Description: Original American (5 Mai) version of the Karl Goetz Lusitania medallion with the so-called Pumpkinhead skeleton, made in Pennsylvania. Very rare, with photocopy of rare insert. RMS Lusitania was launched by the Cunard Line in 1906, at a time of fierce competition for the North Atlantic trade. In 1915, during the first World War, she was torpedoed by a German U-Boat off the coast of Ireland. Of the 1,962 passengers and crew aboard Lusitania at the time of the sinking, 1,191 of the people aboard the ship lost their lives on that afternoon of May 7, 1915. The sinking turned public opinion in many countries against Germany and contributed to the American entry into the War. In August 1915, the German medallist and sculptor Karl Goetz privately struck a run of medals as a satirical attack on the Cunard Line for trying to continue business as usual during wartime. Goetz blamed both the British government and the Cunard Line for allowing the Lusitania to sail despite the German embassy warnings that it was unsafe to do so. One side of the medal shows the gun-laden Lusitania sinking, with the motto "KEINE BANNWARE!" ("NO CONTRABAND!"), while the reverse shows a skeleton selling Cunard tickets with the motto "Geschäft Über Alles" ("Business Above All"). Goetz had put an incorrect date for the sinking on the medal: instead of 7 May he had put 5 Mai - two days before the actual sinking. Not realising his error, Goetz made copies of the medal and sold them in Munich and also to some numismatic dealers with whom he conducted business. He later apparently struck a new run of medals with the correct (7 Mai) date. The Goetz medal attracted so much attention that the British Lord Newton, who was in charge of Propaganda at the Foreign Office in 1916, decided to develop the anti-German feelings aroused by it for propaganda purposes, and arranged for the medal to be reproduced. The so-called British replica medals were sold for a shilling apiece and came with a propaganda leaflet which strongly denounced the Germans and used the medal's incorrect date (5 May) to claim that the sinking of the Lusitania was premeditated, rather than just being incident to Germany's larger plan to sink any ship in a combat zone without warning. Proceeds from the sale of the medals benefitted blinded soldiers and sailors. Americans Gustav Sandstrom and Clarence Mahood of Warren County Pennsylvania also got involved, and issued their own version of the medal. The Pennsylvania version is distinguished by the style of lettering and the large grinning Pumpkinhead of the skeleton - very different from the German and British versions. It is the quite rare Pennsylvania medal that is offered for sale here. I accept paypal. Shipping to destinations other than USA will be more costly
Price: 269.9 USD
Location: New York, New York
End Time: 2024-09-06T21:06:07.000Z
Shipping Cost: 6.9 USD
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Item Specifics
All returns accepted: ReturnsNotAccepted
Cruise Ship & Ocean Liner: Cunard
Country/Region of Manufacture: United States
Modified Item: No
