German Awards - Silver Medal for Arts and Sciences

The Medal for Art and Science was established by Duke Adolf of Nassau on November 2, 1860. The medal was awarded in 2 stages, gold and silver. The medal was attached to the military and civilian Order of Merit. Medals were awarded for outstanding and particularly outstanding achievements in the field of art and science. The silver medal, as the lower step, was awarded less often than the gold medal for art and science. After the defeat in the war of 1866 on the side of Austria, the duchy was annexed by Prussia and the Prussian province of Hesse-Nassau was formed. At this, the awarding in the duchy also ceased. Adolf of Nassau assumed power in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg in 1890. In 1909, the military and civil Order of Merit was renewed in Luxembourg. This also applied to medals for art and science. Medals continued to be awarded as before until 1927. After that, they were redone. How many medals were then awarded in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg in the "old" form is unknown to me. The silver medal for art and science was awarded in the duchy only 17 times. The gold medal was awarded 27 times. Both medals are very rare and rarely appear on the market. Source: J. Nimmergut, Deutsche Orden und Ehrenzeichen bis 1945, vol. II, 1997.

Round silver medal with raised border. On top is a wider, coarse ear with a ribbon ring.

Front side:

• The edge is smooth and stepped inside again.
• The background is guilloched (embossed) with wavy circular lines.
In the
• center is an enlarged image of the Cross of Merit of the Military and the Civil Order of Merit.
• An eight-pointed cross with spherical tips and the motto of Wirtute in the written form of a medallion.

Downside:

• At a short distance from the edge, the surrounding, cruciform connected laurel wreath with fruits.
In
• a closed field, on a flat background, a 5-line elevated inscription:
• (less) - FOR -/- (more) ART -/- (less) AND -/- (more) KNOWLEDGE = -/- SHANK -.
• In addition to -UND- on the left and right, two 3-part antennae.
• Under the last line -SACHT is a continuous mirror rank.

Tape:

• blue 31 mm wide, golden side stripes 3 mm.

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