East German Interior Ministry Armed Forces Excellence Medal with Ribbon

GDR Interior Ministry Medal

This is the East German award for excellent achievement in the armed forces of the Ministry of the Interior, the arm of the GDR (German Democratic Republic, or East Germany) state that included the Volkspolizei, the People's Police. It comes as a full set: the medal on its folded ribbon mount, plus the matching ribbon bar worn on everyday uniform. Collectors of Eastern Bloc awards, Cold War reenactors and anyone building a GDR uniform display will find every piece they need here.

Features

• Bronze-Finish Steel Medal — The round steel medal has a bright bronze-toned finish with crisp, high-relief detail on both faces.
• Rayed Star Obverse — The front carries the GDR state emblem of hammer, compass and rye wreath, set on a radiating star and framed by laurel branches.
• Original German Inscription — A scroll at the base reads "Für ausgezeichnete Leistungen," which translates as "For excellent achievements."
• State Emblem Reverse — The back is filled by a large rendering of the East German hammer-and-compass emblem inside its wreath.
• Trapezoid Ribbon Mount — The pale green ribbon with white edge stripes is folded into the triangular drape typical of East German and Soviet-bloc awards.
• Matching Ribbon Bar — A short ribbon bar in the same green-and-white pattern was worn on the uniform in place of the full medal for day-to-day dress.
• Pin-Back Fastenings — Both the medal mount and the ribbon bar have a metal backing plate with a hinged safety-pin clasp for attaching to a tunic.
• Presentation Case — The set is shown in a black-framed case with a foam insert that holds the medal and bar in their display positions.

Issue and Specification

This award belongs to the East German state system and was presented for outstanding service within the Interior Ministry's armed organs rather than the regular army. The design follows the standard GDR formula: a steel medal, state emblem front and back, and a colour-coded ribbon that identified the award at a glance. As an originally issued piece, it has the provenance a reproduction cannot offer, which is why it holds its interest for medal collectors and Cold War historians.