Steel Franco-Prussian War Medal on Combatant's Ribbon

[jshorter]

Hi Everyone!

I recently purchased a Bavarian pre-WWI bar, and one of the medals is the steel Franco-Prussian War medal on a combatant's ribbon. I was going to replace this medal with a bronze (combatant's) medal, but I was reading a very interesting thread on another forum website:

Combatant vs. Non-Combatant Ribbon Discussion

With that in mind, has anyone else seen this, and is this in fact true? I have been trying to load a photograph of my bar into my photo album here, but have not been able to post anything new. The rest of the medals on the bar are as follows (from left to right):

1. Steel Franco-Prussian War medal on combatant's ribbon
2. Bavarian bronze Army Commemorative Award from 1866
3. Bavarian bronze 24 Year Long Service Cross
4. Wilhelm I Centenary medal

Any thoughts or opinions are greatly appreciated!

Thank you,

Jason

[saschaw]

With that in mind, has anyone else seen this, and is this in fact true?

Jason, do you mean the steel medal on combattant ribbon? Have seen it about 300,000 times.

Absolutely no problem about it. :cheers:

[jshorter]

Yes, the steel medal on a combatant's ribbon.

I too have seen it several times, but I was wondering if it was actually "correct." From the statements on the other forum, it appears that steel medals were actually intended to be awarded on combatant ribbons to some individuals.

Jason

[Guest Rick Research]

We have discussed this numerous times here.

That combination was given to "stay at homes" who never saw action, back in Germany.

I hope the XXIV Years service cross is the lovely dark chocolate bronze pre-1906 type and not the gold finished M1906. The old ones are quite hard to find and are often ruined by people scrubbing off the original chocolate patina.

[jshorter]

I hope the XXIV Years service cross is the lovely dark chocolate bronze pre-1906 type and not the gold finished M1906. The old ones are quite hard to find and are often ruined by people scrubbing off the original chocolate patina.

Yes, mine is really dark chocolate bronze. Sure wish I could post a photo, but the image gallery isn't working for me. None of the buttons to upload the photo show up, and if I try, it says there is an unknown error.

Jason

[jshorter]

Wow, it worked!!!!

[jshorter]

I hope the XXIV Years service cross is the lovely dark chocolate bronze pre-1906 type and not the gold finished M1906. The old ones are quite hard to find and are often ruined by people scrubbing off the original chocolate patina.

Just got the set yesterday. Here she is!

Jason

[jshorter]

[Guest Rick Research]

Lovely. Just perfect.

I wish I knew what the eternally non-tarnishing white brass (?) backing metal was, but it and the excellent raised edges so the ribbons do not fray or snag are artifacts of the 1880s. Yours is a late example. They were a GREAT idea, perfect material... and just disappear by the 20th century. Compare one of those backings with the wretched, nasty sheared with tin snips Prussian rhomboid types.