Gallipoli Star - Eiserner Halbmond.
This particular example were made in Turkey and painted red instead of having the enamel(all produced in Austria and Germany had enamel).
The painted version is much harder to find than the enamel version.
German Officers continued to wear this medal during WW2 which can be seen on many period photos.
These made in Turkey are more or less never maker marked.
Good used condition, some paintloss but that's almost always the case with these.
Still looking good event though it's well over 100 years old.
The Medal (Madalyasi) is to all intents an Order, instituted in 1915 by Sultan Mehmed Reshad V to be awarded for acts of heroism, bravery and successful military service. It was awarded widely during the Gallipoli campaign and is often known in the West as the ‘Gallipoli Star’, though it was not a campaign medal. The Central Powers often called the award the ‘Eiserner Halbmond’ (Iron Crescent), despite the fact that it was made of silver or cupro-nickel rather than iron, since it was seen as equivalent to the Prussian Iron Cross.
All awards manufactured within the Ottoman Empire had red-painted faces; those made in Austria and Germany have red enamel faces. Since the European-made examples were often awarded to German and Austrian officers, a belief has grown up that the Medal was issued in enamel to officers and paint to other ranks. This was not the case; the Medal was issued in one class, the material used being dictated by the place of manufacture rather than the rank of the recipient.
