127 - Italy, medal for the Italo-German campaign in Africa, zinc, De Marchis, Lorioli, 1942/43

Italy, medal for the Italo-German campaign in Africa, zinc, De Marchis, Lorioli, 1942/43 Zinc, medal for the Italo-German campaign in Africa, obverse with the triumphal arch Arco dei Fileni, fasces on the left, the Savoy knot beneath the arch, legend “CAMPAGNA ITALO-TEDESCA IN AFRICA”, on the right the German legend “ITALIENISCH-DEUTSCHER FELDZUG IN AFRIKA”, the beginning of which lies beneath the ribbon, reverse with two soldiers in steel helmets binding shut the jaws of a crocodile, below the lettering “De Marchis”, on the right at the edge the lettering “LORIOLI MILANO”, suspension loop, on ribbon in black, white, red, white and green. Diam. 3.1 cm The commemorative medal was instituted in 1942 by Benito Mussolini; it was awarded to Italian and German soldiers after at least six months of service in North Africa. The arch on the obverse is the Arco dei Fileni, erected in 1937 in Italian Libya; the knot below it is the Savoy emblem for the alliance of the Berlin-Rome Axis. The crocodile on the reverse stands for the common enemy Great Britain, the jaws bound shut for the Suez Canal. The design was created by the die-sinker Roberto De Marchis, the largest manufacturer was the firm M. Lorioli and Sons in Milan; the campaign medal was issued in bronze, non-ferrous metal and zinc. German recipients wore the ribbon with the black stripe to the left, Italian recipients with the green.