Watch List notes:

GERMANY. Empire. Karl von Muller/"Emden I" Silver Medal, 1914. By L. C. Lauer. UNCIRCULATED.
Zetzmann-4051. Diameter: 33mm; Weight: 16.72 gms. The cruiser Emden I. Obverse: Uniformed bust facing slightly left, head facing; Reverse: Naval cruiser Emden I sailing right upon the seas; iron cross above; all within wreath of oak and laurel branches. Edge: SILBER 990. Highly prooflike, with a charming cameo nature and frosted devices, though some scattered marks and hairlines in the fields are noted. Compare to a similar example that realized a total of $480 in our 2019 ANA auction (lot 22657).

Completed in 1909, the Emden I spent much of her early life in the far east with the German East Asia Squadron at Qingdao (Tsingtao). Just before the beginning of World War I, she came under the control of Karl von Muller, who saw her capture numerous enemy ships after the outbreak of hostilities, notably roaming and raiding in the Indian Ocean and launching a surprise attack at the Battle of Penang. She met her end near the Cocos Islands in November 1914 while engaging an Australian cruiser, the HMAS Sydney. Nearly a third of her crew perished in the attack, while the remainder was mostly taken as prisoner by the Aussies.

Estimate: $150 - $300