K 131, ZEPPELIN LZ XVI IN LUNEVILLE, 1913, Struck Bronze (Carl Poellath, Schrobenhausen), 50.44mm, Kaiser 382. VZ. R There are also cast examples of this medal.

This is Goetz’ first satirical medal. The French made quite a clamor when one of Germany’s airships developed engine trouble and was forced to land in Luneville. Goetz couldn’t hold himself back from making light of the obvious over reaction by the French.

Obverse: The French Gallic coq is speaking to the German eagle, “Par ici c’est la terre Francaise, Compris-“ ( This is French soil, do you understand?). The eagle replies, “Sehr richtig, aber mein Schiff ist deutscher boden, verstanden!!” (Right indeed, but my ship is German territory, understand!!). ZXVI in Luneville, 3. April 1913 is in exergue.

Reverse: A zeppelin airship involuntarily lands in Luneville as armed French troops scurry towards it and a French bi-plane surveys the situation below. Inscription: “Vive la politesse Francaise (Cheers for the French politeness).

And so began Karl Goetz’ satirical series of 160+ medals…

Very nice! I like the design and the history behind it is quite humorous!

Beautiful medal!

If you like Zepp's... Here's another I acquired recently.



K-518 Zeppelin LZ 129 Hindenburg South American Flight, April 1, 1936, Cast bronze, 110mm, UNC, RR

Obverse: Inscription, First South American trip Friedrichshafen-Rio de Janeiro." In field "the German will to work and to produce."

Reverse: Inscription, in the field to the left of the tree "Good Luck."

This particular piece is Ex-Dr. Kallir, bought directly from Goetz after WW2. I am the second owner of it since Goetz released it.

Oh FANTASTIC!!!

His designs really are amazing. The detail and subjects are totally impressive.

Thank God Scott isn't in PCI 5!

PCI 5?

PCI5 (Popular Coin Idol) http://coinpeople.com/index.php?showforum=221

The exonumia category would be pretty well wrapped up!

I foresee a battle between Goetz and Napoleon.

Scott, fine examples. Thanks for posting them.

Nice medals. Goetz is famous also for his Lusitannia medals. I don't have a picture of one right now they're on ebay all the time.

The first (upper) one I do like. Very nicely done, and ironic indeed. Many political Goetz medals I find somewhat to extremely offensive. Don't know if they represent his views, or those of the people he designed them for. The few coin designs I know from him are actually neat.

(All "IMO" and YMMV" of course. )

Christian

While we are on the subject of Zepps...Here is another medal by Goetz with quite a different ending.

K-174 LOSS OF ZEPPELIN L 19 (Untergang von L-19) 1916, Cast AE, 57mm, 42.75g, thin planchet, UNC RR, Zetzmann 5040, Kaiser 431.

Depicting one of the most dynamic incidents of WWI, Zeppelin L19 became disabled and fell on the sea still floating. The British trawler, King Stephen, approached with a crew of nine men all unarmed. They refused to take the twenty-eight or more survivors of L19 on board fearing the Germans would overpower the 9 men and take the trawler as a prize to Hamburg.

Obverse: L 19, with Germans scrambling and shaking fists at trawler which is steaming away.
Reverse: All-Seeing Eye with inscription: “Cursed be the British at sea and cursed be your bad conscience – help seeking shipwrecked people had to drown. February 2, 1916.”

The first one was struck? Wow ... I thought all of Goetz' medals were cast. That is a beauty ... and the second ... and the third ...

Re. Goetz' 'Incident At Luneville' medal of 1913 - From at least 1908 through the mid-1920s Goetz tried (unsuccessfully) to secure a position at the Bavarian Mint. The majority of his many pattern designs feature an eagle. Like the US, Prussia and many of the other German principalities used an eagle worked into their Heraldic shields and Coats of Arms. By the time he published his most popular & enduring private patterns (K-77)for Prussia and Bavaria in 1913 he had become Germany's premier modeler and engraver of numismatic eagles. -- I see in the 'Lunville' medal of the same year (1913) that his talent for portraying the eagle had become so adept that he is able to give the great bird human attributes without reverting caricature. If you look closely at the Luneville eagle he hasn't a drop of cartoon about him yet he oozes superiority and self-confidence and total disdain for the French coq, who withers beneath the eagle's stern gaze. If you take away the medal's legends the human dynamic between the two birds would still be perfectly clear. -- Goetz has been consistently under valued as an artist. Too much attention has always been paid to his perrenial popular satiric series of 1913-1924. Many of these satirical medals are design failures because they are just packed with busy imagery - anything to make the point quickly and shockingly seemed to have been thrown into the 58mm rounds of bronze. Aside from the satiricals and even in the best of these the vast majority of his life's work is full of subtlety, grace and human insight – and that nameless but instantly recognizable quality that only the greatest medallists are able to get into the two dimensions of their art.

Right you are Ginocatt...Goetz' eagles were hard to beat primarily because they could exude personality. Goetz used eagles on many of his pieces and the eagle was the star attraction on the reverse of his 2,3, and 5 Mark coin Patterns of 1913. Notice the similarity of the eagle here on this 5 Mark pattern reverse to the eagle on the Luneville medal reverse?