This large cast iron Lusitania medal is one of the most recognisable and controversial wartime pieces of the twentieth century. Surviving in about Extremely Fine condition, it has strong appeal for collectors because of its bold imagery, political background and the lasting story behind its issue.

The obverse shows the Lusitania sinking in heavy seas, with the legend arranged in five lines beneath the scene. The German text reads KEINE BANN WARE / DER GROSSDAMPFER / LUSITANIA / DURCH EIN DEUTSCHES / TAUCHBOOT VERSENKT / 5 MAI 1915, meaning “no contraband! the liner Lusitania sunk by a German submarine.” Karl Goetz designed the medal to make a sharp satirical point, and the dramatic composition gives the sinking ship real movement and urgency. The incorrect date, 5 May 1915, was later seized upon in wartime propaganda, which only increased the medal’s fame and controversy.

The reverse is equally striking, showing a skeleton representing Death standing within a ticket booth, while a queue of passengers waits to the left. The inscription GESCHAFT VBER ALLES, meaning “business above all,” reinforces the medal’s harsh message. For collectors, this reverse is especially memorable because it uses satire rather than simple commemoration, and the scene is easy to recognise even at a glance. The plain edge and cast iron format add to the medal’s austere character and wartime feel.

Issued in 1915, the medal is closely linked to the sinking of the Lusitania, which became one of the defining events of the First World War at sea. The ship was torpedoed off the coast of Ireland and sank in just 18 minutes, with heavy loss of life. Because of its historical significance and the many later restrikes and copies, collectors value an example like this for its originality, its story and its place in the wider history of wartime propaganda.