David Gregory

Gerd, Your displays look great. Are the IKEA frames deep enough to leave a gap between the glass/plastic and the medals? David

Tony, Perhaps he saved time in the morning by storing his moustache in the box overnight (which would explain the retaining clips on the inside). David

Torsten, As a probationary member your file size is limited to 60 KB per post. Active participation will soon make you a full member and the file size is then only restricted to 110 KB, which is more than enough for large images. David

Since this style of backing is not unusual, it could only really be the first two items in your list. In my view, neither of the bars look remotely as though a faker had anything to do with them.

After reading the seller's description and seeing that he is Ralf Haas, I can only recommend that potential buyers search for his name on the various collecting forums and think carefully before bidding. If you ever go to militaria shows in Germany, make a point of looking at what he has to offer and ask him if his items are original. Caveat emptor!

While I am usually obsessed with Imperial German documents and, to a lesser extent, low-end awards, I am developing an interest in some of the basic awards bestowed to enlisted men and junior officers who served in the Imperial Russian armed forces until 1917. From various online resources, I understand that awards such as the St. George cross and medal were often worn on a five-sided mounting plate similar to that still used in Russia today. What width of ribbon would be used for a pre-1917 award? I have seen references to ribbons that are 28 mm and 37 mm wide. Were both sizes used in the Imperial era and, if so, when? Liverpool Medals offers 6 inch lengths of "Imperial Russian Ribbon in original best quality silk" in 28 mm and 37 mm widths at GBP 8 and GBP 12, respectively. Does this price sound reasonable or are there any better sources for replacement ribbons that can be used for displays? Are original period single, double and triple mounting plates available anywhere to complete single awards and small groups for display purposes? How much would they cost? I have seen reproduction brass single mounting plates offered on eBay for between $10 and $20, which would seem to be suitable for display purposes. Can anyone recommend a source for them and are original plates available for much the same price? Many thanks in advance for answers to the questions above and any tips and information on potential sources and prices for medal mounting accessories, David

St. Henry medal in silver or gold (wishful thinking!)?

I would be interested in seeing this material, too. If the question of copyright is resolved and anyone finds a way to make back issues available on CD or something similar, I am sure they would find a few buyers. Does anyone have an index so that it is possible to know which articles are available in each issue? This would be particularly useful when buying old copies on eBay, rather than chasing issues that do not have the material that one is really interested in.

I agree with Tom. It seems to be too large for an Albert or Civil Merit order (unless it is for a large commander grade award).

Eduardo, Photos like this are often contact prints from the original negative. To reveal more of the writing, try changing the colour balance settings in your scanner software. I have made washed-out writing "appear" on pages of a Milit?rpass in the past, but only by trying different settings until it just happened to be correct. I tried a systematic approach, but trial and error were the only way to get any results. David

Mark, I have seen a German bar with a similar backing before. If I recall correctly, it was done with a pair of pinking shears with very small teeth and done so well that it almost looked as it had been run through a machine. David

Eduardo, Sorry I can't help with much information on the men in the picture. The belt buckles seem to be standard issue. The dark lines along the two sides of the images might be due to reproduction of the original photo, but they may also be on the original negative. The bellows of the camera may have been in the way of the image when it was taken or the photographic plate (perhaps glass or film) may have been misaligned in the holder. David

I was told by a dealer at a show that these were surplus badges converted to be sold to raise funds for the church some time after the war. They are not very common, but this is at least the fourth I have seen offered in the last couple of years.

Solomon, A few Kriegsehrenmedaille also seem to have been awarded to serving soldiers. I have an award document for the medal on the non-combattant ribbon to a man in Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 55. David

Peter, I can only echo the comments above and add a "WOW". How do you display such wonderful items? David

Hi George, Thanks for the reply, which is not too late. I might place a bid below what the online dealers seem to be asking and see what happens. David

Back to the top. Any comments would be greatly appreciated, as the auction finishes in a few hours. TIA, David

Can anyone comment on "Russian Orders, Decorations and Medals, Including Those of Imperial Russia, the Provisional Government and the Soviet Union" by Robert Werlich? The first edition was published in 1968 and the second edition in 1981. Does it also cover the low-end awards of the Imperial period well, or does it concentrate on the higher-end items? I am interested in literature that covers the St. George cross and medal for bravery and any information on researching the issue numbers. Many thanks in advance, David

A close-up of the reverse: [attachmentid=57431]

The images below are all I have and it is said to be 27 mm in diameter. It seems to compare well with items offered by emedals and Liverpool Medals and the finish does not look cast. The stamped suspension hole looks much the same as other items I have seen that seem to be considered original. My questions are: Is the medal good or a fake?Is the issue number in a range for World War 1?Is the issue number researchable?Approximately what should I expect to pay for it?Are five-sided period mounting plates available anywhere? (Liverpool Medals offer silk ribbon to restore it.)Many thanks in advance for any help, David [attachmentid=57429] [attachmentid=57430]

Wildcard, Thank you for providing another interesting example. I must admit that I found the colour hint a little misleading and was going to suggest something Bavarian. If I can make a request for a later part of the quiz, and provided there was a typical case for the award, would anybody be able to show what was used to present a Milit?r-Ehrenzeichen 2. Klasse? I have always assumed it came in something like the case for the Allgemeines Ehrenzeichen, but I have never seen one offered. David

The second ribbon was also used for the Kriegsverdienstkreuz, which is more common than the Kriegsehren-Medaille and more likely considering that the bar also has an EK2 ribbon.

While searching for information on Linnemann entrenching tools, I stumbled accross a Gunboards sub-forum dedicated to a personal collection of WW1 weapons, uniforms and equipment. It can be seen at http://www.gunboards.com/forums/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=68548 It is the largest private collection of its kind that I know of. Does anyone here have anything similar? David

Marshall, It is hard to tell due to the way the ribbon is folded, but it looks like the ribbon for the national order of military merit, which seems to be OK for the class shown. I trust someone better informed will confirm or correct me. David

Eduardo, The caption reads "(The town of) Autry shot to pieces in the Argonnes Forest". Please keep showing more of your collection. David