Stogieman

I think we're talking about different makers... The scrollwork/suspension does vary between makers...

Another nice photo of the man behind the medal:

Well, that one took awhile, but looks very exciting! Translations soon, I hope!

Yes, 1950's per the website, but two other interesting medals are shown there (!!) post-Revolution!

... and therein lies the rub with sellers like this. So much of what they offer is questionable, or down-right bad... that you are forced to question everything. The extended bar doesn't bother me so much. We have certainly seen no shortage of "added-in" bars over the years that it is (and will remain) a legit variation of a frygal man. However, to pay a premium from a questionable source is probably not such a good idea.

I think it depends on where you're going.... but for me, I'd rather bite the bullet and have the real one. The difference in quality and appearance; as well as the value in the long run, is worth it to me. The Pilot School Badge that Igor has was mine and remains the only legit one to surface in years. Remember that they stopped handing these out very early in the war and quite literally, most went down with the pilot early in the war. There's simply so few around, the chance of finding another legitimite one is slim to none.

Hold it dearly... treat it like a long-lost child. NEVER let it out of your site. Why? PM me....... if you'd like.

Sold on ebay.de for over 70- Euro. Quite a bit for a ribbon....

Oh yeah... no 1 is NOT an EK2!

Yes, little green stripes on first ribbon!

OK, who can ID all of these? Rick Research may not play!

... one would think given the percentage of Bar members sitting in the House & Senate that there would be a fraction that would understand the impact of the words of the law that was passed..... I will bet money that prior to voting, a great many never read the law.

My letter to our senior senator via eMail: Dear Senator Kennedy, Please advise your position regarding this law. My analysis is such that based on the way the law is written; my 86 year old Mother-In-Law is now a criminal because she possesses the war medals won by her dead ex-husband who was shot down over Europe in WW2! Should she decide to leave them to my wife, then my wife becomes a criminal as well? Is this truly what you intended by passage of this law? It is a travesty that hundreds of thousands of Americans will now instantly become criminals by virtue of what they were willed, their family's history or items that were collected by their family over time. Again, is this what you intended? I am a registered Republican in Massachusetts. An unusual bird. I have supported you and your family since I turned 18 as my family did before me. I am so thoroughly disgusted that hundreds of WW2 era citizens, mainly widows; are now in fear that they have broken the law. Why? Because of this very poorly worded law. Sincerely, Richard Alan Versailles Ware, MA Title 18, United States Code, Section 704 (a) In General. - Whoever knowingly wears, purchases, attempts to purchase, solicits for purchase, mails, ships, imports, exports, produces blank certificates of receipt, manufactures, or sells, attempts to sell, advertises for sale, trades, barters or exchanges for anything of value any decoration or medal authorized by Congress for the armed forces of the United States, or any of the service medals or badges awarded to the members of such forces, or the ribbon, button, or rosette of any such badge, decoration or medal, or any colorable imitation thereof, except when authorized under regulations made pursuant to law, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than six months, or both.

It will be interesting to see how long this takes for the apple cart gets dumped..... onset of an election cycle..... could be lots of crotch-grabbing and spitting when talking coming up here. Pathetic. Does anyone have any idea how many actual collectors of US ODM there are? If I read the analysis right..... My Mother in Law is now a criminal and will have to report herself to.... who? Local Police? FBI? Treasury Department/Secret Service?

Hi Ed, I think the paperwork here is pretty amazing. Same with the other groups you recently posted up.. sweet!

Based on the scans shown, I don't think this piece came with swords. The ones I have seen with swords removed, the shape of the triangle in the filagree was always quite clearly impacted by the swords. or rather by the rivet used to affix the swords and the usual "wobble" they have once installed. Bigger scans of the top arm/suspension would be better. Next, any clear impression of swords in the lid/liner of the case? The presence does not necessarily mean they were removed from the cross.... the cross and case may be mis-matched. My call is its' fine, based on these photos. For what it's worth..

Note The Cuban Medal/Order noted at the bottom. Unfortunately, does not say what they were awarded for.... Still, very interesting that such a high office statesperson from Vietnam would receive the order.. Web Source: http://www.nni.nikkei.co.jp/FR/NIKKEI/inas...003pro_hoa.html Article: THE FUTURE OF ASIA 2003 Her Excellency Truong My Hoa Vice President, Socialist Republic of Vietnam -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Date and Place of Birth: 18 August, 1945 in Binh An Commune, Go Cong Dong District, Tien Giang Province Education: Bachelors in Literature, Law, and Economics 1960-64 Activist in the student and youth movements in Sai Gon-Cho Lon-Gia Dinh 64-Mar. 75 Arrested by the Sai Gon regime and detained in different prisons, including the Con Dao "tiger cage" 1975-87 Member of Ho Chi Minh City's Communist Party Committee (2nd and 4th tenures) Secretary of Tan Binh District Communist Party Committee Member of the Standing Committee of Ho Chi Minh City's Communist Party Committee 1987-Sept. 97 Member of the Vietnam Communist Party Central Committee (6th, 7th, 8th and 9th tenures) Member of the Secretariat of the Vietnam Communist Party Central Committee (7th tenure) Vice-Chairwoman of the Vietnam Women's Union (6th and 7th tenures) Secretary of the Vietnam Women's Union Party Committee Chairwoman of the Vietnam Women's Union (7th and 8th tenures) Chairwoman of the Vietnam National Committee for the Advancement of Women Deputy of the 9th, 10th and 11th Assembly 1994-2002 Vice-President of the National Assembly, in charge of social affairs, mass mobilization and promotion of grassroots democracy July 2002 Vice-President of the Social Republic of Vietnam International Activities: 1994-98 Member of the Leadership of the Women International Democratic Federation Member of the Leadership of the ASEAN Confederation of Women's Organizations Apr. 94 Head of the Vietnamese Delegation to the 11th Congress of the Women International Democratic Federation in Paris June 94 Head of the Governmental Delegation to the Asia-Pacific Ministerial Meeting on "Women and Development" in Jakarta Nov. 94 Head of the Vietnamese Delegation to the "First International Conference on Solidarity with Cuba" in Cuba Sept. 95 Head of the Government Delegation to the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing, China Oct. 98 Head of the National Assembly's Delegation to the Asia-Pacific Conference on Environment and Development in China Nov. 2000 Head of the Vietnamese Delegation to the "Second International Conference on Solidarity with Cuba" in Cuba Vietnamese and international Orders and Medals conferred, including: - First-Class Order of Victory - First-Class Order of Resistance War - First-Class Labor Order - Anna Bertancourt Order and Cuba's Medal of Friendship; Honorary Order of Mongolia and Medals of various Ministries, agencies and organizations of Vietnam

This set was for sale again last week at a US Dealer's site on-line.

I did not follow these and can't comment on what they sold for. Simply lifted the photos on-line so we could see an example. I believe it was Carsten Ziege's. Don't know when, or lot numbers. Sorry!

There's a legit variation of the badge shown in the last post... far left. Same badge, but without wing feathers. Another pilot school badge pre 1941.

Welcome aboard Leigh!!

It would be unusual, to say the least... for Godet to make a buttonhole mini and leave that crappy pie wedge suspension at the top. When I first saw the listing, I couldn't believe what I was seeing.... when I looked later and it was at $800... 'nough said!

Exactly, they will age differently.... but why would they acquire dirt, dust and patina differently? I have no dispute with authenticity of the bars, that's not my area of debate. My concern is: to my eyes, these bars have not been on this bar, handled, stored and worn at the same time. If they were, then why is there no dirt, dust, grime, grease, whatever on the 3 lower bars in the same places as the two upper bars???

What ribbon is the Saxon FAM on??

Now that's an interesting little set Stan....