WW1 British ‘Lusitania Medallion.

WW1 British ‘Lusitania Medallion.

Description (obverse and reverse designs): ): 'DER GROSSDAMPFER = = LUSITANIA = DURCH EIN DEUTSCHES TAUCHBOOT VERSENKT 5.MAY 1915.
The Lusitania (German) Medal. An exact replica of the medal which was designed in Germany and distributed to commemorate the sinking of the Lusitania by a German submarine on May 7th, 1915. She had on board at the time 1,951 passengers and crew, of whom 1,198 perished. Accompanying the medallion and presentation box is an explanatory leaflet, illustrated, bearing the following text – 'A German Naval Victory: with joyful pride we contemplate this latest deed of our navy...' Kölnische Volkszeitung, 10th May, 1915. On the obverse, under the legend 'No Contraband' (Keine Bannware), there is an image of the Lusitania sinking. On the reverse, under the legend 'Business above all' (Geschäft über alles), the figure of Death sits at the booking office of the Cunard Line and gives out tickets to passengers, who refuse to attend to the warnings against submarines given by a German.


First World War British copy of the German first issue 'Lusitania Medallion' by Karl Goetz. The confusing date error on the original German work was seized upon by the British and exploited for propaganda purposes, the intention being to demonstrate that the sinking was cynically pre-planned. Some 300,000 British copies were made on the instructions of Captain Reginald Hall RN, Director of Naval Intelligence. The financial outlay for the production of many of these was covered by Mr Gordon Selfridge, the department store owner, at a cost of several thousand pounds to himself. The British copy may be identified by its cruder finish, while the date in the obverse exergue reads '5.MAY 1915' and not '5.MAI 1915'. The umlauts are also missing from the reverse text, see also notes to MED 937. Proceeds from the sales of the British version were directed to St Dunstan's Blinded Soldiers and Sailors Hostel.

Code: 1264