War Merit Medal ??

[Borzadow]

I was wondering - WHY I can't see any War Merit Medals (Kriegsverdienstmedaille) in a 1957ers? The was not prohibited by Ordensgesetz vom 1957, they was also not officially allowed, but as I can see most of makers did produce a lot of decorations that doesn't figure in that Ordensgesetz (and isn't prohibited). Or maybe they was put in the Ordensgesetz category "Leistungabzeichen"?

[reichenberg]

I'm going to hazzard a guess and say it's because no combat veteran who served during the Third Reich era would ever have been awarded one, so you won't find them on postwar ribbon bars or groups. It would have been held mainly by civilians for factory production work ect, or by female auxiliaries who did not go on join the armed forces after the war. Having said that, they do seem to be rare in the 1957 version.

[Nigel N]

Hi Patryk!!!
Ray is right, they do exist in 57 form, but are really rare, i guess not many people bothered to buy them again?
Not much demand = not many made.
They were one of the most common wartime medals, but have now become one of the scarcest 57 medals, also, the few i have seen have all been early, dont know if they even bothered making them later for the collectors market??
-Nigel
KVM Obverse.jpg

KVM Reverse.jpg

[Tom C.]

very rare = very very very very rare never seen one for sale yet

regards
tom

[speedytop]

You could buy the medal in Post 3 in the late 80s in the Kleiderkasse für die Bundeswehr, exact this type with the many dots.

Uwe

[Nigel N]

You could buy the medal in Post 3 in the late 80s in the Kleiderkasse für die Bundeswehr, exact this type with the many dots.

Uwe

Thanks Uwe!!!
The KVM is'nt mine, i dont own any, so i dont know the age of the pictured medal, but it looks good for an 80's one?
-Nigel

[speedytop]

It could be a 60s or 70s one.

The KKBw offered the medal several years, last in the 1981 catalogue (16,-DM).
In the 1983 catalogue there is no longer a "Kriegsverdienstmedaille".

The last catalogue with decorations before 1945 is from 1989.
The next catalogue from 1992 don't offer decorations before 1945, but there are some coloured pictures with such decorations (medal bar, ribbon bar and mini chain)
In the catalogue from 1994 only b/w pictures of decorations before 1945 (ribbon bar and mini chain).
In the next catalogue from 2000 you can only find post 1945 decorations, the pictures included.

I think, that I bougt my "Kriegsverdienstmedaille" some years later than 1983, that was not a problem for me.
And I think, that they stored a few medals some decades, but it was a storage without demand.

The specimen (Muster) from St&L don't have so much dots/bubbles.

Uwe

[Nigel N]

Thanks for the information Uwe, helpful as always!!!!
-Nigel

[Borzadow]

One more time I've learn (and not only me I think) something new. Thanks for your inputs
btw it's quite funny that in TR this medals was w scrap and in 57 they are a Holy Grail...

[Matthieu]

Indeed a common badge ( and I do not mean any disrespect by that ) but one of the hardest ones to find in 1957 style .... .

[luftkrieg]

One more time I've learn (and not only me I think) something new.

I'll second that! A very interesting read!

[Tom C.]

Indeed a common badge ( and I do not mean any disrespect by that ) but one of the hardest ones to find in 1957 style .... .

I third that i would have to say that it would probably be easier to find a eboat in mint condition with early pin than one of these (now that ive said that 50 will pop up on ebay

regards
tom

[Mike Yokum]

Excellent and informative thread gentlemen.

I too have often wondered why so few BVM's are encountered.

[Seewolf]

Damned, you´re right

I never, really never thought about a "simple" award like the war merit medal
It indeed is, although a lower award, a really hard to find piece. Curious when we´ll see one in a group. I could imagine to find one in a group with a Luftschutz medal...that was common practice to award both together