German Porcelain Medallion -Schloss Heidelberg-Majolika

For sale is a black porcelain medallion in commemoration of the creation and partial destruction of Schloss Heidelberg (Heidelberg Castle).  Some form of fort or castle has overlooked Heidelberg since the 13th century, but the current castle was completed in 1544.  One side of the medallion has this date over a stylized version of the Bavarian coat of arms.  Under this are the words "Fröhlich Pfalz - Gott Erhalts" which is a title from a song in the operetta Vogelhändler (bird handler) from 1891 which has its setting in the Rhine-Palatinate region.  

On the other side of the medallion is a depiction of Schloss Heidelberg sitting up near the top of the Königstuhl.  Below this is the date 1689 which is when the French army seriously damaged the castle and city after conquering this region under King Louis XIV.  Under this is the 3rd verse from the poem "Der Trompeter von Säkkingen" written in 1852 by J.V. von Scheffel.  This line was incorporated into the Badnerlied which was the unofficial song of the Baden region.      

  Most german coin and medallion collectors are aware of the Meissen Works porcelain coins, but there were several other prominant companies that made German Notgeld and porcelain medallions during the early 1920s.  One of these was the Württembergische Majolika Werke (WMW) in Gaildorf, Germany.  They took the name Majolika from the term majolica which was a type /style of porcelain going back the time of the renaissance.  There is an interesting numismatic website that gives more details about the German porcelain coins in general and shows many coins from the Majolika company.  The link is http://www.notgeld.sewera.pl/index.php?l=de&co=ravensburg

The size of the medallion is 44mm so it is quite large and the scenes are in high relief.  In fact this seems to be a characteristic from this company as most of their medallions appear to show more relief than the more refined Meissen products.  I like this somewhat rustic look.  The medallion is without a date, but is most likely from the early to mid 1920s when many of these types of medallions and notgeld were being produced.  This listing is for a black porcelain medallion, but I am also selling matching white and terra cotta colored medallions in other listings.

The photos are of the actual medallion you are bidding on and I have zoomed in as much as possible to give you a better idea of the condition.  Use your judgement as to the actual grading.

Good Luck. 

I want you to enjoy the item purchased so if you are not happy with the item please return it for a full refund.  Please contact me with any concerns before leaving negative feedback.

This auction is for the United States and Canada only.  If you are from another country and want to bid, please contact me prior to bidding. 

About me:

I recently returned to the US after living in Deutschland for 6 years and started collected money while living there. This includes Prussian, WW1, Notgeld, Weimar Republic, WWII/Nazi, BDR, and DDR money.