On 10 April, the auction house Andreas Thies in Germany will hold their 70th sale of high-quality international militaria. The catalogue includes medals and decorations as well as various militaria and historical firearms.
Among the medals and awards on offer, one standout is a gold French medal of merit dating from the first German Empire (1804-14). This Société Medicale medal from 1810 was awarded for services to the arts and science and is extremely rare.
The person who was awarded this military medal is known by name: Philippe Pétain. During World War I, Pétain became the ‘Hero of Verdun’ in 1917 and then the Commander-in-Chief of the French Armed Forces and the Marshal of France. From 1940 to 1944, he was head of state of the Vichy regime.
The former bearer of this order is also known today: Prince Karl Alexander von Thurn und Taxis (1770-1827). The Order of the Golden Vlies was originally a Burgundian house order, which was subsequently awarded by the heirs of the House of Habsburg. In Spain, the Bourbons took over this right after the War of the Spanish Succession.
Another exquisite piece is this original Red Eagle Order from the middle of the 18th century. It was given in 1734 by Margrave Friedrich Carl von Brandenburg-Bayreuth, but from 1792 he converted to a Prussian knightly order.
A rare memento of the unfortunate Emperor Maximilian of Mexico remains in this gift cigarette case. The old Austrian hallmark refers to Maximilian's country of birth, where he was born as the next younger brother of Emperor Franz Joseph I.
This Portuguese jewel of the Order of St. Jacob of the Sword also dates from the 18th century. The order, which was created in 1290, was initially a knightly order, then a military order, and, from 1862, a civilian order of merit.
Another highlight of the auction is this personal desk set from Grand Admiral Alfred von Tirpitz (1849-1930), which consists of a seal and a letter opener. Both pieces are made of ivory and are partially gold-plated. The anchor of the Imperial Navy and the German Imperial Crown serve as decorative elements on each piece.
This standard includes very old textiles, and is in an extraordinary state of preservation for its age. It was the standard of the Prussian Uhlan Regiment No. 10, which was commanded from 1861 to 1918.
The weapons that will be offered for sale include both those that require a permit and those that do not. This pair of historic, hand-crafted wheel lock pistols belong to the second category, and were made around 1650-60 by the gunsmith Giovanni Battista Francino from Brescia.
Another historical piece is this French percussion revolver shotgun from 1857. The technically interesting weapon is impressively high-quality and its overall condition is almost as good as new.
Together with the auction house Thies & Schmid, weapons that require a permit will be offered, including this semi-automatic police pistol from the German weapons and ammunition factories (DWM) from 1921. Another pistol that will appear is a semi-automatic rapid-fire weapon from Mauser, model 1932, which has been modified in accordance with legal requirements.
The auction will take place on 10 April at Andreas Thies in Kirchheim unter Teck. Due to the current health situation, in-person participation is limited. Bids can also be submitted in writing, by telephone or online.
![Austria, Order of the Iron Crown, order decoration 1st class, Vienna, around 1840 [detail]. Image © AH Andreas Thies](https://images.prismic.io/barnebys/fa3faf3f-dbb4-4a67-a69b-486ba4f6ef88_038bd9ab-978f-4153-9711-fcfd5187a825_ThiesTitel.png.jpeg?auto=format,compress)