102855 | GERMANY. Voyage of the "Deutschland" cast iron Medal.

102855  |  GERMANY. Voyage of the Deutschland cast iron Medal. Issued 1916 (85mm, 151.32 g, 12h). By E. Zehle.

 

Beaver swimming left, evading netting from below; "DRÜBER WEG NICHT!–DRUNTER DURCH!" (Don't go over! Instead, go under!) // ZUR ERINNERUNG AN DIE I. FAHRTUND GLÜCKLICHE HEIMKEHR DES H.-U.-BOOTES : DEUTSCHLAND: 23 8 1916 (in commemoration of the voyage and happy homecoming of the U-boat 'Deutschland'), two men in fishing boat, hauling up a net, while two others do the same in background to right; in four lines below, –LORD CECIL– / "dem Grossbritannischen / Blockademinister gewidmet" (presented to Lord Cecil, Great Britain's minister of the blockade). Edge: Some filing marks as made, otherwise plain.

 

Klose –; The Art of Devastation –; ANS Collection 7513.2658.1; Royal Museums Greenwich MEC2389. Gem Mint State. Pale charcoal gray surfaces, with excellent detailing throughout. A fairly scarce type that is extremely difficult to encounter this attractive and problem-free.

 

Before America's involvement in World War I and declaration of war against Germany, the two powers generally shared an amicable relationship, with Germany needing the ability to continue trading with America during the war's early years. Naval blockades imposed and enforced by Great Britain (under the direction of Lord Robert Cecil, 1st Viscount Cecil of Chelwood, a British minister), prevented Germany from the ability to trade for goods needed for her war effort. Rather than using normal cargo ships, the plan was devised to use submarines, or U-boats, instead, thus evading the blockade by sailing underneath them. The first such evasion of the blockade was by the U-boat Deutschland, which successfully arrived in America on 9 July 1916 in the Port of Baltimore. In this piece, Zehle compares the submarines to beavers evading netting, with the netting being a metaphor for the blockade. The beaver was an obvious choice for Zehle, as he was an early environmental advocate and played a leading role in helping to restore the Eurasian Beaver to its natural ecosystems.

 

Upload: 1 June 2024.

 

Sorry, this item is no longer available.