GERMANY, German Empire. Manfred von Richthofen (The Red Baron), freiherr and fighter ace. 1892-1918. AR Medal (36mm, 19.48 g, 12h). On his death. By K. Goetz. Dated 21 April 1918. UNC.

Keystone 17 – The W. Toliver Besson Collection
Lot: 352. Estimated: $ 200

World Medals, Silver

Sold For $ 750. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

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GERMANY, German Empire. Manfred von Richthofen (The Red Baron), freiherr and fighter ace. 1892-1918. AR Medal (36mm, 19.48 g, 12h). On his death. By K. Goetz. Dated 21 April 1918. RITTMEISTER · MANFRED · FRHR · V · RICHTHOFEN, bust facing slightly left, wearing cap, overcoat, and Iron Cross / DER · ROTE · KAMPF FLIEGER, eagle standing left, head raised; to right, winged helmet set on branch bearing coat-of-arms; in background, plinth inscribed with iron cross and 12/APRIL/1918; above, 89 pierced by arrow (the incorrect number of his aerial kills). Zetzmann 6038; Kienast 288 note. Toned. UNC.

From the W. Toliver Besson Collection.

Born into an aristocratic Prussian family in 1892, Manfred von Richtofen attained fame as “the Red Baron” during World War I, both for his 80 air victories and his habit of flying a fighter aircraft, first an Albatross biplane and later a Fokker DR-1 triplane, painted bright red. On this Goetz medal he is celebrated as “der rote kamp fleiger” (literally ”the red war flier”), by which he was known in Germany, where he he was a national hero. His death during a low-altitude aerial battle over the Somme on April 21, 1918, commemorated by this metal, remains controversial to this day. His shoot-down was initially credited to the Canadian flying ace Arthur “Roy” Brown, but most historians now believe a ground gunner from an Australian machine gun unit fired the fatal shot. After his Fokker crash-landed in the British sector, Richtofen’s funeral was held by the nearest Allied squadron, No. 3 of the Royal Australian Flying Corps, who buried him with full honors, including wreaths inscribed “To Our Gallant and Worthy Foe.”

Closing Date and Time: 22 July 2026 at 11:57:00 ET.



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