filfoster

Yet another question no one else is interested in: What was the initial design of the Prussian officers' 25 year long service cross? Did it always look the same, eg, stippling within the cross arms? Same monogram?

Don't know but it would make sense. I hope someone can respond to that.

jimn: Thank you! It's a lot of stuff to crowd onto a small space. I'd guess his were perhaps smaller medals to allow for that, maybe not. It was interesting to source many of them and I was lucky to only have to buy three originals.

Does anyone have a source for the ribbon for the last medal, the 'Geneva Cross'? What I have is original and it's rather dirty. I'd swap it out if I could find the ribbon. Please let me know if you have a source.

03fahnen: Yes, this is the clearest photo yet. Both rank pips appear clearly in profile, on the right shoulder, as well. This settles it. Note the reseda green stand collar on this tunic. Not enough 'real estate' for the flying propeller on these shoulder boards. It's likely he had other tunics with perhaps that insignia but this clearly shows the regimental devices. Nice, thanks.

OK, based on the above, here's my recreation of Edward VII's bar. There are several originals (I prefer copies but some are not extant); some are improvised, but they're all there.

Does anyone know of a private collection or museum display of Prussian officer uniforms of this period (1842-1850's)?

Thank you, 03fahnen. The shoulder epaulettes look the same as the later ones. No idea if the ground/facing colors were regimental or Korps, as they were later. I wonder if any examples survive in museums or private collections, particularly infantry officer epaulettes? I haven't found any online or in this forum.

GlennJ: Thank you. I had seen these also and have to agree based on these that the dress epaulettes must have been similar enough that a display using later ones would serve for an 1848 display. Unless someone can show otherwise, that's what's planned for my uniform display of this period. Thanks to all who have contributed!

Danke Teichert's portrait shows epaulettes that are to my eye, nearly identical to the 1870-1910 senior officer dress epaulettes. Does anyone have any more information on this, please?

From the few drawings available online, I believe the dress epaulettes for officers were virtually the same as for the 1870 time; 'banjo' shaped epaulettes, with silver or gilt crescents, no fringe for lieutenants and captains; thin fringe for majors to colonel, heavy fringe for generals. Is this the case?

As I understand it, there was a major revision in the uniform regulation in 1842. I can find nothing online for this. I most of all need illustrations of the officer rank insignia from this time. Can anyone supply some references or photos ?

Does anyone have any photos of Prussian army (officers preferred) rank insignia, epaulettes, etc. for the 1842-1850's period?

Andreas, thank you. Is there a reference book that has Prussian uniforms of 1842?

Can anyone point me to a good reference on the uniforms worn by the Prussian (and French, Austrian) military forces who confronted the socialist revolutionary forces in 1848? Prussia had instituted a dramatic change in its uniforms in 1842. I can find virtually nothing online to show examples of the rank insignia or uniforms themselves for this period. This inquiry is prompted by my own new-found interest in this very dramatic period of history as it now echoes again in our own time, albeit in a much different way. I hope someone can point me to a few good reference books or better yet, museum displays or personal collections that include good photos of some actual insignia or uniforms from this period.

Dave: Yes, thanks for this as well. It is an example of an officer's detachable medal bar but the 'bowing' of the ribbon behind the medals, at bottom, suggests, as you say, that it wasn't intended as an alternate ribbon bar. From what we've got so far, I still think these were NOT common for officers, who seem to have preferred the full folded mounting style with permanently attached medals. I hope folks will continue to post examples like yours, of officer bars with hooks, and that rarest of species, the bars that could also be worn as ribbon bars without the medals. I'm sure there are some more out there, like the one shared by Daniel Krause.

"...just wearing the decorations from straight ribbons, or do you actually mean the mounting method where the gongs are resting (and fixed) on a piece of the straight ribbon?" The major feature is the straight ribbon, vice the German method of a folded ribbon. Whether the medals are fixed or not, isn't the feature I am concentrating on. I suppose the field marshals' portraits (Wolseley and Roberts) show fixed medals on straight ribbons. I had not previously noticed that Edward VII's medals were not 'court mounted' (straight ribbons) but instead, on folded, Prussian style mounting.

I think this is a fair guess but I have seen earlier examples, e.g. Viscount Wolseley: ...and Lord Roberts:

Thanks, Daniel. Perfect example of what I was looking for.

YEs, this is a famous photo and I have actually replicated that bar. No way to know if they are detachable gongs, although I think an example of this medal bar survives in a museum at one of the castles. I hope some will post photos of Prussian officer medal bars that have detachable medals, e.g. show the hooks on the reverse, vs. purely early style ribbon bars or medal bars made in this style but with permanently attached medals.

Well, that last one seems to prove the point. Still, It'd be fun to see some other examples of officer medal bars in this style. Thanks to all who contributed thus far. I am inclined to think these are simply ribbon bars per the regulations for the trapezoidal form, rather than a bar with attachment hooks for medals.

Well, that last one seems to prove the point. Still, It'd be fun to see some other examples of officer medal bars in this style. Thanks to all who contributed thus far. Willy 2 is wearing a RUSSIAN uniform, but with many Prussian awards. Are there any photos of him wearing this bar with German uniform?

Any higher rank Prussian bars?

Daniel: As always, you come through! Can you show a few more of these? I would like to use this style for a Prussian colonel uniform display, circa mid 1870's-1900.

Alex K: Thanks! I am recreating this medal bar (not easy or cheap, even with the available repros...No one makes a knight's badge Hesse Philip the Magnanimous or monogamous or whatever), so this is an important detail. I do have a repro post WW1 George V bar in the court style, so this will be nice contrast. When did the 'court mounting' style begin for English medal mounting?