Claudio

Hi Gordon, It's quite a typical post 1934-35 Saxon NCO's bar (Unteroffizier). Very nice bar in good condition. Very likely he was a sort of state functionary (Beamter) since he got the Saxon long service medal (4th medal) and the Treuedienst-Ehrenzeichen 1. Stufe (25 Years, last medal) of the 3rd Reich. Practically the Ehrenzeichen f?r Frontk?mpfer (3. Reich, 3rd medal from left), the Hungarian WWI commemorative medal (5th medal) and the Bulgarian WWI commemorative medal (6th medal) were given for the same purpose: to indicate that he participated as an active front-soldier to WWI. To obtain the 5th and 6th medal you just had to fill in some paperwork and forward it to the competent consular section of the concerned country and be able to prove that you served in WWI on the same front where either Hungarian or Bulgarian troops were involved. Ciao, Claudio

@ Glenn: beautiful examples, especially the one named... beautiful time-period "Gravur"!!! @ Les: Great example, as well. I am still looking for an Iron Cross 1st class with side hooks... very rare and desirable! Ciao, Claudio

Dear Rick, Interesting what you say about Hutier's construction system; I would have liked to see personally. It wasn't mentioned on Thies catalogue's description. About Wedding's photograph; I am afraid Thies sold only the medal bar with the ribbon bar. I got the picture from a previous thread on the WAF. Ciao, Claudio

Hi Mike, I can't reply to your question, since I do not have the necessary reference books with Wedding's data, but I can show you the Admiral wearing a previous medal bar (see many 20ies veterans' decorations) with already the British Order of St. Michael & St. George. Ciao, Claudio

@Heiko: Hutier's medal bar went for Eur 3'800.-, Eur 200.- more than the starting price: not much if you ask me. He was a PLM mit Eichenlaub-Tr?ger nevertheless. I hesitated to bid on it, because I didn't like how the RK St. Heinrich Orden was mounted... it looks like the medal bar was restored. Furthermore beautiful the last order of Hutier's bar: Hessen-Darmstadt Ludewigs-Orden, very rare, but unfortunately with "Emaillesch?den"...

Another superb bar with all three Hanseatic crosses!

This was a magnificent bar... I was at Thies auction and had the pleasure to view it (and touch it) personally! There was no taylor label on the reserve (red backing), but to me it was a beautiful and typical Godet construction and it was even a bit convex to follow the shape of the cheast. Enjoy... and merry Christmas!!!

Hi Bob! I've got one, too!

No, please by all means show more and don't dare delete your post. It's a great little-big bar!

@ Bob: sorry, I forgot to mention that the first medal I posted is from Nassau.

A nice Verdienstkreuz 1. Klasse in Gold of the Duchy of Brunswick (Braunschweig). Only 1'859 times awarded. With the marks S 585 of Hofjuwelier Friedrich Siebrecht. Enjoy...

Thanks Gerd... here another one; a very elegant looking slightly convex cross with a silver mark 800 on the reverse.

Another nice little "Orden des Ehrenkreuz, Verdienstkreuz 2. Klasse" from the small state of Lippe-Detmold, only 699 times awarded!

Dear imperialoids, There are quite a few medals or small merit crosses given to NCO or soldiers, which are not desirable or less know to the big public, but very rare indeed for numbers of bestowal. Many of them have a very delicate and well thought design. I am posting the first for you a medal of a little German State. This Duchy disappeared from the German map when it was taken by the Kingdom of Prussia after the Campaign of 1866. This medal was given to all in 1909 still living NCOs and soldiers (3'228 times awarded). The silver medal is much rarer and it was given only to officers (less than 30!). Enjoy and don't hesitate to post your little "BIG" medal... Ciao, Claudio

The second is a very special iron cross with a very complicated "pin system" on the reverse. These are really scarce and are very desirable for iron cross' collectors. Ciao, Claudio P.S.: size: 43.5 mm x 43.5 mm, weight: 21.7 g

Dear all: I would like to post some very nice iron crosses I have the pleasure to own. The iron cross 1914 was produced in many different variations; that makes it so interesting! I am always looking to get a particular cross, with its unique design, construction type and material. I hope with this to stimulate a healthy exchange of knowledge; therefore, don't hesitate to post yours! I begin with my first iron cross (maker GODET!) I bought it back in 1986 by post (there was no picture on the catalogue) for about DM 55.-. Back then it was a lot of money for a 18 years young collector! Ciao, Claudio P.S.: size: 42.5 mm x 42.5 mm, weight: 17.3 g

Last but not least: a bronze type... in heavy "chocolate" bronze; I really do love these!

Second: a marked "Silber 990" piece.

First: a "argentan" (kind of white medal and silvered) piece, in my humble opinion a end 20ies-30ies medal "Spangenst?ck" or in English a second issue medal used for a court mounted bar. Note the attachment system.

Nice bar Chris! Just to keep the ball rolling I am showing you my single pieces.

That IS disturbing! I won't even bother to ask Thies about it, because 1) he wouldn't even reply 2) Very likely I wouldn't even remember to have seen the picture and the envelope which belonged to Janzten. Too bad! Regarding Jantzen's rank I am also a bit confused; was it or not promoted to Konteradmiral? Here everybody who can research his career seems to say that there is no confirmation from the Ranklists of the Kriegsmarine. Man! I wish I had Jantzen's picture and why not also his ribbon bar! That would be great. But I won't dispair so easely. I am pretty sure, if it's out there, it might take one or 20 years, but sooner or later it will surface on the market and I hope to be around to snap it! ciao, Claudio

Dear forumites: I am preparing an inventory and trying to put in my catalogue all my medal bars. In order to do so, I would like to be sure to fill in the correct data about the above-mentioned Imperial navy officer. There were some doubts about the fact that he never became "Admiral" during WWII and according to some data that I have gathered on him, there is no mention about his eventual promotion to "Konteradmiral": Lebenslauf / Johannes Jantzen *08.07.1880 in Hamburg geboren 12.04.1898 Eintritt in die Kriegsmarine 30.03.1908 Kapit?nleutnant 17.10.1915 Korvettenkapit?n bis 07.1916 1. Offizier, SMS Berlin bis 06.1918 Navigationsoffizier, SMS Westfalen bis 07.11.1919 1. Offizier Ostfriesland, aus der KM ausgetreten 01.10.1939 Fregattenkapit?n (E) 01.08.1942 Kapit?n zur See 04.1938-09.1939 W.E.J. Schleswig-Holstein, Sachbearbeiter 09.1939-01.1941 Wehrbezirkskommando Kiel 01.1941-10.1944 Wehrbezirkskommando Hamburg-See, Kdr. ? 23.03.1945 verstorben Can you help me? Any info on him is most appreciated! Many thanks in advance!! Ciao, Claudio

Hi Heiko, Wildcard is right; I think too the Meister's spange was sold to a client on the phone. Actually bidding by phone is really not a such bad idea: I don't have to physically there, you can save on the trip and hotel and it's like to be there. So if you really desperately want a specific piece you might get it on the phone... If you place a written bid... mmmmhhh... in that case the chances to get somethingare 1 to 10 or even less. I remember that there were lots of written bids but only very few items went to people who chose to do so. @Wildcard: you know I really treasure the fact that I can spend time with other fellow collector and have a nice chat. I think this field of collecting there're lots of individualists. If people would speak more openly collectors would take advantage of sharing their knowledge, therefore less chance for the fakers to be successful, and maybe people would behave much more fairly and not bid so against eachother. At the end this is for us, or at least for me, a hobby not my business. The many dealers present at the auction also tought me that to most people is not only an hobby but a quite profitable business. Ciao, Claudio

Hi Stogie, I understand your disappointment. Sometimes Thies is very slowly to reply my emails, sometimes he never replies, like once I have asked him on Rick's (evil twin) information about the whereabouts of some pieces (Miniaturkettchen, ribbon bars, documents other decorations) belonging to a specific group that have been lost (?) during the making of his catalogues' inventory. That was very frustrating to me, especially thinking that many of these pieces are forever separated. Personally I think that Thies is a nice person, but as you can imagine, he was very busy on last Saturday and perhaps not to much concerned about "some details" we serious collectors care a lot. Ciao, Claudio

Hi everybody! It was a pleasure to have met you during the auction Wildcard. I would have loved to speak with you longer, but I had to leave early, because, first of all my budget was already completely used and secondly because I had a long way back to my home (Lugano, about 4 1/2 with the car). It was really great to see all the items before the auction started. I thought that there wasn't time enough to inspect personally all the items I was interested in, but furtunately I was wrong. It's another feeling to be on place, inspect the medals personally, tough them with my pawns and see how the quality of some enamelled orders was unparalleled. Beautfiful stuff... but unfortunately very expensive. Therefore I had to concentrate on my field of interest: medal bars! There was enough choice for every type of taste and budget, but I must say the first Seymour's collection Auction was a bit easier for me to get the medal bars I wished at "normal" prices. The problem is also the high commision (20% + 7% VAT!!!). I don't think many were concerned about this aspect, because some desirable items like Meister's spange went more than the double of the reserve/estimated price! (Meister's bar was sold for Eur 17'000.- + 27%!!!). Another bar that went up more the double of the estimated price was Wedding's medal bar. Beautiful nevertheless; I had the pleasure to have it in my own hands for about 30 seconds. It was, although there was no label on the reverse (backing), a typical Godet medal bar with an uncommon (for Godet) red fabric backing. It was very nicely put together and the metal base was highly vaulted (to follow the shape of the chest). What a spectacle; the bar was estimated Eur 2'000.- and it went for Eur 4'200.-!!! Not bad. Another NCO's Baden Colonial bar went much more than double of the starting bid! Beautiful conditions and great combination of decorations. It was better to be in a museum! I saw for the first time lots of real GOLD orders and many of them impressed me for quality of craftmanship, like a Gold Komturkreuz of the Oldenburg House Order with crown and swords or a beautiful Offizierskreuz with swords and extra light of a W?rttemberg order... I saw also lots of German dealers (Kai Winkler and Bretzendorfer for example) attending the auction, hoping to get some hot items to be resold on their online catalogues, making a nice profit. I must say they were quite disappointed at the end because almost all the items were sold at quite high prices... so no room for making a lot profit out of them. I just went for the first time to Thies auction and was surprised to see the room packed with collectors and dealers. I think Thies had quite a successful auction. I can't wait to see his next catalogue; among the pieces that have to come there is also Kaiser Wilhelm II's medal bar... I can only recommend to order the catalogue because of its beautiful colour pictures. I have seen lots of very well known German and International collectors being present at the auction. At the end our collecting community is quite small. Many people very likely know me without having introduced before. It can be nice but on the other hand it's disturbing to think that, especially nowadays, there are many criminals who know quite exactly which collector has something interesting to steal from. Therefore I prefer also to be a bit more discreet than in the past! Sorry... Ciao, Claudio