saschaw

Are you sure this is from Kassel? From here, it looks like a dark blue ribbon and a "III." below the "FW", while the Kassel cross had a purple (or red) with yellow ribbon - and a "FW I." cypher.

Nice bar, but I don't think it has any chance to be identified - unless we have the Luftschutz rolls?! ;)

:D I don't think the Blass collections were online anywhere. Blass had several collections, of which just two will be at Thies': Deutsche Ehrenzeichen nach Hessenthal und Schreiber (German decoratuions (no orders!) by HuS) which is said to be about 95% complete, and his collection of books on orders and decorations. I have no idea what happened or will happen to Blass' other collections.

Your explanation seems fine to me. Unfortunately, he wear's only the ribbon of Coburg and Gotha long service medal, but a Prussian medal to it. This is a thing that is seen rather often, even with Baden, Württemberg and so.

Could it not be an officer's bar?

Looks like a Frankenstein to me - but apparently an old one? I'd love to hear what Micha thinks about it.

This bar has yet much been researched on in the past, without any success.

Better posted twice than not. :beer:

Did Andy not post this article before?! http://gmic.co.uk/index.php/topic/49164-when-are-common-groups-researchable-smms-to-bavarians/page__p__452328__hl__%2Bkallenbach+%2B__fromsearch__1#entry452328

Sorry Thierry, but these are all fakes. At least both jubilee buttons, as well as the whole RAO! This is an outright fake. I'm not sure with the medal itself, but button and ribbon are no good. Are these eBay buys? The medal looks like those that are offered any two weeks by out "favorite" sellers...

Agreed! Very nice entries. You should (if you haven't by now) show them in the Freikorps section, too. :cheers:

I'm not sure if the wearer is one of those 59. It is extremely unlikely for a Prussian (unless he's a Prince, which he is not!) to get the RAO3Kr. More likely is there's missing a bow (maybe never mounted).

It's a good bar, but it is not a Godet bar.

WgM would use a golden wreath. The green enemaled wreath is for a knight's cross of the order.

Holy cow. How about a some dozen year job in Munich Kriegsministerium? I know bars with 20 and more ribbons. That is thing that was just up to the wearer - I'm not aware of any regulations in this matters.

I'm not sure if it helps, but Itakly was an enemy in WW1, and some (or many) awardees diceded not to wear enemy awards anymore.

Wouldn't the ribbon be way to pale for it, and would it then not be in wrong position? I think the WF3aX does match. Unless it is a replacement (Tim?) - if so, it could be a pre-war award without swords. A Württemberg Friedrich nonetheless.

Lovely bar! I think that one should be identifiable... Wasn't there a Dutch ordere that used this ribbon as well, or at least a very similar one?

I'm with Chip in this point - and I do not think they were handed out. Rather soemthing you could buy if you were proud if your service and unit. They seem to exist to any pre-WW1 unit. But, try to find a specific one... :shame:

According to Niemann they are post- (Nie 2.02.22 d), according to me they are pre-WW1. ;)

Stunning, thanks for showing! What I like best is the Bavarian order of the crown on the medal bar. How often do we see these? Plus I think it was that which made him a Ritter? No MMJO in the group, apparently.

Odd, but Vince is probably right. One other thing the 1870/71 and the general service medal are worn with the reverse up. If it were mine, I'd fix that. As I think most were changed threw to years and were not worn like this. To many collectors think and thought it were right like this - and "fixed" it.

Braunschweig bar is pretty fine in my opinion. Württemberg bar might be okay as well - home made. Württembergers are said to be money-conscious. Instead of the 1870/71 medal, there should be - most likely - a Württemberg silver merit cross with swords. Anything else is fine, however I'm not sure if there should not be a higher grade of long service award?

Sorry to say that, but I absolutely do not like this bar. Sewing is odd, backing plate and needle look modern. Have you black lighted it? I think this is a recent fake bar.

Thanks Mr. Museum , Mr. Research and Andy! A very nice and interresting bar! I do not think it is traceable. I think the bar might pre-date the 1890s - hardware might well be late 1870s or 1880s - and that it might well be to an incredibly ancient retired army officer not decorated for either 1866 or 1870/71. There were probably some with a combination pretty close to this. I'd like to add a later picture of mentioned Major Schmitt (from my father's), with his 1905 Hof- und Staatshandbuch entry. The next HuS I have is 1913 in which is is no more mentioned. On the picture with BZ3aE, KO3, the extremely rare 40 years cross - and just one clasp on Feldienstauszeichnung's ribbon.