saschaw

Wow. Nothing else. Just wow. :beer:

Thanks! That was probably a so called "museum copy" by Göde. Real crap...

Good cross! Late 19th century, and gold. If it's not damaged, go for it! Never seen one of them, but the Göde pieces. Was it silver and glass, or rather plastic with odd som metal?

Probably gold, and probably real.

I think it is rather a Prussian order Pour le Merite than a Johanniter.

I know this wasn't you, Kai. But this was, and I might have misunderstood it, but it sounds strange in regards to the fact knowledge we do have on awarded vs. private purchase crosses. "1 category is = the ORIGINAL DECORATION ONLY IF OBTAINED DIRECTLY FROM THE RECIPIENT OR HIS FAMILY WITH ALL SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION WITH A VERY STRONg PROVENANCE> in short the 100% original rewarded worn soldiers property well 99.9999 % off the collectors wil not have such a cross" Stopping here might be a really good idea.

Thanks for the nice words, Graf. You're welcome! I thought I was pretty clear in answering your question on the cross, and others were, too. As clear as one can get without picking a quarrel. Kai, you have probably read of "probemäßig" and "Probemäßigkeit" on the German forums you're visiting, or you've read it in the magazines or books. You know and we know which types were definitely awarded. And that we don't need a 100% wearer proof to know it's original. These are facts you are aware of. I wonder. I really do, honestly.

Did you notice my shop is in German language only, and this could be the reason I'm not writing "wearers copy"? And don't you agree a WW2 era made 1914 cross with screw back is rarer than a 1918 awarded "K.O." cross? You probably do agree! Other question, how do you know (my) L/59 cross were "much more common" than (your) L/12 cross? Any proof for this claim? Probably not. Neither have I. Any serious collector - and I'm sure my customers are - do know a vaultet screw back cross cannot be an awarded one, so is a Zweitstück (wearers copy!) anyway. I don't see a reason to mention this. Sometimes I do, sometimes I don't. See the L/12 cross I sold: "gefertigt während des 2. Weltkriegs um 1941/45 für den Ordenshandel". I find it hardly irritating to be offended here. I did not claim wearer copies not to be worth collectiong. Never! I'm honestly not 100% sure if speedytop did - but I don't. Still, they are copies. Why not collecting copies? It doesn't hurt, believe me... So thanks, Graf, for your gentlemanlike behaviour. And thanks for the talk!

The core is not cast, and it is painted. Definitely a modern fake.

I'm seeing a nice and not to common WW2 era wearer's copy here.

I agree with Schießplatzmeister here.

Gents, I'll try to look this up!

No, you aren't. I was rather kidding. It'd be great if we were able to, but I don't think this one has enough flesh on it.

Nice one... now to find the wearer. ;o)

The photo... with a Hessen spike helmet!

I noticed late, but I noticed: Brust's mini chain was offered in Jan K. Kube's 121st auction in october 2011! It came with an additional, other photo of him... The one award missing from the chain is probably the Brunswick cross mentioned in the WW1 era references. Pitily Kube did not notice what Hessian medal it is, nor did he identify the Annam dragon. Instead: "ausländ. Dekoration" (foreign decoration)... :whistle:

#2 place is probably a Prussian crown order, making another one in 4th position actually impossble. No need to double check, I can keep apart dark blue from light blue. ;)

This is long service cross ribbon. Both mentioned orders have a lighter blue ribbon, and the Württemberg would be in totally wrong position. With RAO2EX, the wearer should have been Generalmajor. Oberste did not get RAO2, from what I know. I'm not sure if this is identifiable. Too many common WW1 awards for these ranks... and most we have no complete rolls for. Still a nice bar, of course.

The cross on the single mounted medal bar looks rather like a Prussian Landwehr-Dienstauszeichnung I. Klasse to me, making him an Hauptmann of Reserve or Landwehr.

Thanks Komtur posting your and mine pictures. Saves me to find it on my own. Komtur is right, the HOH4A wasn't awarded to women. At least, I'm not aware of just one.

Nice one, but worn by a man.

Soooooooooo difficult question... You'll soon notice, Imperial awards is a slippery slope. :whistle:

Thanks! Having it in hands, I agree it seems to be silver, but is unmarked.

The ribbons are all the same, so no chance... unless the combination "speaks". This could be either a NCO's bar with XV cross, or a XXV cross, probably 1920 awarded to an officer or to a NCO... unlikely to be a pre-WW1 XXV cross, as those usually come with a RAO4.

You're confusing three totally different medals. Niemann refers to the Kriegerverdienstmedaille of the Reich only, a four classed medal for black soldiers in the colonies. The Prussian medal an Austrian EM or NCO would have received in WW1 is the Prussian(!) Kriegerverdienstmedaille, which looks the same like the lowest class of the medals in Niemann catalogue. But: one is a one-classed Prussian award, the other one the lowest grade of a four classed award by the Reich. The big medal with "WR" cypher is the Prussian Militär-Ehrenzeichen 2nd class. Something totally different, a Prussia award awarded in the wars of 1864 and 1866, and to the white soldiers fighting in the colonies. Ficker seems top wear the last one to replace/upgrade his Prussian Kriegerverdienstmedaille. Would someone please chime in, if I'm wrong in anything?