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R.M.S Lusitania Medallion
盧西塔尼亞號紀念章
Item number: M282
Year: AD 1915
Material: Iron
Size: 55.5 x 55.5 x 4.6 mm
Weight: 77.85 g
Provenance: Spink 2024
This is an iron medallion designed by the renowned German sculptor Karl Goetz during World War I, based on the infamous sinking of the R.M.S Lusitania.
The medallion is circular in shape. On the obverse side, it depicts the R.M.S Lusitania and its cargo being struck by a torpedo from a German U-boat, sinking into the waves. At the top, a German inscription reads “KEINE BANN WARE” (No contraband), emphasising the alleged legitimacy of the attack. The lower half features a five-line inscription: “DER GROßDAMPFER LUSITANIA DURCH EIN DEUTSCHES TAUCHBOOT VERSENKT 5 MAI 1915” (The great steamer Lusitania sunk by a German submarine on May 5, AD 1915).
The reverse side depicts a line of people waiting to purchase tickets at a booth positioned to the right. On the far left, two individuals are seen staring at a newspaper with the headline “U BOOT GEFAHR” (“Submarine Danger”). Above the crowd, the inscription “GESCHÄFT ÜBER ALLES” (“Business above all”) is engraved. The ticket booth is manned by a skeleton, symbolising Death, with the inscription “FAHRKARTEN AUSGABE” (“Ticket Issuance”) below the window. Above the window, the text “CUNA LINIE” and “CUNARD” appear, both referring to the Cunard Line, the operator of the R.M.S Lusitania. At the bottom edge of the medal, the initials “K.G.” represent the artist’s signature, Karl Goetz.
The sinking of the R.M.S Lusitania was one of the most dramatic events of World War I. During the war, Germany sought to sever Britain’s external supply lines by launching a campaign of unrestricted submarine warfare, targeting all vessels approaching British waters. At the outbreak of the war in AD 1914, the United States maintained neutrality but continued close commercial and personal exchanges with Britain. The Lusitania, operated by the Cunard Line, was among the ships converted from a luxury ocean liner into an auxiliary cruiser, transporting passengers between the U.S. and Britain. On May 7, AD 1915, German submarine U-20 spotted the Lusitania off the coast of Ireland and sank it. The attack resulted in the deaths of 198 American citizens from a neutral country, sparking anti-German sentiment in the United States. However, it was not until AD 1917 that the U.S. formally entered the war against Germany.
However, when news of the Lusitania reached Germany, the public, including Karl Goetz, received reports framing the ship as a deliberate British attempt to use American passengers as a cover for smuggling arms and strategic supplies from the U.S. In response, Goetz created this satirical medal to mock Britain’s actions. However, the medal incorrectly bore the date “May 5” instead of the actual sinking date of “May 7.” After the release of the medal, Selfridges, a British department store, quickly produced 300,000 replicas, but with a reversal of the message, turning it into a tool for condemning Germany’s inhumane conduct. The incorrect date on the medal further fuelled conspiracy theories in Britain, suggesting that the Lusitania’s sinking was part of a premeditated German plot.
紀念章為圓形外觀,正面雕刻「盧西塔尼亞號」和貨物挨上德軍潛艦的魚雷沉入波濤。畫面上緣鐫刻一行德文「KEINE BANN WARE」(無違禁品),下半部有五行銘文「DER GROßDAMPFER LUSITANIA DURCH EIN DEUTSCHES TAUCHBOOT VERSENKT 5 MAI 1915」(公元1915年5月5日被德國潛水艇擊沉的大型輪船盧西塔尼亞號)。
背面是要向右側售票口購票的排隊人潮,最左側的兩個人盯著一張寫著「U BOOT GEFAHR」(潛水艇危險) 標題的報紙,人潮頂部鐫刻「GESCHÄFT ÜBER ALLES」(生意優先於一切)。售票口由象徵死神的骷髏售票,窗口下方是「FAHRKARTEN AUSGABE」(出票)。窗口上方的「CUNA LINIE」和右側的「CUNARD」字樣,皆是指盧西塔尼亞號的經營者「冠達郵輪」。獎章下緣是卡爾·戈茨的姓名縮寫「K.G」。