103040 | GERMANY & GREAT BRITAIN. Abuse of Neutral Flags cast bronze Medal.

103040  |  GERMANY & GREAT BRITAIN. Abuse of Neutral Flags cast bronze Medal. Dated 1915. "Flaggenbetrug" (57mm, 63.56 g, 12h). By Karl Goetz in München.

 

Death (as a skeleton) standing left in ship, with head right, wearing admiral's attire, and holding Italian and United States standards; below, Sir Edward Grey seated on deck, clutching mast; three other standards fly to right // MIT / NEVTRALEN / – FLAGGEN – / HOHEITSGEBIETEND / STELLT SICH ZUR WEHR / DER - EDLE BRITE - DER / WELTMEERBEHERRSCHER / NACH SEERÆVBER SITTE (with neutral flags, the noble Briton, ruler of the world's oceans, promotes his sovereignty while relying on the tactics of a pirate) in eight lines; laurel branch below; all within life preserver inscribed HONI • SOIT • QUI • MAL • Y • PENSE. Edge: Plain.

 

Kienast 165. Choice Mint State. Darker brown surfaces.

 

The practice of flying false flags in order to evade German attack or to surprise German vessels was a practice by Great Britain alluded to by Goetz in this medal, mocking Sir Edward Grey, then British Foreign Secretary.

 

Upload: 17 October 2025.