Claudio

Hi everybody;

Just got it in the mail today. What do you think?

Ciao,

Caludio

...not to mention that the Rumanian Crown Order is the 2nd type give from the late thierties on. Very strange; all orders are supposed to have been awarded during WWI and this medal bar has that Rumanian order but no Ehrenkreuz f?r Frontk?mpfer.

Also interesting is the fact that this bar has been put together in easier "fakable" Bavarian style.

I wouldn't even touch it...

Ciao,

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