Imperial Kaiser Wilhelm I Centenary Medal

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Here we have a Kaiser Wilhelm I Centenary Medal! The medal was awarded on 22 March 1897, the hundredth birthday of Kaiser Wilhelm I, to all military on active service and to the veterans of the wars of 1864, 1866 and 1870. It was made for Danish, Austrian and French cannon captured in those wars, designed by the artist Walter Schott (1861-1938) and produced by the Berlin medalists Firma L. Ostermann, founded in 1812 by Gottfried Bernhard Loos (1774-1843). Kaiser Wilhelm I (1797-1888) became King of Prussia in 1861 and Emperor of a united Germany on 18 January 1871. His reign was most notable for the unification of Germany under the guidance of Otto von Bismarck and its rapid industrial and economic progress. (medal-medaille). It is constructed out of a die struck tombak that has been gold gilded. The obverse depicts Whilhelms bust and reads to the left: "Wilhelm Der Grosse Deutsher Kaiser" (Wilhelm the Great German Emperor) and to the right "Koenig Von Preussen" (King of Prussia). The reverse reads: "Zum Andenken An Den Hundertsten Geburtstag Des Grossen Kaisers Wilhelm I 1797-22 Maerz - 1897" (In commemoration of the hundredth birthday of the great Kaiser Wilhelm I 1797 - 22 March - 1897) and is above a crown on a pillow, holy water and a sword and a rose vein. Attached to the top is a soldered loop and ring. It measures 1 9/16 inches in diameter. A nice piece!