Germany Silver Commemorative Medal
for Crossing to America by the LZ 126
1924
GERMANY: AR medal (14.99g) 33mm., 1924, Kaiser 449, silver medal commemorating the Crossing to America by the LZ 126
Obverse: bust almost facing of Eckener with Dr. HUGO ECKENER flanking bust .
Reverse: dirigible
LZ 126 over coastline with AMERIKAFAHRT DES LZ 126 (ZR III) / 1924
around with "12. X.6,35 ABFAHRT FRIEDRICHSHAFEN / 3,30 EUROPA VERLASSEN /
13.X.3,35 AZORENINSELFAYAL / 14.XX.12,00 SABLE JSLAND / 15.X.10,00
BOSTON / 1,29 NEW YORK / 3,11 LAKEHURST in exergue, "990" stamped incuse
on edge.
Condition: lightly cleaned, About Unc..
Historical Background: reverse text reads
(American Tour of LZ 126 (ZR III) 1924) above, listing the stops and
dates below in German (depart Friedrichshafen / leave Europe / Fayal,
Azores / Sable Island, Nova Scotia / Boston, Massachusetts / New York,
New York / Lakehurst, New Jersey). The airship ZR-3 was built in Friedrichshafen in 1924 with the
original designation LZ 126. Given over to the United States as part of
war reparations, she was commissioned into the U.S. Navy, in which she
remained in service until 1932. Unlike many sister ships, ZR-3 did not
meet with a disastrous end and was finally dismantled in her hanger in
1939, having been the longest serving rigid airship ever operated by the
U.S. Navy. Dr. Hugo Eckener (August 10, 1868 - August 14, 1954) was the
manager of the Luftschiffbau Zeppelin during the inter-war years, and
also the commander of the famous Graf Zeppelin for most of its
record-setting flights, including the first airship flight around the
world, making him the most successful airship commander in history. He
was also responsible for construction of the most successful type of
airships of all time.