Gents,

Some of you already know that I have a penchant for old, German shooting medals. I'd like to share a small grouping of four that have a simlar Maltese-cross design and the fifth example being a stylized star. Two are from the Weimar-period, two are imperial and one is undated, but is also most likely from the twenties.

Starting at the left side we have an award that belonged to an Annie Oakley-type gal, the shooting-queen from Esserden. The face is engraved, "I. K�nigen 1927," in other words, the first-place queen of the shooting competition for that year. Next is a cross with a shield-shaped device that states, Emil Becks was the Sch�tzenk�nig of Obrighoven for the year 1921. The middle piece with crossed rifles also has a shield device in the center that is simply engraved, "I Preis." Other than a silver-content marking there are no other identifying marks or engravings to tell us either the owner's name or club origin. The fourth unit displays a star-like motif that has a gold-colored banner that reads, "B. Sch�tz.V. Broich, 1902." The central roundel is further handcut, "The King's." The fifth and last cross is suspended from an oblong plaquette that reads, "Sch�tzenk�nig 1912," while the center obverse reads, "Wurdenburger Sch�tzen-Verein, e.V.," this being the abbreviation for eingetragener Verein, or registered organization.

As with so many of the pins, decorations and medals we collect, the history goes back a way in European culture, making it that much more interesting. Some of these well-established shooting clubs can trace their ancestry back to the Middle Ages, much the same as with the famous Holbein dagger-pattern.

No matter what field of collecting is your personal forte, I wish all of you much happiness and luck on your quest.

Best regards!

Bill Warda

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