East German Interior Ministry Gold 30-Year Service Medal with Ribbon

GDR 30-Year Service Medal

This is the gold grade of the East German Ministry of the Interior long service medal, awarded for 30 years of faithful service. The obverse reads "Für 30 Jahre Treue Dienste" (for 30 years of faithful service). It comes with its full ribbon and the matching ribbon bar, and suits collectors of German Democratic Republic (GDR) awards, Cold War historians, and reenactors putting together a period uniform.

Features

• Gold Grade 30-Year Award — The gold-tone finish and 30-year inscription mark this as the senior grade of the service medal series.
• Starburst Obverse Design — A ten-pointed radiating star sits at the center, framed by a raised border of wheat ears with the service inscription running around the edge.
• GDR State Emblem — The hammer and compass inside a wreath of rye, the national emblem of East Germany, appears at the center of the obverse and fills the reverse.
• Wreathed Reverse — A full leaf wreath circles the state emblem on the back of the medal.
• Steel Construction — The medal is struck in steel and hangs from a suspension ring on the ribbon.
• Folded Ribbon Drape — Red ribbon with triple gold stripes near each edge is folded in the German style, a triangular drape that sits flat on the tunic.
• Pin-Back Fastening — A metal brooch pin on the back of the ribbon attaches the medal to a uniform.
• Matching Ribbon Bar — A short bar in the same red and gold ribbon carries a small gold state emblem device and has its own pin back for everyday wear.
• Fitted Presentation Case — The medal and ribbon bar are shown in a black-edged case with a foam insert.

Issue And Specification

East Germany awarded long service medals through its Ministry of the Interior, with grades for successive lengths of service, and this piece is the 30-year gold award. The set holds both formats of the decoration: the full medal for dress occasions and the ribbon bar for daily uniform. Owning issued GDR awards gives a collection genuine provenance, which a later copy cannot offer.