WWI began in August 1914 and was followed with a quick strike into neutral Belgium by German forces as a preplanned route towards France. General Otto v. Emmerich commanded the German X Corps which was engaged. It is of historical interest that the German dirigible Z-6 had bombed Lüttich on 6 August which reportedly struck an immense amount of fear into the defenders since this type of warfare had never been used previously. Liege was a fortified city with a large Belgium military presence and the quick victory bolstered the German faith in their war plans. One of the first conquests by German forces was the capture of Liege (Luik in Dutch and Lüttich or Luettich in German) along the German - Belgium border on 7 August 1914. This victory was commemorated in Germany by the making of a medal - in this particular case, the current term is tinnie - which was sold across Germany as part of a war fund raising campaign. This tradition continued during the early years of WWI until eventually vanishing due to lack of interest, funds, and material. The medal illustrated is the only one I've seen in over 50 years of medal collecting, perhaps there are more.
The obverse has Kaiser Wilhelm II's uniformed bust centered with WILHELM II DEUTSCHER KAISER - Wilhelm II German Kaiser - arced within the rim. The small Stuttgart hallmark M.&W.ST. appears below the Kaiser's left arm. The reverse is a six line inscription within a laurel wreath with ZUR ERINNERUNG AN DIE EINNAHME V. LÜTTICH A. 7. AUG. 1914. - For commemoration of the capture of Liege on 7th August 1914.
This particular example has not yet been located in documentation but the manufacturer style is well-known as the obverse die was used on later medals with only the reverse wording being changed. It is not official nor rare but it is very uncommon and has substantial historical significance. At 3.3cm in diameter, the medal has a flat facing suspension loop which is an integral part of the tin-aluminum alloy medal and is die struck. The pin-back mounted ribbon (halved black & yellow mounted Austrian style or Navy style) is not believed to be original and was possibly added by a dealer or collector many years ago (although they do appear to be contemporary). My suspicion is based on viewing similar medals from the same obverse die which have an ornamental metalic suspension (possibly a black/white/red ribbon), enameled stamped metal of the same type as the medal. This comment is by no means definitive until another verified example is found.
Medal collecting is a fascinating hobby - especially for those with an interest in history. If you're interested in more guides similar to this, a Yes vote is appreciated so I can gauge eBayer interest in historical items. For more information, please visit my other guides or blog (http://blogs.ebay.com/tsa-li). Thanks for viewing.
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