Kaiserreich Notmedaille In Eiserner Zeit 1916

In an excellent condition a donation medal in iron times 1916. In order to help finance the First World War, German citizens were encouraged to donate or sell their jewellery and precious metals to the authorities. Those who handed in their jewellery were given replacements made of iron. The wearing of iron jewellery became a patriotic act. Those who continued to wear gold risked the disapproval of their friends and neighbours. From 1916 onwards, anyone who exchanged their jewellery or gold for paper money (which quickly lost value) were rewarded with an iron medallion by the German Reichsbank. The medallion was designed by Hermann Hosaeus (1875-1958) and features a kneeling woman surrendering a necklace. The inscription 'GOLD GAB ICH ZUR WEHR - EISEN NAHM ICH ZUR EHR' translates as 'Gold I Gave for the Fight - Iron I Took for Honour'.