Claudio

Dear forumites, In this thread I'd like to show you some of my bars of the Weimar time. Here we go with the first one: ? Preussen, Eisernes Kreuz 1914, 2. Klasse am K?mpferband (OEK 1904) mit inoffiziellen Feldzugsspange ?Somme?, ?Paris?, ?Ypern?, ?Durchbruchsschlacht? und ?Belgien? ? Weimarer Republik, Deutsche Ehrendenkm?nze des Weltkrieges mit Kampfabzeichen der Ehrenlegion (DN 2.02.17 a/b) ? Weimarer Republik, Regiments-Erinnerungskreuz, mit der Spange des Gren. Regt. 3 (DN 2.02.21 a) ? ?sterreich 1. Republik, Pro Patria-Ehrenzeichen der ?sterreichischen Erenlegion mit gekreutzen Schwerterauflage am Bande ? Weimarer Republik, Kyffh?user-Kriegsdenkm?nze 1914-18 mit Frontk?mpferabzeichen, Schwertern am Band (DN 2.02.33 a/b) Please feel also free to post yours and I would be happy to hear your comments on my bars. Claudio

Generalmajor Heinrich-Hermann von H?lsen (1895 ? 1982) Hi Dan! Please check this website which provides information if you want pay for their services: http://home.foni.net/~adelsforschung2/portefeuille03.htm I found these entries in their list: ? H?lsen, Heinrich-Hermann v., Generalmajor (1895-1982), Kurzlebenslauf ? H?lsen, Heinrich-Hermann v., Generalmajor (1895-1982), Kurzvita mit Bildnis They could give a brief Curriculum Vitae of this Generalmajor plus also a picture. The website is only in German, unfortunately. Furthermore I found more information on the net: Von H?lsen was commander of 9th Panzer Division from 27 July 1942 until 4 August 1942 and of the 21st Panzer Division from 15 March 1943 until he was taken prisoner of war on 13 May 1943. There were quite a lot of von H?lsen that reached a high rank in the military service. There was also a Freikorps during the early 20ies called ?H?lsen?. Consult this link and scroll down the pictures until you see a photo of a member of the H?lsen Friekorps. http://www.axishistory.com/index.php?id=4746 I am sure that other GMIC forumites can add a lot more info to the above-mentioned general. Ciao, Claudio

Hi Paul! I saw it too... but the dealer wants about USD 1'120.- (Eur 760.-). That's quite a lot, although it's a typical Godet spange in perfect conditions. Ciao, Claudio

Hi Daniel! What about the Steckkreuz (Offizierskreuz)? You left that out... Ciao, Claudio

detail of the ring and maker mark on the suspension loop (British???) Ciao, Claudio

reverse...

Dear forumites, I just bought the above-mentioned order mounted as russian/baltic/danish style. They told me it's pure gold, but I suspect it's only silver gilted, since the weight is 18.2 g and that is too heavy to be only. Furthermore I think also the ring might have been replaced. I'd like to hear your comments and how much such piece would cost on the market. Thanks in advance for your inputs. Ciao, Claudio

Hi Chris! I am also wearing a toup? in that picture no, I am joking! Ciao, Claudio

Today I got up with the hope that you guys (Rick & Daniel) would find something interesting for my brother... and you did come up with two names! That's incredible... the Waldeck spange was a bit difficult to find on a dealer's table... so small, but so great!!! I was surprised to see the two W?rttemberg ribbon bars still laying on a table, since I arrived the next day... I am sorry Paul! Next time you will be more lucky . But you also did find some nice stuff. Usually my brother is very skeptical about any ribbon or medal bar, but with that 2 W?rttemberg bars we had no second thoughts. The only thing I didn't like about Wollaib's ribbon bar is the absence of any backing fabrich on the reverse, but this is quite normal for W?rttemberg's bars; the Svabians (Schwaben) are known to save money where they can... like we Swiss! ciao, Claudio

...and ribbon bar number 3 must be a Godet (see the needle system and the backing). Very likely in this case the luftwaffe officer decide to wear the EK2 (1914) at the bottom hole, maybe with the 1939 clasp. Ciao, Claudio

Here a picture of the obverse. Ciao, Claudio

Dear forumites, Here are some of my brother Marco's new purchases. At last he could find the quite uncommon wreath device of W?rttemberg. I think that the last ribbon bar from the top could be researchable, since the wearer of the bar a career officer was with many interesting decorations from different states (W?rttemberg, Hessen, Prussia and Austro-Hungarian Empire). Any inputs or comments are very appreciated. Ciao, Claudio

Here is the reverse; as you can see this bar was pratically never worn. Ciao, Claudio

Dear forumites and Spangen-collectors, Here I have something that it's not anything special but quite interesting. The bar is in very good conditions. Ciao, Claudio

Hi Paul, I am going with my brother Marco. See you there! Ciao, Claudio

Hi Sam, Interesting to see that DN has sold this medal bar. In fact, I can remember quite distinctly that this bar was on a table at the Gunzenhausen of another vendor last year. He wanted Eur 450.- much more that DN has sold this bar. I was very interested in this bar, but at that time for me the price was too high and the vendor wouldn't have gone down with the price. Now I see it on DN website for Eur 375.-. That means that that dealer in Gunzenhausen has passed this bar to DN for much less. Sometimes I wonder why some dealers they want to make such a huge profit, risking not to sell their items and finally they exchange such items among them for much less! I can't really understand it... Ciao, Claudio

@ David: Here's the back: it's not a typical navy blue or black backing but this belonged 100% to the above-mentioned German Imperial navy. It came with an album of invites, postcards and my brother and I have a whole lot of pictures about the ship and its trips in the far east (see thread: http://gmic.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=2297...mp;#entry19284). Ciao, Claudio

Dear forumites, Here's my brother Marco's medal bar with a L?beck Hansa cross... Bezeichnung: 9-teilige Ordenschnalle des S.M.S. Schiffes ?Seeadler? Marine-Generalarztes a.D. Dr. Theodor Hansen Medaillen: ? Preussen, Eisernes Kreuz 1914, 2.Klasse (OEK 1909) ? Preussen, Roter Adler Orden, 4. Klasse (OEK 1704) ? L?beck, Hanseatenkreuz, 1915-18 (OEK 1265) ? Hessen-Darmstadt, Milit?r-Sanit?ts-Kreuz, 1914 (OEK 937) ? Deutsches Reich 1933-45, Ehrenkreuz f?r Frontk?mpfer mit Schwertern (OEK 3803/1) ? Preussen, Rotes Kreuz, 3. Klasse, Medaille, 1898-1921 (OEK 1872) ? Preussen, DA-Kreuz f?r 25 Dienstjahre der Offiziere, 3. Model, 1. Typ (OEK 1970) ? Deutsches Reich 1871-1918, China Denkm?nze f?r K?mpfer (OEK 3150) ? Preussen, Centenar-Medaille, 1897 (OEK 1965) Enjoy! Ciao, Claudio

@ Komtur: here's a picture with Oberst von Stockhausen wearing the Offizierskreuz mit Schwertern. Ciao, Claudio

I am gelous since I have his medal bar:

I am surprised... if the awards of the MVK1 am Bande f. Kriegsverdienst (Beamtenband) are 1'600 that means that the MVK1 am Kriegsband are at least 5-6 times more. In this case the MVK1s are much less rare than expected. But still on the market you see 90% of the available MVK1s are "improved" ones (MVK3s gilted and with the center enameled) and the real MVK1s (Verleihungsst?cke, with multiple parts center gold medallion cypher "L") are still very hard to find indeed! How could you explain this? Ciao, Claudio

Hi Rick, I'd like to order one of each, too! (shipment to Switzerland) Ciao, Claudio

Hi Bernd, Can I ask you, where did you get these numbers for the MVKs am Bande f?r Kriegverdienst? I don't think that your numbers for the MVK1 am Bande f. Kriegsverdienst can be correct... Ciao, Claudio

And how many BVMK3 am Beamtenband were awarded?? Here's my bar with a BVMK3...

Thank you, Werner, for your interesting information about the stastics of the MVK2 am Beamtenband. Do you know how many MVK1 am Beamtenband were awarded? They must be definetely less than 500... Here I have some interesting statistics... maybe any of you, dear researchers, could complete or correct this list. Milit?rverdienstkreuz, 1. Klasse mit Krone und Schwertern: ca. 175 Milit?rverdienstkreuz, 1. Klasse mit Schwertern: ca. 700 Milit?rverdienstkreuz, 2. Klasse mit Krone und Schwertern: ca. 3?800 Milit?rverdienstkreuz, 2. Klasse mit Schwertern: ca. 15?000 Milit?rverdienstkreuz, 2. Klasse am Beamtenband 1?883 Milit?rverdienstkreuz, 3. Klasse mit Krone und Schwertern: ca. 73?000 Milit?rverdienstkreuz, 3. Klasse mit Schwertern: ca. 290?000 Ciao, Claudio