Is this an English Sports medal? - Solved

[nebstater]

Was at a sale the other day, and purchased a small bag of stick pins and included was this medal. I'm guessing that it's English, because of the crown at the top. The person that I got them from thought that they were all German items. I will picture all 3 items that I know are German in another post.

The front of this medal looks to be a person on a "surf board" or "ski" or some other type of item. There is no writing at all on the medal.

Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks for looking.

 

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[trikikiwi]

Re: Is this an English Sports medal?

I wouldn't have a clue, but it does look like it might be an early long board.
So my WAG is - a Surfing Medal from the 1960's

Mike

 

[CRUSADER]

Re: Is this an English Sports medal?

I would go with German. What I can say is its NOT a British crown.

 

[Harry_Morant]

Re: Is this an English Sports medal?

Here you go:

The Surfer's Cross is used by surfers as a talisman to bring good waves and is worn to distinguish the surfer from the rest of society. Its origins are in 1960s surf culture and the most common design is based on a German Iron Cross and features a surfer on a board in the middle of the front side of the cross. The German military decoration was co-opted because young surfers would wear their father's war trophies as an anti-establishment statement; eventually the genuine Iron Cross was replaced by one manufactured for that purpose. The famous custom car designer Ed "Big Daddy" Roth sold various "surfer accessories" in the 1960s that were based on WW 2 German items, like his "surfer's helmet" that is a plastic copy of a German helmet and he also manufactured his own Surfer's Cross. By 1966 Roth claimed to have sold 51,800 crosses and "that Hitler did a helluva public relations job for me."

 

[DCMatt]

Re: Is this an English Sports medal?

Groovy!

I should wear one of those for surfing the web.

DCMatt

 

[relichunters]

Re: Is this an English Sports medal?

It is nice, good find

 

[nhbenz]

Re: Is this an English Sports medal?

Good ID Harry. What an odd item.
Indeed the German Iron Cross did have this type of crown on it from 1813 through WWI. The back of your medal appears to be based on the 1813 pattern version:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iron_Cross

 

[nebstater]

Re: Is this an English Sports medal?

Here you go:

The Surfer's Cross is used by surfers as a talisman to bring good waves and is worn to distinguish the surfer from the rest of society. Its origins are in 1960s surf culture and the most common design is based on a German Iron Cross and features a surfer on a board in the middle of the front side of the cross. The German military decoration was co-opted because young surfers would wear their father's war trophies as an anti-establishment statement; eventually the genuine Iron Cross was replaced by one manufactured for that purpose. The famous custom car designer Ed "Big Daddy" Roth sold various "surfer accessories" in the 1960s that were based on WW 2 German items, like his "surfer's helmet" that is a plastic copy of a German helmet and he also manufactured his own Surfer's Cross. By 1966 Roth claimed to have sold 51,800 crosses and "that Hitler did a helluva public relations job for me."

Thank you very much. You nailed this one. Can't believe the amount of knowledge that our members have. This medal was in with all of the German stickpins that I listed previously, so it fits perfectly. Again, many thanks.

 

[nebstater]

Re: Is this an English Sports medal?

Good ID Harry. What an odd item.
Indeed the German Iron Cross did have this type of crown on it from 1813 through WWI. The back of your medal appears to be based on the 1813 pattern version:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iron_Cross

The similarities in the medals is outstanding. Thanks