British Replica of Karl Goetz’s Lusitania Medallion 1915-1916

British Replica of Karl Goetz’s Lusitania Medallion 1915-1916

British Propaganda Copy of German Lusitania Medallion

On 7^th May 195, the RMS Lusitania was sunk by a German U-Boat. The Lusitania carried a total of 1,959 men, women and children – only 761 of these people survived. This was a major international incident and indirectly contributed to the entry of the USA into WW1.

After the Lusitania was sunk, Karl Goetz – a German satirical medallist, designed a medal about the sinking of the RMS Lusitania. However, due to Goetz’s assumptions that the German U-boat was in right, he designed the medal depicting a sinking ship with full weapons and with a ram-shaped bow. Additionally, on the other side of the medal, a skeleton (Death) is shown to be working behind the ticket office, selling to a crowd of strictly men.

Once the British Intelligence had seized a medallion, it was time for them to use it to their advantage. This initiated the British propaganda campaign as many copies of this medallion were sold with a script stating explicitly that the medallion was nothing more than a celebration of ‘destroying an unarmed passenger ship, together with 1,198 non-combatants, men, women and children’. This medal is one of these particular British copies and is complete in its original box with the script and medallion in excellent condition.

*Condition*

The box is quite weak and worn and the lid is slightly damaged but the medallion itself and its script are both in superb condition.

British Replica of Karl Goetz’s Lusitania Medallion 1915-1916

£80

JA_353153575 / RMEEXGEXIP