saschaw

Nimmergut (in his "Handbuch") refers to Heyde, but doesn't give primary sources... do you have the book/the pages dealing with the ladies? In case you don't, drop me a line.

Yermolov, Aleksei Petrovich - listed as Yermaloff, "Kaiserlich Russischer Generalleutnant", grand cross on august 30th, 1814 Volkonsky (Wolkonski), Petr - listed as "Fürst Wolkonski, Kaiserlich Russischer Feldmarschall". Date of award unknow, but the Grand Cross was returned to the Ordenskanzlei on april 13th, 1853. Dovre, Fydor F - cannot find him. Other possible spellings, maybe?!

I'm not convinced this must be the Bulgarian... might it not be some medal of a chamber of industry and commerce, or something similar?

This indeed helps for the actuall awarded crosses - but not for (maybe-)wearers copies.

The thing is it was banned quite quickly by the Kaiser, still in autummn 1914. And don't forget all (or most?) of these women awarded got articles in newspapers and so... it was the early days of the war, when (almsot) all were in that famous war fever. And the newspapers have been looked through over decades for stuff like this. ;o) I don't think it were hundereds of women. It may be possible it was more than four. Maybe five, six or seven... but hardly imaginable it was more than a dozen.

Seems to be rather a patriotic cross - or rather a modern cast fake of it...

So many collectors, so many opinions... and I tend to agree with most, even with those that disagree. Collecting Baden medal bars from all eras, I prefer WW1-like bars without later stuff, don't love but accept "Weimar era" and "Third Reich" additions, and love post-WW2 medal bars that include WW1 awards... covering four ages of German history in one life - and in one's life's awards! - is just amazing, isn't it? But you don't see them too often, I have to admit.

The General Honour Decoration is probably fine. Enough real ones of them out there... Regarding the Military Merit Cross... I believe them to be modern, so called "museum copies" by Göde. Some collectors and dealers anyway assume they may be old wearer's copy. In case someone needs one... http://www.ebay.de/itm/170963665409

I think these "Abwicklungen" were all for WW1 service, and ended in 1921. The 2nd class medals by Oertel were made/delievered in 1921. "Boring" wasn't meant to degrade them. They are rarer, by the way. The older ones are just nicer, that's it.

Are both actual sellers? Let me explain, you'll find pictures from my shop e. g. on www.ehrenzeichen-orden.de, which is not a shop, but an information site, run by a collector friend who may use any of my pictures. Same situation may be with others... If you see same pictures on two different sale sites, you should indeed be carefull...

Just noticed I missed to answer here, sorry! It's a bit difficult in English, but I'll try to make the point clear... The 3rd class RKM was a bronze medal. It had the Red Cross struck, with an struck lines pattern. Minor differences when they changed to steel in 1915 and to a zinc alloy in 1917, but that doesn't affect the struck lining. The 2nd classes were made from silver, the Red Cross was enemaled. They (at Berlin state mint) could have used the same die, but they didn't! A cut edge is much sharper than a struck one, and the sharper the edge, the better the light refraction under the enamel. So they made an extra die for the 2nd class medal, with no lining on the Red Cross - the pattern was done by hand, engraved or similar. Same, of course, for the 1st class medal, which was a gilt pin back cross. This all is only valid for official made medals from Berlin mint. After WW1, the medals were made at a private medal mint in Berlin, owned by Mr. Oertel. We're still talking about official medals! But in ca. 1920, they had other issues than the light reflection below the enemal and gave a sh** for it... the Oertel 2nd class medals have a struck lining pattern. Yours is one of them, I'd say. Here are some of mine for comparing. See the difference between a great, hand cut pattern and a boring, struck one? Additionaly, here's a cased 1st class medal from my current offerings: http://woeschler-orden.de/preu-en-rote-kreuz-medaille-i-klasse-im-verleihungsetui

The minis are good, without a doubt; Biro knows what he's talking about. eMedals' comment confuses me, too, but not in regards to your plm miniature... The combination is odd and I'm honestly not sure if it's played with or not, but would definitely leave it as is! It would be a shame to destroy a maybe-good plm winner's chain. Hope you didn't and won't lose it's joy!

Fine original one, but I thought the obverse was the crowned "W" on these one...

Have to agree, that's the type they are usually selling.

Without even seeing it? Rick, amazing as usual. The Friedrichsorden is indeed a commanders cross. It has another design than the knights cross 1st class.

As said, not even close to Göring. Has anyone yet noted the actual grade of the Württemberg order?

Very nice sets! I'm having a similar but longer case, and assume these were actually thought for miniature chains. Mine definitely is.

Isn't the replica cross one-piece made and the newer eBay auction a multi-piece cross with an iron core?! :unsure:

Military doctors were military, so received military long service awards. A long service award's lack doesn't mean much, though. If he didn't make 25 years of service... On the other hand, the wearer might have been a civilian, e.g. a civil doctor. Nothing says "military" here. I find it odd there's a Red Cross medal 2nd class only, but no 3rd class. They should be worn together, actually. Also, it seems to be a post-WW1 issue by Oertel, none by the Berlin mint. If so, the enemaled underground should not be engraved, while the older ones are. Might it be possible there used to be a 3rd class, removed and replaced by someone at some time?

Don't think so. But no idea what else... nothing official, I'd guess.

Why in 1901? Do you know whose bar this is, did it come with a document? If not, I don't see a way to see if this RAO was awarded in 1890 or in 1910... It's a peace time order that went to military as well as to civilians, so one cannot be sure. I'm not seeing anything that indicates he still was in military service then, like a long service award, so I assume it was his civil (state) job he got it for after 50 years of service.

Seems to be a nice one! The oaks to the EK as well as the battle clasps were introduced at the 25th jubilee of the 1870 war in 1895 and had to be acquired by the wearer himself. The "50" for the Red Eagle order (and General Honour awards, and Royal Crown order, and House order of Hohenzollern) is something completely different. Instituted oin 1851, they were given, if the decoration was awarded on occasion of a service jubilee. The "50"s aren't common but neither to unusual, but they also come as "60"s and - in very, very few cases - as "70"s on different grades of the mentioned orders and decorations. We probably all can imagine there were not many that had 70 years of service.... Jubilee numbers "65" are seen on the market, but there's no proof they ever existed actually - they are probably modern fakes. However, all of them are faked, of course, and added to good or not so good awards.

Ah, the one from eBay. Not being an expert in these, I really like what I see. It's pretty close to one I used to have... You're going for it? Good luck!

Ah, you got these two lovely Godet bars? Great!

I'm not sure if the thread on St. Anne medal 1st type, posted in the Imperial German forum, is seen here ?! http://gmic.co.uk/index.php/topic/26972-prussian-medals-bar-with-russian-st-anne-medal/