Claudio

1 hour ago, Paul C said:

That is spectacular. Here is one for you, Major General Karl Gronau (1855-1945)

Wow, thanks Paul! That's quite a spectacular display of orders! 

Do you think that in the case of Wilfsdorf's bar the ribbons on the Reussisches Ehrenkreuz 3th class and the Belgian Leopold order with swords (officer class) are both in violet colour... maybe the one for the REK3 is a bit more darker violett. Usually I saw these ones worn by officer without swords being with the violett ribbon ^see my second picture of a Wurttembergian Cavalry staff officer (UR19).

 

What do you think about it?

This is his next project: Major Wilfsdorf Saxon JB12 later Generalleutnant (von). These photographs of such tiny and elusive elite units are quite difficult to find on the net.

 

Dear forumites!

I would like to present my brother's last work of art, depicting a Reichswehr's General (Heye). We checked that all details are correct. It's a quite time consuming activity but during this voluntary isolation time due to the pandemic of Coronavirus, it keeps my brother occupied.

Your comment are welcome. If somebody of you has some nice pictures of Imperial officers wearing their headgear and medal bar to share for my brother's next project would be quite great! In fact I noticed that is quite difficult to find very good quality portraits of officers wearing both their fine headgear (Pickelhaube - spiked helmet, Tschako, Tschapka or any other kind of headgear). Usually the portraits (photographs) they were mostly done without headgear, in order to show the whole face.

Here is my brother at work, painting:

Here's the finished work of art:

Here's the research being done:

Ordenschnallen Wilhelm Heye.dotx

Gentlemen!

Thanks for your kind words. ☺️?

This might be my best 1870-71 War Veteran and General medal bar...

Well, there are many medal bars I like in my collection... but this one it is one of the best I have... 

PS: BTW I am still missing a PLM in my collection!

But this could well be the most important in my collection... medal bar of the 1st GFM of the 3rd Reich!

I got another badge to discuss, if there's anything to discuss. I think that the maker mark on the back looks good, but the pin has been replaced or fooled with... any thoughts?  

Dear Vince, dear forumites,

I received some more photographs (bad quality, I had to improve them, but I can't do wonders...) of some other badges.

I start with this Bavarian Observer Badge (Halbhohl - semi-hollow). I don't quite like the pin on the back, although the patina on the front looks good.

Any comments?

C

PS: the last mega-big picture of the front enamelled detail doesn't help very much...

Here another badge Marine-Beobachter... this looks good, but I'm not so sure about the reverse (see pin).

Comments? 

This other Marine-Beobachter badged the patina looks really weird on the front... on the back I have never seen maker marks of Juncker like this... almost if someone has tried to replicate it.

Comments?

This Marine Flugzeugführer Badge looks a bit better, but I presume this one was produced in the twenties or early thirties... the hinge of this pin on the reverse looks almost like a Zimmermann; did this maker also produced such badges?

 

This Marine Observer badge is the one I like the best of all of them... 

Any suggestions?

This Marine Flugzeugführer badge looks really weird... no detail on the front, it looks like someone has tried to make it look heavily worn... the hinge and pin on the reverse is really bad IMHO. The miniature (picture quality very bad) comes with this last badge in a lot.

What do you think? 

Thanks in advance for your kind opinions and comments... I really appreciate your expertise! 

Best regards,

Claudio

Dear Sandro, dear forumites,

Here's a picture of the reverse of the emblem... it looks quite good IMHO.

Claudio

Sorry Daniel! You are right.... ?

Now I have also a face to this trapezoidal old style large ribbon bar...

Interesting thread Chris!

Here my contribution... very likely the same booklet. I had some scans done.

Enjoy!

Claudio

Thanks Vince... sorry but I got only this other picture...

Very, very nice shoulder boards... love these with these elaborate cyphers! Great buy, compliments!

Claudio

Dear forumites!
 

I would love to hear your opinions on these.. the last Bavarian observer badge (Pöllath) the catch have been replaced, it looks like a period repair.

Enjoy the pictures!
 

cheers

Claudio

What about these? The first I like the reverse although the makers name is written with one T instead of two and the obverse is lacking a bit of detail. The second one, the “light” version looks very good from the front (Feuervergoldung with polished highlights), but I don’t like the hinge and catch... they look like re-attached.

Thanks in advance for your comments!
 

cheers, 
 

Claudio

Thanks for all Sandro! You quite gave me more valuable inputs... let see if they are ready to show some detailed pictures of the helmet without the frontal emblem, in order to see the holes and the frontal emblem on the reverse.

Cheers,

Claudio

Ciao Sandro,

Thanks for your detailed reply. Yes, I saw the Pickelhauben on the notorious German dealer. I don't like them because of their conditions and also the first (the most expensive one, Eur 8'500.-!!!) has 3 holes but 4 prongs that, in my opinion, only 2 of them  (the lateral ones on the left and right) are used to fix the emblem. Both W's helmets have a different frontal emblem then the one showed by me laurels leaves under the lions. I like the second W's helmet better but the conditions are a bit "salty", the leather helmet on top a bit deformed, as well the rear visor and the surface is quite heavily cracked.

This helmet is being offered by an auction house. I'll PM you the details. Therefore I could ask them to remove the emblem, but I seriously doubt that they would dare to do it. But of course I learned that in doing so you could really tell about "Doppellöcher", some restorations to the emblem (new prongs to the rear of emblem), the kind of prongs (if original or new ones) and least but not last if there are holes which have been "closed" and some new ones being made lately. 

Practically a mine field...  There some very good put together helmets or "improved" ones with rarer emblems (also original some copies) on the marked.

Thank you again, Sandro, for your interesting comments, though.

Cordially

Claudio

Hi Karsten!

Sorry I double checked my email boxes (hotmail.com / iCloud.com / mac.com and gmail ) but I couldn't find your email.

Just sent you a PM.

I found this on Kube's auction catalogue... but the "Beschläge" the colour of the emblem, of the spike and chin scale is Golden not Silver, though.
 

Found also this one on Ratibons'... The description is quite generic not specific and the are no laurels leaves under the lions.

No price neither.

I also found this one on Hermann Historica website with the same emblem (see laurel leaves), although it is described as a copy, and you can see it buy the quality of the helmet outside and inside and the brand new box for storing it.

Auction house's description:

 

Description

Black leather: body, front visor with green underlay and rear visor with red underlay, silver officer Bavarian Lions with centre enamel emblem on front plate attached with two screw posts with nut fasteners; silver: fluted spike, cross base, star studs, rear spline and front square visor trim; silver rounded scale chinstraps attached with officer rosettes; officer national and Bavarian cockards; white silk lining with white leather sweat band; with tall carrying case. Museum Quality Copy.

Zustand: I -

Hi! Thanks for your input... I know that book of Jan K Kube (see below picture). From the very small picture however I don't see the laurel oakleaves...

BR

C

Some more pictures from a very interesting German book about "Offiziershelme"...

C

Dear collecting friends,

No, I don't know yet who might have worn this bar, but I think it must have been a general.

I really like how it has been mounted and the conditions of the medals and the "Feuervergoldung" of the battle bars (Gefechtsspangen).

By the way there was a thread, I think of Rick (Lundström RIP), about these battle bars and the research by the combinations of these bars to a specific army corps. I can't find it; somebody could post here a link of this thread? Thank you.

Sincerely,

C

Thanks Vince... yeah... that KO3mS is really an eye-catching one! ????

Thanks Andreas... I think that the one on the medal Bar I showed it looks really good.

Dear forumites,I saw this beautiful piece of Bavarian headgear for Generals. I have bit of concerns about the emblem of this helmet, because it's like a mix of a earlier style of emblem (with laurel leaves beneath the lions) and the late helmet model with the enamelled Bavarian coat of arms in the middle.

I'd like to share the pictures with you and thank you very much in advance for your kind comments.

Best regards,

C

Dear forumites,

I would like to bid on this bar, but I am not so sure that the Colonial medal is the correct one for a German officer... it should be gilded, or not?

I really appreciate your inputs.

Cheers,

Claudio