Service award (Kingdom of Saxony)
The service awards of the Kingdom of Saxony were a "state" award and were first donated in 1831 and awarded in three different models until 1918.
Models
1. Model of service award
The first military service award in the form of a medal (in bronze and silver) was donated on December 24th, 1831 by King Anton and his co-regent Friedrich August II. It replaced the "cloth colors" used up until then on the uniform.
2. Model of service award
The second model of the military service award was donated on April 23, 1874 by King Albert of Saxony . The background for the renewed foundation was the endeavor of the kingdom to bring the service awards into line with those of the other German states (especially Prussia). A distinction was made between the following classification:
- Service award for officers and doctors (DAK)
- 1st class golden paw cross after 25 years of impeccable service
- Service award for NCOs and crews
- 1st class: Gold medal after 21 years of impeccable service,
- 2nd class: Silver medal after 15 years of impeccable service,
- 3rd class: Bronze medal after 9 years of impeccable service.
- Service award Landwehr (LDA)
- 1st class: Silver paw cross with central gold medallion after 25 years of impeccable service
- 2nd class: nickel silver buckle (later gold medal)
3. Model of service award
The third and last model of the military service award in the Kingdom of Saxony was on September 6, 1913 by Friedrich August III. Donated and again based on the model of service awards in Prussia, which was modified a few months earlier. From this 3rd model onwards, there was no longer any distinction between officer's cross and non-commissioned officer or team medal. Thus, every member of the military could now be honored with all classes of service award.
- 1st class: copper-colored paw cross for a perfect 15 years of impeccable service,
- 2nd class: bronze tones medal for 12 years of perfect service (unusual color choice),
- 3rd class: Silver medal for 9 years of perfect service.
It was generally the same that previously awarded medals and / or crosses could be exchanged for the new models. In the event of the death of the borrower, the awards had to be returned to the responsible district command by the bereaved. However, they had the opportunity to purchase the pieces so that they could remain with them as souvenirs. With the decline of the Kingdom of Saxony, which with the abdication of Friedrich August III. began, the tradition of the royal Saxon merit award also ends.