Prehistoric Ribbon Bars 02

This photo was taken in Posen of an unfortunately unnamed officer, some time in the 1860s.

He is wearing the "Iron Cross" ribbon of a Prussian war Order with Swords-- at this period, probably a Red Eagle Order 4th Class, with what appears to be the same ribbon following (for a Military Decoration earned as an officer candidate? Or for the 1864 Danish War Medal, with its yellow edge stripe concealed under the drape?), third the medal of the 1848/49 counter-revolutionary campaign in the Principality of Hohenzollern, and the final ribbon is too washed out to identify.

The field shoulder boards were introduced in 1866, so this might date from immediately after that war, before this officer had received his 1866 War Campaign Cross.

So this is an EXTREMELY early example of what was then the standard pattern of medal bar AND ribbon bar--with hook backs used even by officerss--worn AS A RIBBON BAR. Presence of the Swords device here indicates that he did NOT wear this same set of ribbons as his full medal bar, since devices on the ribbon were not allowed when the actual decoration was being worn.

I have never seen an earlier example of an INTENDED ribbon bar.


Courtesy of Mike Dunn/Ulsterman.