Italian-German African Campaign Medal by Lorioli

German WWII > Awards and Medals > Campaign Awards > Italian-German African Campaign Medals

Earliest, Type 1 - Medaille für den Italienisch-Deutschen Feldzug in Afrika by Lorioli of Milano. Introduced in 1942, awarded to soldiers of the Wehrmacht and Italian troops who worked together in the North African theater of war. It is constructed out of a die struck bronze base that has been bronze washed and finished in a lacquer coating. The obverse of the award features two gladiators fighting together to keep a crocodiles jaws closed. Beside the gladiators it is maker marked “Lorioli Milano” and to the bottom outer rim it is designer marked: “De Marchis”. The reverse features the Arch of Fileni, above the Savoy knot flanked by a fasces (left) and a static swastika (right), which is all surrounded by “Campagna Italo Tedesca in Africa - Italienisch Deutscher Feldzug in Afrika” (Medal for the Italian-German campaign in Africa (in both German and Italian)). Attached to the award is approximately 4 1/2 inches of black, white, red and green rayon ribbon. The ribbon is ribbon bar ribbon (5/8 of an inch wide). It measures 1 3/16 inches in diameter. It shows beautiful detail and bronze wash.