Stogieman

Rick, nice thread on an often overlooked part of a man's history.

My very first Imperial Group was to a Saxon Leutnant (AOR1wX/AOR2wX, etc.) from WW1. I received his medal bar, ribbon bar and documents. The Patents were all hand-signed by King Albert and very cool (thought I at the time). Every award document was there as well except one! He had a WW2 25-Year LS Cross on the bar, but the document was not in the group. I always thought that of everything they saved, the WW2 document was the one thing they threw away.

Ralph, if you take a close look at your cross with swords..... I think you'll see what look like casting pock marks..... ???????

And...... note that his Silesian Eagles are the rather rare variation with swords attached to the eagle's body!

Interesting bars Christophe, is the first ribbon on the Trapezoid Bar the St. Hubert's Order from Prussia??

I think it depends on the style of mounting. Some bars are wrapped so tight nothing moves, so damage would only occur if dropped. Other bars are loosely wrapped, or "clip-on" style and the awards clink together constantly. Enamel work is really glass (colored) so clinking is never a good idea. Sometimes you'll find these with (period) tie-downs on not just the suspension rings, but the ?se at the top of the award and even around the top "arm" of the decoration. So at least some of these guys were aware of the (potential) damage that could happen to these simply by being worn and took steps to prevent it.

A sad but real occurance to 60-100 year old pieces. When the groups are mounted, I never worry about damages.... the bar is an intact piece of history so (for me) even a bar chipped to heck has real value and perspective.

One of the first (type 1) BMVK's I had (enameled/no flames) was on a small medal bar and almost all the enamel was damaged and or chipped.... I sold the bar in Germany at auction and it fetched over 1200- even trashed. So sometimes, a piece is so rare, damages don't impede the value in the least!

Please note below:

"a welcome change from much of the "public".......... "

Hmmmm, in The Communistwealth of Massachusetts, usage of the word "most" is indicitive of "not all"

You "Left Coast" guys, so sensitive......... please move here where we are the "Kings" of sensitivity........ even if I did something wrong, hey, In Massachusetts, I mean Taxachusetts, I mean the Communistwealth...... anyway...

... the point is here, we have an "anything goes" free for all. All for one and all for one....... The needs of the few, or the one; outweigh the needs of the many. Why just look at the complicated lengths we go to satisfy a Massa..... (ahhh, heck! you know) "dinosaur" like Rick research. Illegal smuggling of fraudulantly declared "non-biohazard medical waste" shipped here weekly to satisfy his socially-deviant need to own every one of these! (Think I'm kidding about the medical waste thing? Hah, they have yet to open and "inspect" one of these parcels!) (Oh yeah, I also like to use: "Human tissue for laboratory experiments")

Anyway, you get my drift, why he even made his poor Mum drive him over here to the castle to get his greedy little paws on the group this morning. In most countries (and states) this would be considered elder-abuse and swiftly punished by the law........ not here! Remember our State Motto: "Quis vado" cheeky

I like that it takes so little to please my Evil Twin... (aka Skippy)...... periodic Chinese Lunches, obscure ribbons and devices...... a welcome change from much of the "public"..........

It's always a shame that the second piece shows up with the finish usually fallen off. I think over the years I have seen less than a dozen of that Baden War Effort Cross with it's original (silver) finish and gold center

I'll give you one guess where that one came from!

Whether chipped or flawless, this is still one of Imperial Germany's most appealing orders to me. I love them all!

Hi Paul, remember that despite being retired; most of these guys would be active in some type of veteran's organization, fraternal order, etc...... and they would wear their medal bars any (every?) chance they had. There's no shortage of fotos floating about with pictures of civilians wearing full-dress military medal bars, not "frack" bars......

Since most of the German officer corp was retired after WWI and they were civilians in 1934 why would they bother to have the Hindenburg medal mounted on their medal bar when they were civilians?

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Hi Robin, the "wear pattern" has naught to do with actual wear & use, but rather to a chemical reaction between the gilding and the zinc "kriegs-metal" base material. The term loosely associated with the phenomenon most often by collectors is "absorbed"..... However in reality, it is just the opposite.

Sorry, David is quite correct. These are Sax-Meinengen......... the concept was correct, the ID was not. Sorry, brain's a bit frazzled these last few days.

Thanks David!

Reverse:

(also note the details of the obverse on the 75 as compared to your 100)

Hi Val, almost impossible to judge one of these from photos of this quality. But right off the bat......

Number plate doesn't conform to "textbook" examples

Number box seems "soft" and not as distinctly shaped as it should be

Insert does not fit to wreath the way it should (look at gap at the end of the bayonet & Grenade on the left.

Compare to this "75"

It's always interesting when these Sax-Weimar ribbons show up with the swords on them. A rather "over the top" statement as the award itself signifies combat, as opposed to other medals where the combat award is actually designated by the swords. Here's another example. A set of 3 bars to one man, with matching bow. All with the Sax-Weimar War Medal with (redundant) Swords!

....... the only 3.kl. I ever handled. A rare bird!

OK, I was wrong, here's the final one. Case of issue for The Honor Cross, First Class of the House Order...

And finally, the case for the Knight's Cross to the House Order of Henry The Lion

Cross for "Women & Virgins" for War Merit

Ernst August Cross, Second Class

Front Fighter Clasp to The Ernst August Cross, Second Class. A non-descript cardboard box with no title, no maker marks, but real silver.

Honor Medal to The Brunswick House Order. Cased & Outer Boxed! Just as it left the jeweler.

Brunswick Veteran's Badge

Everybody loves Brunswick Orders, Decorations and Medals, Right? Well here's a few examples of what they came in!

Brunswick Ernst August Cross, First Class