History

The Prussian Campaign Medal was founded by King Wilhelm I as a commemorative award for service rendered during the 1870-1871 Prussian Military campaigns. It was conferred in two distinct categories, combatant and non-combatant.

The Medal for Combatants was conferred upon all officers, soldiers, doctors, and navy sailors of the Prussian army who participated in the Franco-Prussian War. It was also awarded to the crew members of the royal ship Augusta.

The medals awarded to combatants were composed of two materials, bronze smelted from captured French cannons and regular bronze. The rim of the medals composed of bronze from captured cannons is impressed “AUS EROBERTEM GESCHUETZ”, which translates to “from captured cannons”.

There are bronze gilt examples of the Medal for Combatants, which were bought privately by veterans.

The obverse inscription of the Medal for Combatants translates to “to the victorious army” and “God was with us, His be the glory”.

Battle clasps were introduced by Wilhelm II on August 18, 1905, and they could only be worn on the ribbon of a Medal for Combatants

The official battle clasps include "AMIENS", "AN DER HALLUE", "AN DER LISAINE", "A.D.LISAINE", "BEAUGENCY-CRAVANT", "BEAUMONT", "BEAUNE LA ROLANDE", "BAPAUME", "BELFORT", "COLOMBEY-NOUILLY", "GRAVELOTTE-ST.PRIVAT", "LE MANS", "LOIGNY-POUPRY", "METZ", "MOUNT VALERIEN", "A.MONT VALERIEN", "NOISSEVILLE", "ORLEANS", "PARIS", "ST.QUENTIN", "SEDAN", "SPICHERN", "SPICHEREN", "STRASSBURG", "VILLIERS", "VIONWILLE-MARS LA TOUR", "WEISSENBURG", "WÖRTH".

The unofficial battle clasps include "COLOMBEY", "CHAMPIGNY", and “COULMIERS".

The ribbon may have featured multiple combinations of the official and unofficial clasps.