103187 | GERMANY. Kronprinz Wilhelm silver Medal.

103187  |  GERMANY. Kronprinz Wilhelm silver Medal. Issued 1914. World War I series: The Hero of Longwy and the Battle of Ardennes (33mm, 12h). By Ludwig Christian Lauer in Nürnberg.

 

WILHELM KRONPRINZ DES DEUTSCHEN REICHES, uniformed bust left // DEM • SIEGER • BEI • • LONGWY • 22. AUGUST, downward sword dividing date (19 14), partially within oak wreath.

 

Zetzmann 4020. PCGS SP-62. Exceptionally brilliant and prooflike, with a mostly argent nature near the center and a peripheral ring of vibrant iridescence.

 

Shortly after the outbreak of the war, Wilhelm, the crown prince and heir apparent to the German Empire under his father, Kaiser Wilhelm II, was placed in command of the 5th Army. Despite his lack of experience in commanding such a large unit and his still youthful age (32), his elevated status within the empire allowed for such an appointment. In order to provide him with the experience and battle acumen that he lacked, General Konstantin Schmidt von Knobelsdorf was appointed as his Chief of Staff. A victory on 23 August 1914 garnered Wilhelm the nickname of the "hero of Longwy" for successes in the Battle of the Ardennes.

 

Upload: 2 June 2025.