Medal of Merit of the Ministry of State Security
The Ministry of State Security's Medal of Merit was a planned but no longer realized award of the Ministry of State Security , which was to be awarded as a state award on February 8, 1990 for outstanding services to the MfS in view of the 40th anniversary of the foundation of the MfS . However, the MfS had already been dissolved at this point, so that no foundation or award of the Medal of Merit could take place. The preparations that should lead to the creation of the award, however, had progressed so far that six sample types were made of this medal, which would have been awarded in one or more classes. The statutes of the foundation were also not published in the GDR legal gazette during this period. It would have been worn on the upper left chest of the borrower.
Medal of the first prototype
The planned single-class medal with a diameter of 43.7 mm has the shape of a bronze-colored five-pointed star, the spaces between the rays are filled with bundles of rays, on which in turn a coat of arms can be found. Crossed laurel branches can be seen on these heraldic shields. The round purple medallion of the medal is surrounded by a lettering ring with the inscription FOR OUTSTANDING MERIT MINISTRY FOR STATE SECURITY and shows in the middle the well-known logo of the MfS, a colored black, red and gold shield with the national coat of arms of the GDR with the dagger behind it . The reverse shows the state coat of arms of the GDR as well as the inscription: FOR THE PROTECTION OF WORKERS AND FARMERS . The medal should be worn on a 24 mm wide pentagonal clasp with the color arrangement (from left to right): wine red (1 mm) - white (1 mm) - wine red (8 mm) - white (3 mm) - wine red (1 mm ) - Yellow (1 mm) - Wine red (1 mm) - Yellow (1 mm) - Wine red (1 mm) - White (3 mm) - Wine red (1 mm) - White (2 mm). The corresponding 24 mm wide and 13 mm high interim clasp is of the same quality.
Second Prototype Medal
The second prototype of the one-class medal is similar to the first type and only differs in its ribbon. The pentagonal clasp is 24 mm wide and the color combination (from left to right): wine red (4 mm) - white (3 mm) - wine red (4 mm) - yellow (2 mm) - wine red (4 mm) - white (3 mm) - wine red (4 mm). The corresponding 24 mm wide and 13 mm high interim clasp is of the same quality.
Third prototype medal
The third draft of the one-class planned medal is round and has a diameter of 35.3 mm. On her obverse within the white lettering ring with the inscription FOR OUTSTANDING MERIT MINISTRY FOR STATE SECURITY on a purple background, it shows the symbol of the MfS, a black, red and gold shield with the GDR national coat of arms with the dagger behind it and two laurel branches to the left and right of it . The dagger protrudes into the writing ring both above and below. This medal should also be worn on a 24 mm wide pentagonal clasp with the color combination (from left to right): green (2 mm) - yellow (1 mm) - green (2 mm) - yellow (5 mm) - green (2nd mm) - yellow (1 mm) - green (2 mm) - wine red (9 mm). The corresponding 24 mm wide and 13 mm high interim clasp is of the same quality.
Fourth Prototype Medal
The fourth prototype of the medal, also planned as a single class, is based on the appearance of the third prototype, but the medal only has a diameter of 34.6 mm and is therefore 0.7 mm smaller than the previous model. The changed colored ribbon on the pentagonal clasp is 24 mm wide and has the following color combination (from left to right): yellow (3 mm) - wine red (4 mm) - white (1 mm) - green (3 mm) - yellow (2nd mm) - Green (3 mm) - White (1 mm) - Wine red (4 mm) - Yellow (3 mm). The corresponding 24 mm wide and 13 mm high interim clasp is of the same quality.
Fifth Prototype Medal
The planned medal should have three classes, has a diameter of 34.6 mm and is almost identical to the fourth prototype. The only colored element in the otherwise bronze, silver or gold-plated medal is the colored black-red-gold shield with the dagger behind it in the color of the awarded class. The ribbon on the pentagonal clasp is 24 mm wide and has the following color combination (from left to right): orange (3 mm) - wine red (4 mm) - white (1 mm) - green (3 mm) - orange (2 mm) - Green (3 mm) - White (1 mm) - Wine red (4 mm) - Orange (3 mm). The corresponding 24 mm wide and 13 mm high interim clasp is of the same quality.
Sixth Prototype Medal
The medal, which is also planned in three classes, is similar to the fifth prototype, but has a red painted ring. Only the inner part of the medal is bronze, silver or gold-plated, depending on the class awarded. The colored enamelled shield is similar to the previous model, only the national coat of arms and the dagger behind it are also bronze, silver or gold, depending on the class awarded. The pentagonal 24 mm wide ribbon of the 2nd class in silver has the following color combination (from left to right): silver gray (3 mm) - wine red (4 mm) - white (1 mm) - green (3 mm) - silver gray (2 mm ) - Green (3 mm) - White (1 mm) - Wine red (4 mm) - Silver gray (3 mm). The corresponding 24 mm wide and 13 mm high interim clasp is of the same quality.
Others
The few sample samples that are in circulation are currently (as of 2008) traded on the free market from 1200 to 1800 euros.
literature
- Frank Bartel: GDR special catalog. Volume II: Awards of the armed organs of the GDR 1949–1990. 3rd edition 2009, ISBN 3-921302-35-8 .
Individual evidence
- ↑ Klaus H. Feder, Uta Feder: Awards in the Ministry for State Security of the GDR. 1st edition. Feder Verlag, Rosenheim 1996, ISBN 3-9805114-0-5 , pp. 40-42.