Authentic East German Interior Ministry Gold 15-Year Service Medal with Ribbon For Sale

A career of fifteen years with the Ministry of the Interior is what this award recognizes, and it survives complete with ribbon bar and case. It suits two buyers: someone building a collection of East German Cold War decorations, and someone putting together a reenactment uniform for the ministry.

• Gold Grade — Gold is the top step in the ministry's run of long-service awards, kept back for the longest service.
• Face Inscription — FÜR TREUE DIENSTE is worked across the front, the German for For Faithful Service, wrapping a heraldic shield at the center.
• Star Design — An eight-pointed star radiates behind the gold medallion, echoing a common feature of East German civil and service decorations.
• Reverse — The reverse carries the East German state emblem, with the hammer and compass sitting inside a grain wreath.
• Steel Body — Steel is the metal underneath, with a gold-tone coating on top.
• Ribbon — A horizontal brooch bar on the back takes the pin, and the ribbon it holds is green with a pair of vertical gold stripes, folded as issued.
• Second Bar — The set also brings a second bar, matching the ribbon in green and gold, pin-backed so it can go on an ordinary dress uniform.
• Presentation Case — It travels in the plastic case it was issued in, which has a shaped recess that takes the medal and the separate bar.
• Ministry Origin — Inside the German Democratic Republic, the Ministry of the Interior was the body responsible for civil security and police work, and it handed out awards like this one in grades that matched the number of years served. Since the state that issued it no longer exists, surviving examples keep their appeal for collectors and for anyone studying East German institutions.

• Free shipping within the United States. We pay the postage.
• Orders placed before about 10am Eastern usually ship the SAME DAY; anything later goes out the next business day.
• We ship from New Oxford, Pennsylvania.

• 30-day returns, and we pay the return shipping.
• The item needs to come back in the condition it left us, with anything it shipped with.

United Defense LLC is a military-surplus and shooting-accessories dealer in New Oxford, Pennsylvania. Surplus items are genuine issue unless the listing says reproduction, and condition is exactly as described above.