Bidspirit auction | German WWII Wehrmacht 12-Year Long

German WWII Wehrmacht 12-Year Long Service Medal - A circular medal in a gilt-toned metal, featuring an eagle grasping a wreathed swastika with the inscription ”Treue Dienste in der Wehrmacht” around the perimeter. The opposing face bears the numeral ”12” within an oak leaf wreath, denoting twelve years of qualifying service. A suspension ring is fitted to the medal. This award was issued to members of the German armed forces to recognize long and faithful service, with the numeral on the reverse indicating the specific number of years completed, twelve years qualifying the recipient for this particular grade of the decoration. The Wehrmacht Long Service Award scheme was instituted in 1936 to recognise years of service in the German armed forces, replacing earlier Weimar and Imperial-era long service decorations. It was issued in graded classes for four, twelve, and twenty-five years of service, with higher grades rendered in silver or gilt and, for the longest terms, combined with a cross. Recipients included career soldiers, NCOs, and officers across the Heer, Kriegsmarine, and Luftwaffe, making the award one of the most commonly encountered German service decorations of the period.