102306 | GERMANY. "Sachsen-Thaler" bronze Medal.

102306  |  GERMANY. "Sachsen-Thaler" bronze Medal. Issued circa 1918/9 on the end of World War I (59mm, 89.33, 12h). By G. Wrba.

 

Nude male right, clutching the neck of the Grim Reaper, who holds scythe and sits atop a horse whose head is held down by the foot of the former / SACHSEN–THALER / 1914–1918, numerous soldiers on horses rearing right and holding spears before them. Edge: Plain.

 

Klose 11.30. Gem Mint State. Deep cobalt-brown surfaces, with a slightly matte nature. A fairly engaging and scarce medal, especially in this enticing state of preservation.

 

Following the end of the Great War, the author of the medal here looks back at the immense conflict that was. In wars prior, the cavalry was the main focal point of one's offense, but given the technological changes that World War I initiated with respect to warfare, their effectiveness was vastly diminished. As such, this medal serves as a lamentation not only for all the loss that had transpired, but also for the changing scene of modern war—something far removed from the manner in which wars had been conducted for millennia up to that point. In an aspirational move, however, the depiction of man defeating death serves to uplift the mood somewhat, alluding to the fact that the conflict and the specter of death had been cast aside.

 

Upload: 15 March 2023.