Uniface Medal from 1864 Celebrating the Liberation of Schleswig-Holstein during the Second Schleswig War

Commemorative uniface medal from 1864 celebrating the liberation of Schleswig-Holstein during the Second Schleswig War. It features the German phrase “Drei Helden! Im Kampfe für gerechte Sache retteten deutsche Ehre, Sitte und Sprache” (Three heroes in the fight for a righteous cause saved German honor, custom, and language). It displays three profile busts of military commanders involved in the campaign: Field Marshal Friedrich von Wrangel, Prince Friedrich Karl of Prussia, and General Ludwig von Gablenz. and is framed by an open laurel or oak leaf wreath in a repoussé or stamped metallic finish.

The piece was created by the prominent German medalist and sculptor Lorenz Schilling (working in tandem with Berlin manufacturing houses like H. Lorenz or Loos). Schilling was a highly active mid-to-late 19th-century artist based in Germany, widely known for designing high-relief commemorative militaria, royal jubilees, and regional campaign tokens. His signature or workshop initials can often be found faintly struck near the base of the central floral motif or along the interior rim edges when opened.Design SpecificsOuter Shell:

The obverse depicts the profile busts of General Ludwig von Gablenz, Field Marshal Friedrich von Wrangel, and Prince Friedrich Karl of Prussia, encircled by the patriotic inscription praising them for saving German honor. Many versions of this exact high-relief design were produced as Schraubmedaillen (screw-top boxes). If it unscrews, it typically contains a concertina-style folding strip of brightly colored, hand-tinted lithographic roundels illustrating chronological battle scenes from the 1864 campaign (such as the storming of the Düppel redoubts).