Medal For Merit Appraisal

Pour le Mérite (Blue Max) Medal

The item is a medal, commonly known as a 'Pour le Mérite' or 'Blue Max,' a prestigious Prussian military order. It features a Maltese cross design with eight points, predominantly colored in a deep, glossy blue enamel, bordered by a thin gold-colored outline. The center of the cross is intricate, with golden oak leaves and berries visible between the arms. In each of the four arms of the cross, there are golden inscriptions. On the central horizontal arms, 'Pour le Me.' and 'rite' are inscribed in gold capital letters, while the vertical arms appear to have a stylized 'F' (possibly for Frederick the Great, the founder of the order) surmounted by a crown on the top arm, and an undecipherable character or numeral on the bottom arm, likely 'I' for 'King Frederick William I' or a specific date. The overall construction appears to be of metal, likely gilded brass or bronze, with enameled surfaces. The dimension is difficult to ascertain from the image but appears to be a standard size for such a medal, likely around 5-6 cm in diameter. The craftsmanship looks to be of high quality, indicative of detailed metalwork and precise enameling. There are no significant visible condition issues such as extensive chipping of the enamel or heavy scratching on the metal, suggesting good preservation or possible restoration. A small metal ring is attached to the top arm where it connects to some sort of attachment, which appears to be a broken or incomplete clasp, hinting at a missing ribbon. A piece of white string is tied to this broken attachment. Given the historical significance and known designs of the Pour le Mérite, this specific piece likely dates from the late 19th to early 20th century, particularly the pre-WWI or WWI era. The precise details of the crown and inscriptions would be key for confirming the specific variant and age. The current attachment (white string and broken clasp) is clearly not original.