British and World Coins. Tokens and Historical Medals

World War One, Ferdinand I of Bulgaria and Wilhelm II, 1916, an unusual German bronze medal, by Löewental, busts face to face, nisch reverse figure wearing winged cap blowing horn, standing on wild boar, Sphinx and pyramid behind to right, mosque behind to left, 92mm. Extremely fine (£30-40)

This medal refers to the fall of Nish and the defeat of Serbia, achieved at least in some measure by the intervention of Bulgaria. The symbolism of the reverse is less clear; the wild boar doubtless represesents Serbia; the mosque, Sphinx and pyramid are less easy to explain but may refer to the Moslem inhabitants of the region who, fiercely anti-Serbian in sentiment, would have welcomed the victory of the Central Powers.