Cased Memel Medal Opinions

[Steve B]

Getting ready to put this cased Memel Medal up for sale. Appears to have proper crooked G. The case was made by Dreschler. I was told that the original memel case is the same as the Czech Occupation medal case.
The ribbon appears to be a replacement. Any opinions?
Thanks,
Steve

[Steve B]

Inside with case hallmark

Cased

[Steve B]

Close Front

front

[Steve B]

Medal reverse

reverse.

[David C]

I have no idea if the case is correct for a Memel but it does look like a period case. The pics suffer from flashblast a bit but the reverse is correct for the most widely accepted 'double acorn' type.

Cheers,
David.

[Seigfried]

Both case & award look fine to me but isn't the case you show an Anschluss red one as opposed to a Czech Burgundy one that you mention? I think that if the Memel came in any case it is the red one shown.

John

[Steve B]

Cased memel

David and John:
Many thanks. Any idea what a fair price might be for this cased version?
Thanks,
Steve

[Seigfried]

$220-$260 ish? Check the dealers sites and see what the going rate is.

John

[MH184]

It's possible these came cased sure, but I'm of an opinion they were only probably ever issued in paper packets if honest.

[Steve B]

Cased Memel

Hi Marcus:

I saw some paper containers on this site in the discussions. Is there any reason why the first two flower medals were both issued in cases and the 3rd medal in paper? All three were designed by the same person and produced in high quality? I do not understand why only this last medal would only be issued in a packet?
Steve

[MH184]

Hi Steve,

I think you hit the nail some what in your last sentance, this being the last one. And no, I don't understand either !

Of course so far we can only deliberate with very little known facts, author upon author and new and old collectors and dealers really don't know.....I've asked and enquired to no real avail as of yet but I'll pose this:

In issue regards both the Austrian and Czech medals were also issued in packets, these were in fact later issues in and around the early part of 1939. You then have Ldo forms of packageing which has nothing to do with the exact period concerned and issue.

When the Czech medal was given out to yet further civil persons and the armed forces, it's believed most were packeted awards and when the spange entitled, it was just literally added into the packet or in instances placed into the box. This is based on fact of recipient word and documented groups and other* (* other - not my research), I even have such a group. There were in excess of a million of these issued........all of them boxed !? (Not all the EK's were even boxed)

I know what you mean though and it's something thats bugged me for a long time, yes all designed by Klein...then why have a different distinguishing box for the Czech medal, from the first Austrian medal and not the third and last Memel ?

Sure it makes sense to have a box, if not for the sake of logic in continuity of the sequence, you'd think it would be then perhaps a different colour, another substantial shade of red perhaps. Or even as suggested one of the other boxes, why any paticular one I don't know the reasoning for that though. But, the Czech medal has been found genuinely in the Austrian red box, the reasons for that are perhaps as broad as they are numerous.

There's more questions than answers and the rest is conjecture and educated guessing more than anything.

It could have been due to the limited recipients or the fact it was a very late in 1939 issued medal, maybe even some makers used surplus boxes and some didn't for any unknown reason ?

Perhaps only boxed Memels (useing Aust or Czech boxes) were given to high ranking officials and officers and the rest then in packets, like the West Wall medal ??

Forgetting the desigantion marked packets for now totally as these are attributed to one maker alone and are contentious at best, so we'll leave them out of the equation.

En masse for the Memel, there is no supporting evidence at all to suggest it ever came boxed to date, there is however more reason to accept the notion they came in packets (blank devoid of desigantion like the Aust and Czech). The later issue of Austrian and Czech medals in such, the late issue of the Memel, no older collector or author of the past and present recollects the Memel ever being cased....this is an addition of their research and enquiries not just their thoughts or impression.

I think the box had little meaning, but for a presentation protective asthetic object, there was a demand and and use of alternate packaging and the Memel was swept into that progression. It's this I believe, if any were boxed I don't know nor does anyone else.....but there's no evidence to suggest a specific box or other, and if any other boxes were used we don't know, it's possible yes.

I think the only plauseable explanation thus far is a packet solution, with a possible/probable consideration for some of the 31, 000 odd Memel issued perhaps being boxed. But in 65 years no one has been able to account for this.

All very interesting I'm sure but at the end of the day, if you're medal is genuine the packageing thoughts are secondary...even to me.


Kr

Marcus