Awards Germany - Service Award 1st Class Buckle for 18 years

The awards were established on December 24, 1847 by the Grand Duke Paul Friedrich August. Service awards were established in 3 classes. The 1st class shown here is a gold plated clasp that was awarded after 18 years of service. 2nd grade - silver span and was awarded after 12 years of service. 3rd grade - iron screed with a silver frame. Service awards were presented from 1848 to 1867 to military personnel below the officer rank. After a military convention with Prussia on 15 July 1867, buckles continued to be awarded to gendarmes and land dragoons until 1912/13. 1st class is made of silver with gilding and bronze with gilding. The manufacturer is Hossauer. Part of the service awards are stamped on the back at Hossauer.
Buckles replaced chevrons granted from 1832. By 1838, 3 chevrons from 24 years of service, 2 chevrons from 18 and 1 chevron from 12 years were granted. Chevrons were corners made of gold or silver embrasures with red putty, which were worn point up on the left forearm. With the foundation in 1838 of the service insignia, the years of service were changed to 18, 12 and 9 years.
The 1st class of buckles was awarded up to 1867 143 times, and up to 1912 - another 120 times. A total of 263 copies were produced.

Gold plated clasp in silver or bronze. They are soldered to a sheet associated with the tape. A tin jumper from manufacturer Hossauer is also possible at the back. The metal sheet has a horizontal pin with mating hooks.

Front side:

• Buckle with inwardly enlarged stepped edge. The inner base is finely indented.
• Between two raised 8-beam plastic sprockets with a dot in the center left and right,
• letters - P.- F.- A.- in a fracture for Paul Friedrich Augustus.

Downside:

• Suture is applied on tape from behind. In a horizontal position - a pin with a hook.