Bidspirit auction | Set of Third Reich Faithful

Set of Third Reich Faithful Service Decoration Medals - A set of Wehrmacht/Civil Service Faithful Service Decoration medals in cross form with an oak leaf wreath surround. One face of each medal bears a raised swastika at center, while the reverse is inscribed ”Für Treue Dienste” within a raised square panel. The medals are executed in a pale metal finish believed to be silvered. This award, the Treudienst-Ehrenzeichen, was instituted in 1938 to recognize long-term civil and military service under the Third Reich, and was issued in graded classes typically distinguished by finish and years of qualifying service. The Treudienst-Ehrenzeichen (Faithful Service Decoration) was established by Hitler's decree in 1938 to reward long, loyal service by civil servants, public employees, and members of the armed forces to the German state. It was awarded in tiered grades, generally after 25 or 40 years of service, with the higher grade rendered in gilt and the lower in silvered finish. As a state long-service award rather than a combat decoration, it was issued widely throughout the civil administration, judiciary, and military bureaucracy during the Nazi period.