Crown & Swords: Bavarian Silver 01

This two piece combination on the frontline ribbon of the Bavarian Military Merit Order (4th Class) or Military Merit Cross (2nd class) is, as seems typical of a high percentage of 1916-18 ribbon bars, made of real silver.

It is thus most likely, generally, to belong to the Order grade rather than the Cross grade. Although silvered alloy devices ARE often found for officers' ribbon bars, I have never encountered one traceable as an NCOs' grade version with real silver devices like these.

Though since NO ribbon bars were ever "issued," and all had to be privately purchased by the wearer himslef, nothing would have prevented an NCO from buying this quality of device.

Compare this pair of devices to the one using Bavarian "bound" style swords. This was simply a matter of what the dealer had in stock and what the original wearer specified for each custom-made ribbon bar.