Claudio

Thank you Seeheld for showing your Godet's Frackspange. It has quite a weird but nice backing... I have never seen anything like this. Is it possible to be able to determine until when Godet applied the metallic labels on the back and when they started using the black with white inscription labels? I'd say that the metallic labels there were applied in the 20ies and the other from the earlier 30ies... Any ideas or any hard evidence on labels? ciao, Claudio

Very nice stuff... especially the Badische Frackspange! Congrats! I don't think to have seen a zinc type version of the Verdienstkreuz of the Orden vom Z?hringer der L?wen... must have been quite late issue. Very nice also the label (red!) on the back... Ciao, Claudio

Another pristine pre-1934 Godet's medal bar. Ciao, Claudio

Hi Micha, I think the same, too. There were many jewellers or dealers of orders and medal like Godet, etc. that had on their stock for sale as retailer lots of stuff not produced by themselves. Ciao, Claudio

...and the reverse; moth attack! But fortunately just a little bit...

@ nice little brother, Mark! Here's another not quite so pristine, but in very good conditions with the ribbons a bit faded by light exposure.

Reverse with the usual grey backing fabric and the firm's Logo...

Dear forumites, I just wanted to stimulate a thread about pristine Godet Spange (only!)... Here's one of my latest purchases... very banal and small... but immaculate and with vivid and colourful ribbons... like it came out of the time machine! Ciao, Claudio

Back...

Dear forumites, I just wanted to test the new scanner and decided to show as an example a newly adquired FA 1st class with a very rarely seen cross shaped screw and its original case of the Juweller B. Knauer, Oldenburg. I am sorry that I had to reduce the size of the scans so much, in order to be able to post them. Ciao, Claudio Scan of the front:

Thanks Paul! I already have one of that link you showed (Biographical Research). Ciao, Claudio

Extrait from feldgrau.com: High Command of the Kriegsmarine in France (Kommandierender Admiral Frankreich): The high command of the Kriegsmarine in France was originally called Oberbefehslhaber des Admirals West, between 27 May 1940 and 21 June 1940, then Oberbefehslhaber des Admirals Frankreich as of 22 June 1940. This staff, situated in Paris, was principally in charge of personnel administration and troop supply. The first commander was Admiral Karl-Georg Schuster, 27 May 1940 - 1 March 1941. With his Chief of Staff, Konteradmiral Joachim Lietzmann, and Generalmajor Franz Habicht (Chief of Fortress Engineer Staff), who was in charge of the first concrete constructions for the Kriegsmarine, Admiral Schuster inspected the coasts of France and set up a program for future defensive positions along the coast, future submarine bases, and inventoried the former coastal sites of the French Navy to see what was useable or not. He visited Brest, Lorient, Saint-Nazaire, the Ile de Re, La Pallice, Rochefort, Royan, Soulac and Saint-Jean-de-Luz. In March 1941, Admiral Schuster was replaced by Admiral Otto Schultze (2 March 1941 - 16 August 1942) with a new Chief of Staff, as of 18 April 1942, Konteradmiral Otto Fricke. Admiral Schultze continued the mission of his predecessor with the same zeal before being replaced on 16 August 1942 by Admiral Wilhelm Marschall. He was the last to hold the title of Oberbefehslhaber des Admirals Frankreich, since on 21 September 1942 his position was renamed Commander-in-Chief of Naval Group West.

When he was on a world tour on the Light-Cruiser SMS Berlin in 1927, I believe... ( http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/SMS_Berlin_(1902) )

Flag of a Konteradmiral:

Dear forumites, To tell the truth I am bit bored that's why I am posting a medal bar that I believe it wasn't yet showed on this forum... The title is incorrect; I tiped it to fast... Fricke never made to Vizeadmiral but just Konteradmiral. Konteradmirals Otto Fricke (*29.05.1894 - ? 26.11.1966) ? Preussen, Eisernes Kreuz 2. Klasse, 1914 (OEK 1909) ? Bremen, Hanseatenkreuz, 1915-1918 (OEK 651), ca. 20'000 Verleihungen ? Deutsches Reich 1933-45, Ehrenkreuz f?r Frontk?mpfer (OEK 3803), Hersteller G & S , J. Godet & Sohn, Berlin ? Deutsches Reich 1933-45, WH-Dienstauszeichnung f?r 25 Jahre, Kreuz (OEK 3852) ? Deutsches Reich 1933-45, WH-Dienstauszeichnung f?r 12 Jahre, Medaille (OEK 3854) ? Chile, Verdienstorden der Republik, silbernes Inhaberkreuz Konteradmiral Otto Fricke (*29.05.1894 in Wennigsen, Hannover - ? 26.11.1966 in Heidelberg) Promotions: 03.04.1914: F?hnrich zur See 18.09.1915: Leutnant z. See 07.01.1920: Oberleutnant z. See 01.05.1925: Kapit?nleutnant 01.04.1933: Korvettenkapit?n 01.01.1937: Fregattenkapit?n 01.10.1938: Kapit?n z. See 01.09.1942: Konteradmiral Career: Entered the Navy as a Seekadett and attended Basic Training and on board the Heavy Cruiser ?Hansa? (01.04.1913-31.03.1914) Attended Naval School in M?rwik (01.04.1914-31.07.1915). On board the Light Cruiser ?Stuttgart? (01.08.1914-30.01.1915) On board the Light Cruiser ?Graudenz? ( 31.01.1915-22.11.1915) On board the Liner ?Helgoland? (23.11.1915-22.05.1917) Commandant of the Minesweeper ?M 38?, 4th Minesweeper-Flotilla (27.05.1917-15.09.1919) Watch-Officer, Flag-Lieutenant and Commandant with the 5th North-Seas-Minesweeper-Flotilla (16.09.1919-20.1919) Watch-Officer on the Cruiser ?K?nigsberg? (21.10.1919-31.05.1920) Platoon-Officer, Coastal-Defense-Regiment Wilhelmshaven (01.06.1920-25.10.1920) Company-Officer and Company-Leader, Coastal-Defence-Battalion II; at the same time, detached to the J?ger-Battalion of the 15th Infantry-Regiment (26.10.1920-03.04.1923) Adjutant and Group-Officer, Naval School M?rwick (04.04.1923-22.09.1924) Company-Leader, Ship?s-Cadre-Division of the Baltic Sea (23.09.1924-30.03.1925) Watch-Officer on the Cruiser ?Berlin? (31.03.1925-25.09.1927) Company-Leader, 3rd Naval-Artillery-Battalion (26.09.1927-02.10.1929) Watch-Officer on the Liner ?Hessen? (03.10.1929-24.09.1930) 2nd Artillery-Officer on the Liner ?Hessen? (25.09.1930-25.09.1932) Artillery-Officer on the Cruiser ?K?nigsberg? (26.09.1932-26.09.1934) Instructor and Staff-Officer with the Staff of the Ship-Artillery-School (28.09.1934-30.09.1937) Chief of Staff of the Inspection of Naval-Artillery; at the same time, with the Sudeten-District Commander of the 11th Naval-Artillery-Regiment at the West Wall (01.10.1937-30.04.1940) At the same time, Acting-Inspector of the Naval-Artillery (07.07.1938-06.08.1938) Port-Commandant Stavanger, Norway (01.05.1940-18.07.1940) Chief of Staff of the Naval-Commander Channel Coast (19.07.1940-17.04.1942) Chief of Staff of the Commanding Admiral France (18.04.1942-15.11.1942) Senior-Quartermaster in the Staff of Naval-Group-Command West (16.11.1942-31.03.1943) Inspector of Naval-Artillery (01.04.1943-22.07.1945) In Captivity (22.07.1945-19.04.1947) Released (19.04.1947)

My brother's single mounted Golden Verdienstkreuz.

Hi everybody! This is my contribution; a Verdienstkreuz in Silver on a 1870-71 war veteran's medal bar. Medal bar's description: ? Preussen, Verdienstkreuz in Silber (OEK 1851) ? Preussen, DA 2. Kl. f. 12 Dienstjahre, Medaille, 2. Modell, 1913-20 (OEK 1976) ? Preussen, Alsen-Kreuz 1864 am Band f?r K?mpfer (OEK 1932) ? Preussen, Landwehr-DA 2. Kl. f. 9 Dienstjahre, Medaille, 2. Modell 1913-20 (OEK 1979) ? Preussen, Erinnerungskreuz ?K?niggr?tz?, 1866-67 (OEK 1938) ? Preussen, Kriegsdenkm?nze f?r K?mpfer 1864 (OEK 1936) ? Preussen, Kriegsdenkm?nze 1864 f?r K?mpfer mit 4 Spangen Gravelotte-St.Privat, Beaumont, Sedan, Paris (OEK 1941/1, 1941/7, 1941/8, 1941/10, 1941/24) ? Preussen, Zentenar-Medaille, 1897 (OEK 1965/1) Ciao, Claudio

Hi Christer, According Dieter Weber, Paul Arnold and Peter Keil "Die Orden des K?nigreiches Sachsen", Graf Klenau Verlag GmbH, ISNB 3-921566-21, were awarded 1834 "Ritterkreuz 2. Klasse mit Schwertern des S?chsischen Zivil-Verdienstorden, 2. Modell mit gepr?gten Medaillons, 1912-1918". The 1st model of the RK 2. Kl. mit Schwertern (mit gemalten Medaillion, 1876-1912) ONLY 15. In my opinion Eur 255.- is not a bad price; I have the Nimmergut O&E catalogue of 2001-02 and was valued back then at Eur 266.-. I guess now it would be more worth, although Nimmergut's price estimates are quite imprecise (usually 20-30% less than current market value). Ciao, Claudio

Second picture: reverse

Dear forumites, I am pretty sure that this piece (a L/12 Junker's marked piece) is quite ok, but I just wanted to hear your comments on it. Let's do the pictures do the talking... Ciao, Claudio First picture: obverse

Hi Pierce, Very nice medal bar indeed! Congrats! The MVO4x looks to be a Jakob Leser piece... very nice with Golden medallion cypher and a very nice translucent blue enamel. What's the maker marks on the HHOX? Ciao, Claudio

Hi Paul! Nice bars! My congrats! Too bad, that I couldn't attend the show in Kassel. Do you think that the first bars is researchable? Maybe there's a very slight chance... on the ribbon bar after the FEK (Hinderburg Cross) seems to be a rather unofficial ribbon of the "Denkm?nze ?sterreich Land Tirol 1914/18" (see medal in the enclosure)... strange! Ciao, Claudio

You both have a good eye... I didn't think that part of the ribbon could have been covered by the other two lateral ones... Ciao, Claudio

Hi Chris, It almost look like a ribbon for: Preu?isches Kriegserinnerungskreuz f?r Kombattanten mit Schwertern (DN 2.02.31.b) (see picture). Maybe the wearer didn't find any ribbon that was exactly like the Veteran cross' ribbon... ciao, Claudio

Hey Rick! These are the scans from my brother who received them... Tomorrow I'll try to post bigger images of the scans and try to already decypher and translate some of this for me still difficult to read "S?tterlin-Schrift".... Man! The handwriting is definitely elegant and nice, but a pain in the a.. to read. At least for sure I got also the date of birth and the names of his parents... I already sent an email to the WAst in Berlin to found out if they have any details about his promotion as Generalmajor der WH during WW2. Ciao, Claudio