SMGL-2357 Prussian Red Cross Medal of Honor, Cased

A very nice and hard to find award.

Medal of Honour of the Prussian Red Cross, III class, grey iron (PREUSSEN. Medaille f?r Verdienste um das Preu?ische Rote Kreuz, III. Klasse, Eisen grau), 1916-1921 issue

Circular grey iron medal with eyelet and replaced loop for ribbon suspension; the face with a Greek (Geneva) cross with vertical hatching denoting the heraldic color gules (red), a Prussian crown at the end of each arm, the letters ?WRAV? (for Wilhelm II, Emperor of Germany, King of Prussia); the reverse inscribed ?FUER VERDIENSTE UM DAS ROTHE KREUZ? (For service to the Red Cross). Prussia was officially represented at the conference held in Geneva from 26 to 29 October 1863 and its Red Cross Society was formed shortly after, making it one of the earliest societies. In 1864, Prussia was one of the original twelve signatories of the Geneva Convention. The medal was created in 1897 for service to the Prussian Red Cross Society. On 23 May 1916 a Royal Decree instructed that all medals were to be made in iron (rather than bronze) as from September of that year. On 27 October 1916 a further Royal Decree commanded that the medal be made of ?Kriegsmetall? (zinc alloy) from July 1917. The medal was issued in both these metals until 1921.