Brian Wolfe

I think this is a case where the general "look" of the screw device tells the tale. I would say it is repair made back in the day. The washer reminds me of the washers we used to make from old work boot leather when I was still home on the farm.

I really like these types of repairs as they add a personal touch to the medal that the mint condition specimens just don't have.

Nice specimen Eric.

Regards

Brian

Hi Rob,

Very nice medal, I'm not familiar with Italian medals but getting one with all four bars must be difficult. The straps on the bars are also interesting and strike me as a really good idea especially if the bars were to be added to a potential group one after another as they were awarded.

Thanks for posting this interesting specimen.

Regards

Brian

Hi Mervyn,

Your post has certianly become an invaluable reference for Zulu related items. I really enjoy reading about and viewing your Zulu material.

Thanks for going to all of this work, it is really appreciated.

Regards

Brian

What a great first post.

Very nice indeed.

Regards

Brian

A very interesting "extra".

It sure makes one think.

Regards

Brian

Hi Dave,

I have a few groups to Navy personnel and most served aboard three or four ships at the most, however, one fellow served aboard 16 different ships. My guy was an artificer (I hope I got the spelling correct) which is a mechanic so that would account for him being on so many ships.

I will be very interested to hear what more informed collectors than myself have to say about this Petty Officer's service.

Regards

Brian

Hi, Brian,

Try AbeBooks and do a search for author: Nimmergut, key word: orden. I just skimmed the site and they seem to have a good selection of his books at reasonable prices.

Many thanks Tom. Far too often we forget the value of good research material while trying to amass a collection. I'll check out the site.

Regards

Brian

It may have taken a while to assemble but in my opinion it was well worth the effort Doc.

Cheers on a job well done.

Regards

Brian

Thank you all for your conformation.

I've been looking for a book that deals with Imperial German Medals but in my area there are no shows that would have dealers who carry such material. I'll have to attend some largers shows in the Toronto area this summer to see what I can find.

Thanks again.

Regards

Brian

this item was recently auctioned on eBay. is that where you last saw it?

You are a funny guy Eric,

Yes I did buy this through eBay, but I know I've seen either this one or one exactly like it only a year or so ago, maybe two years ago.

It could be that this is the second time it has been through the eBay "mill" and that may be where I saw it before. It will probably end up on eBay (or whatever is around) again in a couple of decades when I've departed this mortal coil.

I'm still laughing regarding your question.

Regards

Brian

This last photo shows the medals' reverse sides. The small cross is so worn that any detail on those featured on the cross is lost. I am guessing that these are the major "players" on the Prussian side, such as the Kaiser and Bismark etc.

Thanks again for all of your assistance.

Regards

Brian

Here is a closer view of the obverse side of the medals.

Here is the view of the back of the mounting bar and the medal's hangers.

Hello Everyone,

This group of medals just arrived and it's is made up of three medals from the Franco Prussian War era. I have been trying to find these on the internet and found the first medal (viewer's left)is the 1866 Cross for the Prussian Austrian War (noncombatant's?) then an unidentified cross, possibly a commemorative medal (?) and last the Franco Prussian War Combatant's Servce Medal. I have read that the first and third medals were made from captured guns (artillery).

In the opinion of the members is this a genuine bar? It looks like it to me but I'm still trying to find my way around the Imperial German collecting world.

What is the middle cross and am I correct about the two end medals? This cross is very worn as is the whole group but if they are genuine it shows they were worn on a regular basis and not just left in a drawer.

This medal group looks very familiar to me and I believe I have either seen it before somewhere or one just like it. Perhaps it was on the forum before and one of the members sold it? I really like the group so I'm hoping that it is genuine. Thanks in advance for your opinions, it really helps. By the way, is there a good book dealing with Imperial German medals that anyone would recommend?

Regards

Brian

Many thnaks to all of you who have responded.

This is a new area for me and I am very nervous about getting "taken to the cleaners", so-to-speak. I purchased a very nice group of four from one of the members here so that one I am very confident is 100% genuine. Howerver, once outside of the GMIC you take a chance of running amok of some very shady characters.

Another group of three arrived today that I will be posting for comment. I would greatly appreciate your guidance if you will be so kind to look at it. It's a Franco-Prussian War group (I hope). This new one has me quite worried.

Thanks again.

Regards

Brian

Here's a close up of the naming, J.E.LEES.

Thanks in advance for your comments, as always they are welcomed and appreciated.

Regards

Brian

Here is a view of the reverse. You can see the pin at the top looks to be very well made and perhaps meant for the purpose of medal ribbon attachment to a uniform. I'm probably dreaming regarding the ribobn and the pin. The ribbon has been sewn to the medal's hanger so there has been some attempt to do this correctly and not just thrown up for the eBay crowd.

Brian

Hello Everyone,

Here is a Long Service Medal 1916 from Birmingham with a ribbon and also named. I purchased this medal because it was named not knowing it was Birmingham; thinking Metropolitan Police at the time. Imagine my surprise when it arrived!

I would like to hear comments regarding the ribbon. The pin that attaches the ribbon to the uniform is well made and would appear that it was designed for such a purpose.

Was it common for Birmingham to issue named Special Constabulary Long Service Medals?

Regards

Brian

Hello Mervyn,

An interesting artifact.

I have more of a question rather than a comment. If this was originally issued to the police and then reissued to the military would the WD stamp not have created an indent around the mark, or would the whistle be thick enough to withstand the impact of the stamping? Perhaps all such stamps were made after manufacture and not during and would not have caused any indentation. As you can see it is more of a question than a comment.

Regards

Brian

I don't think they have anything to do with ww2 and don't look like any kind of ordnance i've ever seen. In my day job i have seen these before however or atleast models very similar. They appear to be teeth from a pavement milling machine. They are replaceable when they wear out.

check out this page about half way down.

http://images.google.ca/imgres?imgurl=http://www.intermountaindrillingsupply.com/uploads/kenbits.JPG&imgrefurl=http://www.intermountaindrillingsupply.com/content/index.asp%3Fpage%3D24&usg=__PeE-OgbozqcBV4f7WMwplu59ex4=&h=199&w=145&sz=6&hl=en&start=38&um=1&itbs=1&tbnid=jBxVwJUg3feQCM:&tbnh=104&tbnw=76&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dmilling%2Bteeth%26start%3D21%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26rlz%3D1T4ADSA_enCA332CA332%26ndsp%3D21%26tbs%3Disch:1

The tooth appearance varies depending on manufacturer. But they all are pretty similar.

Cheers

Chris

Hi Chris,

Good eye, it sure looks like the one in PK's original post.

Regards

Brian

Gentlemen,

We appear to be in agreement that it is from the Comoros or more specifically from Anjouan. My own view is that the inscription is not entirely the same as the better made French manufactuired pieces - although at initial glance the word "hakim" (ruler) is common to both. The Arabic script in the French manufactured pieces is almost illegible or incomprehensible as it has been included into the design of the award by persons unfamiliar with Arabic script. Whilst some of the Arabic on the piece in discussion is illegible it does appear to have been inscribed, however crudely, by an Arabic speaker - the construction of the word "shuja'a "(bravery) is spot on. To dismiss this peice a "nothing" is unwise. To my mind it is not a fake rather a locally manufactured piece serving some purpose - perhaps the words "bravery" and "obedience" give some indication that it was made specificaly to reward some action - these words are definitely not included on the European manufactured awards.

A nice locally manufactured piece which would go well in my collection (ha!) - plenty of research potential although I doubt whether the real story will ever really appear!

Owain

PS. Is the piece silver?

Hello Owain,

I agree with you completely. I was not suggesting it was a fake but rather a locally made specimen albeit not a very finely made one. This is encountered quite often with the medals of Independent India and referred to as "Taylor's Copies". They are not as nicely made but very much a collectable item. The collecting community is quite often too quick to dismiss a specimen if it does not fit well within the generally accepted parameters. If we all fell into the habit then nothing new in the hobby would ever be discovered as it would be simply dismissed out-of-hand.

Thanks for pointing this out Owain.

Regards

Brian

I found this link which almost has the same badge with the Moon and hand..

Star of Anjouan Plaque and Knight's Badge

http://www.emering.c...oroislands.html

Lorenzo

Hi Lorenzo,

Good work finding the link mentioned in your post above. It would seem the link has solved the mystery. It is a poor attempt to duplicate the Star of Anjouan from the Comoro Islands.

The Crescent Moon is common to Islamic States so it really is not a lot of help when researching such items, so doubly well done on solving the problem of identification.

Cheers to you Lorenzo.

Regards

Brian

He may have been attached to another unit for a while and appeared on their roll for awards - as well as his own unit. This was quite common for the QSA in the Boer War - where they moved around a lot. He certainly isn't entitled to two ribbons and it is totally mis-placed on the bar.

Hi Mervyn,

If this were a medal group with two BWM's we know of at least one collector who would jump at the chance of adding it to his collection, as crazy as that may be.

When you mentioned the QSA where you meaning the clasps or the whole medal could have been duplicated?

Regards

Brian

Hello speagle,

I believe there was a change to the shoulder flash a few years ago to the first example in your post. The round one being the older of the two. I'm not sure if the second example in your post also denotes a higher "rank" as I don't remember if the new ones all have the "vegetation" below the crest.

Oh yes, the three bladed symbol on the newest flash represents the Ontario Provincial flower, the Trillium.

Regards

Brian

Hello smiler,

Congratulations on your latest additions.

There's something about the EK that just draws you attention.

Good luck with your future collecting, you are now "doomed", but if you going to be "doomed" by any area of collecting this is a good place to be (GMIC).

Regards

Brian