Jubilee commemorative medal 1898
The anniversary commemorative medal was donated on August 18, 1898 by Emperor Franz Joseph I on the occasion of the 50th return of his accession to the throne on December 2, 1848. It was issued in three versions:
- as an anniversary commemorative medal for the armed forces and the gendarmerie (special version in gold)
- as an anniversary commemorative medal for the armed forces and the gendarmerie (general version in bronze)
- as an anniversary commemorative medal for civil servants (only in bronze)
The shape of the medal and the dimensions of the ribbon were identical in all three variants, but the medal for the armed forces and the gendarmerie was worn on a different ribbon than the ribbon for civil servants, and different award criteria applied.
Eligibility
Military versions
The anniversary commemorative medal for the armed power and the gendarmerie was awarded in two variants:
- The general execution of the bronze medal was awarded to almost all active, inactive and former members of the Austro-Hungarian Army, the Austro-Hungarian Navy, the Landwehr and border troops and the gendarmerie. Women who were permanently employed in the military educational institutions and the military schools were also entitled to this decoration.
- The comparatively seldom awarded special version of the medal in gold was awarded to all military personnel who, as of December 2, 1898, could look back on 50 or more years of active service.
Civil version
The award criteria for the bronze medal for civil servants corresponded to those for the bronze medal for the armed power and the gendarmerie.
Medals
The anniversary commemorative medal has a diameter between 34 and 35 mm and shows the half-left bust of Emperor Franz Joseph I (head in profile) as a relief on the front. The emperor wears the uniform of a field marshal with the Order of the Golden Fleece , the Grand Cross of the Military Maria Theresa Order with shoulder ribbon and star, the War Medal 1873, the military service mark for 50 years and the Russian Cross of St. George .
The inscription of the medal reads FRANC • IOS • I • D • G • IMP • AVSTR • REX • BOH • ETC • AC • AP • REX • HVNG. The reverse shows in the middle a rectangular label with the two-line inscription SIGNVM / MEMORIAE (reminder sign ), which is underlaid by a wreath half of oak and half of bay leaves, and in the upper half the dates MDCCCXLLVIII-MDCCCXCVIII (1848–1898 ).
The bronze medal has a roller eyelet to hold the jump ring.
The special gold version of the medal differs from the bronze version in the material; it is also elevated by a plastic double-headed eagle with an imperial crown measuring 30 × 20 mm. In the special gold version, the jump ring is guided through the ball of the imperial crown. For everyday use, the special gold version was also available in gold-plated bronze.
Ribbon
The individual variants of the anniversary commemorative medal were worn on a 40 mm wide triangular ribbon. The ribbon of medals for the military was ponceau red, the ribbon for the medal for civil servants was split in white and red.
Carrying method
The decoration was to be worn on the left side of the chest.
See also
literature
- Johann Stolzer, Christian Steeb: Austria's order from the Middle Ages to the present. Akademische Druck- und Verlagsanstalt, Graz 1996, ISBN 3-201-01649-7 , pp. 259–260, 300–301.
