Stogieman

Another version of this medal, sorry for the terrible scan

Anybody have any additional BZL cases, packets to share??

Anyone have any new packets to add??

Any luck with the new rolls that can be applied to this bar Rick?

These are all private "awarded" items. During the "anything goes" 1920's, a veteran could purchase any bar he wanted....

Just for fun, here's the campaign medal for Playa Giron. An earlier bronze one..

and the reverse:

some more pix: Nice Flanders Bars!

I know some of you like the veteran's bars/awards. This one's pretty neat with all 4 ribbons for the battle crosses. A couple missing, but the opening bid makes it worth watching. No, not mine, son't know the seller, just know how rare it is to find these all together! http://cgi.ebay.com/GERMAN-7-MEDAL-BAR-rar...1QQcmdZViewItem

And I know where this one is...

And I know where this one is!

OK, who's got them? Claudio's thread on his new BMVO4 Bar made me reminisce over all the SHRK bars that floated through. Still one of my favorites and I still know where it lives!

Reverse:

Finally, the photos I have been searching for. Produced ca 1920-25 during the depression. Very rare style

Mecklenburg Friedrich Franz Kreuz, First Class

Hi Paul, the examples that have shown up outside of Cuba all seem to be either silver-gilt, or gilded (something else)

Bumped. This is a piece that should be committed to memory.

Dimensions please? Center of bow on the bottom front to top of crown? Width @ center front? In mm. please!

Bumping so you gals and guys remember to help out my Evil Twin....

Yes Lee, but this one appears to have the cross atop the crown broken/missing... or perhaps never there in the first place... another warning bell.

That's pretty neat... I haven't seen many ww2 era photos with Imperial decorations in the button hole!!

This one looks chunkier (the star that is) than the Military version; based on photos I've seen so far from European collectors. I believe the case is original to the piece. Many of the earlier orders seem to have all come in Soviet (Communist may be a better term) type hinged-lid cases in cardboard and leatherette. I have not seen photos of any case that was titled so far other than some plastic cases that were titled for the Ministry of Interior Long Service Medals. Based on the suspension style, it seems some of those may have actually been made by East German (or possibly Czech) manufacturers. So many questions, so little knowledge and no communications possible with the direct source in Cuba. This particular example was auctioned off in Germany in 2006. I don't remember the final hammer price though.

Example of the Hero Of Labor Star from Cuba:

Sorry Claudio, not sure how I missed that line! My Bad!

Nice little grouping. Is it actually a group, or just a selection from a collection?