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    Good day fellow collectors.

    I hope you guys might help me out.I picked up a 25 year fire brigade

    medal bar for my collection.I how ever did not do my homework and have

    been told it is a Bavarian medal wich is on a prussian medal bar.

    Is there any other reason than sticking it on to sell the bar?

    don

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    Guest Rick Research

    You DID do your homework! That IS the medal you need to replace the Bavarian one.

    Since these are all usually found loose and not mounted, you may have the harder part to find already in the medal bar mounting. If the medal just clips in and out there isn't even anything to repair to fix it.

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    Hi Don,

    I wondered who won that mule of medal and ribbon. I wrote the seller and told him what it was, but I don't think he ever updated his listing. I'm sure they were just married up for a sale.

    However, you shouldn't have too much trouble adding the correct medal and ribbon. As Rick has pointed out, the correct medal is frequently seen on ebay, and elsewhere. It is the Prussian Fire Brigade Association service medal, issued for 25 and 40 years service. The 25 year medal is silvered and the 40 golden. The reverse and the ribbon is the same for both. I've attached photos of the reverse of the 25 year medal, photo of the 40 year, and a photo of a fairly rare lapel ribbon bar with miniature medal attached. According to Gert Efler's excellent book on German fire awards, the silver medal was awarded from 1930-1934, and the gold from 1924 - 1934.

    (cont.)

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    The correct ribbon for the medal you have has 7 sky blue and 8 white stripes. I've seen it in two sizes... 35mm and 38mm. The 38mm ribbon had previously been used on a 25 year service bar from 1884 - 1914. After the war the Bavarian Freestate adopted the medal style, having one for 25 and one for 40 years service. The 40 year medal was gild and had a crimson ribbon. Both were issued from 1920 - 1936.

    I've attached a photo of the two sizes. There are also variations in the medal, but that is for another discussion.

    Hope this is of interest,

    FireMedals

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    Guest Rick Research

    LOTS of variations! This naughty old fellow from Nuremburg in 1934 was wearing every single volunteer long service award he had ever received all simultaneously rather than the latest highest grade. He is wearing rolleyes.gif :speechless-smiley-004: THREE of these, the 1928-36 Cross which bears the same design reduced in the center, and his old Royal brooch version, among the plethora of other mainly semi-offical decorations here. Note the WW1 Prussian War Effort Cross in there near the end! ohmy.gif

    The ribbons were wine red for professional fire and blue and white striped for volunteers until 1922, and then became different for the years.

    There is no UGLIER German official award than these HORRIBLE Bavarian cast iron "fishing sinker" "partially used cough drop" lumps.

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    If anyone has this extremely UGLY medal bar...please let me know. I will be happy to take it off your hands and beautify your collection all at once. And I won't even charge you for allowing me to accept it.

    FireMedals

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    Thanks guys for the great info.I will now have to go out and get

    the right medal for bar.Any ideas on a price?Would it be hard to

    get the right ribbon for the Bavarian?

    Thanks once more

    don

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    I just received the medal bar. Now I will try and get the correct medal.I am not

    sure where the prussian medal should sit?Any ideas how to take a part when

    I get the correct medal?

    A few shots

    don

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    Don,

    As Christian L. noted, a Wurttemberg award for 25 years service. This style was issued during the Freestate period, 1925-1936. Like your previous Bavarian medal, this is also one of the more common fire brigade awards of the period.

    It is similar to a previous award under the Kingdom, 1912-1915, that had a crown at the top of the medal. The suspension, using the hard plate, is one of several interesting suspension variations that were being used in the German States at the time.

    FireMedals

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