

[BlackCat1982]

I think the Pour Le Mérit brass medal is a replica of the Blue Max medal as awarded by Frederick the Great. The other DDR badge shows the Berlin Funk Turm, Radio tower.

[toot]

top one maybe a watch fob?

[VtwinVince]

I think the PLM is one of those that you could collect as a kid BITD, I've seen similar EK examples.

[Chopperman]

I agree with Vince on this, It looks a lot like some of the
toys offered back in the 1960s.

Here is an example of the iron cross. This one made by the Lowell Mfg. Co. of New York.

[MAP]

I don't think it even measures up to the quality of what Greg showed. This is a real roughly case piece.

[kstf]

Thanks for the replies guys. Looking at the quality it makes sense that it would be a toy replica. I wasn't aware that there were toy reproduction medals being made for collecting, fascinating! So kids would collect these and have them for display? Wear them around?

[VtwinVince]

Yup, I think you could order them from the back of a comic book, and there were a whole bunch, including the VC.

[Chopperman]

I've got several of the different medals but not all.
Check out these threads for a little bit more information------

Toy / miniature 1870 Ek2s

and

1870 Ek2 "Famous Military Medals"