Prussian Oval Iron Medal for 1815.—This reminds us of the fact that the exchange made by modern German women of their gold wedding rings for those of iron is simply a repetition of a sacrifice which the women of Germany made during the Napoleonic Wars, when they gave their gold jewellery and replaced it by delicately made ornaments of iron, as visitors to the Victoria and Albert Museum may see. The medals awarded to the survivors of the wars were invariably of metal, some, like our Victoria Cross, having been made from captured cannon. This oval medal, however, is of iron and bears on the obverse King Frederick William's initials in German text capitals, surmounted by the Prussian crown and underneath
Fur Pflichirtreue im Kreige (For faithful service in war); encircling the whole is the legend
Gott war mit uns, Ihm sey die Ehre! (God was with us, to Him the honour). On the reverse is a cross patée with rays issuant between the arms and in the centre 1815. The medal is suspended from a white watered-silk ribbon with black and yellow stripes close to the edges. It was awarded to non-combatants.
Prussian Medals for 1813-15.—These were awarded by King Frederick William III to all those of his subjects who took part in the campaigns of 1813-14-15. On the obverse are the initials F. W. surmounted by a crown; below,
Preussens tapfern Kriegern (To Prussia's brave warriors), surrounded by the legend, with a border,
Gott war mit uns, Ihm sey die Ehre! (God was with us, to Him the honour). On the reverse, within a wreath of oak and laurel, tied with a ribbon at the base, upon a cross patée with rays, 1815—the date of the campaign. In the medals for 1813 and 1814 the arms of the cross are rounded at the ends and terminate at the medal rim. Indented round the edge, AUS EROBERTEM GESCHUETZ (from the captured guns). See page [52]. The ribbon is yellow, flanked by stripes of black and white.