German Police 8-Year Long Service Medal – III Class – Cased

An authentic German Police Long Service Award, III Class (Polizei-Dienstauszeichnung 3. Stufe), formally instituted on January 30, 1938. The photograph captures the reverse side of the circular medal, which features a flat profile with a slightly raised, factory-polished rim. Positioned dead center is a prominent, embossed numeral 8, signifying the required consecutive years of loyal service completed for this specific rank. Struck in a traditional Gothic fraktur font along the outer border is the official institutional pledge: Für treue Dienste in der Polizei. The medal is struck from solid tombak and finished with its original matte silver plating, showcasing honest age-toning, minute handling scuffs, and a dark genuine patina across the fields. The award rests via its factory suspension link inside its original, period presentation box, lined with a characteristic deep burgundy velvet insert. Nestled securely underneath is the complete, original cornflower-blue ribbed rayon suspension ribbon. The case displays honest period storage wear, including rubbed edges and corner paper loss, adding to its untouched historical identity.

Country of origin: Germany (Third Reich)
Official designation: Polizei-Dienstauszeichnung 3. Stufe (for 8 years of service)
Institution date: January 30, 1938
Grade / Class: III Class, Silver grade (circular medal configuration)
Material and composition: Silvered tombak/brass, matte finish with highlighted borders
Included components: Medal (showing reverse), original blue ribbon, original presentation box with burgundy lining
Condition: Good antique state, crisp die-struck lettering, silver plating intact with even age patina; presentation box shows honest used condition with edge rubbing and corner wear

Historical context:
The Police Long Service Award was introduced by state decree to streamline and centralize service medals for the unified uniform, municipal, and criminal police departments. Designed by the elite Munich artist Professor Richard Klein, the award was structured into three distinct chronological grades. The 8-year III Class medal was the introductory rank of the series, awarded to younger officers to foster morale and discipline early in their law enforcement careers. While the higher classes were shaped as crosses, the 8-year class utilized a solid round medal profile to denote this foundational level of tenure. Cased verified groupings retaining their original factory boxes remain highly regarded assets among pre-war militaria curators.