Wild Card

Then there is always my favorite - that elusive Brunswick lifesaving medal.

Hi Paul, Sounds like a good idea; but I would caution you to check out the copyright implications with regard to the reprint. Best wishes, Wild Card

Gentlemen, Having been away from the Forum because of a family crisis, I will celebrate my return by probably making a fool of myself; but here is a guess at Rick?s version of SPM?s ribbon combo. 1. Baden Fidelity Order 2. Baden Karl Friedrich Order, knight 3. Baden Zahringen Lion, knight 4. W?rttemberg Order of the W?rttemberg crown, knight 5. W?rttemberg Olga Order (?) 6. Saxon Duchies Ernestine Order, knight 7. Saxony (Weimar) Order of the White Falcon, knight How did I do? Wild Card

Hi Paul, No matches in the 1865 Hannoverian House and State Handbook, sorry. Keep in mind that he could have been a Saxon, or even Austrian as some of them also received these medals. Good Luck - Wild Card

Gentlemen, Since someday acquiring the full sizes versions are slim and none, I was recently fortunate enough to get the little brothers. Best wishes, Wild Card

Gentlemen, While we are on the subject of Partisan meals, I just have to share this picture of Dimitri Timofeevich Teterichev (back row, 2nd from left), commander of the ?Trailblazer? Partisan Detachment with some of his comrades. This strikes me as a coup by the guys down at central casting. Best wishes, Wild Card

Thank you very much for the compliment, Stogieman. I certainly agree with your research recommendation, although these NKVD/KGB types often prove to be rather difficult. Also, I need to get in touch with a good source for this type of work. Thanks again, glad you enjoyed it. Best wishes, Wild Card

His awards

A kind of interesting sidelight is that his Victory medal document is, as I understand it, signed by Lt. Gen. Milshtein, chief of USSR NKGB

and here is the same for his 1st class medal which is signed by Col. Orlov, commander of Independent Special Purpose Unit of USSR NKGB.

I guess that it could be said that when it came to Partisan medals, he was what we would call a ?double dipper.? Here we have his temporary award certificate issued by Ukrainian Headquarters of Partisan Movement for his 2nd class medal

and his award list.

Gentlemen, I would like to present Major Ivan Yurkin

Thank you, Stogieman. I guess that The Baron was a big wheel in diplomatic circles as he had quite a few high decorations. Thank you also for the compliment on post #16. I wish that I could have posted larger, hence more detailed pictures. I bought that little cross some years ago from Eric Ludigsen. Although, as I said, I try to avoid Saxony, that one always had a sort of magnetism about it; and I am so happy, as was Eric, that it found a home where it is really appreciated. Best wishes, Wild Card

China? China! I'm telling Sascha what you said!

Gentlemen, We seem to be lacking an award document.

Gentlemen, As minis go, there are some especially fine examples when it comes to this order. Here is one; but there are better ones out there. Best wishes, Wild Card

Gentlemen, In view of my efforts to avoid Saxony (a really slippery slope) I?m afraid that this is about the best I can do. Best wishes, Wild Card

Hi Nicolas, I think that this is a very good question; and I wish that I could give you a definitive answer, but regrettably can not. I would, however, like to pose a similar hypothetical situation using examples with which I am more familiar that, for me, does answer it. Let?s say that, in 1914, the Brunswick Orders Chancellery received a knight?s badge, to the Order of Henry the Lion, with a damaged center medallion, from the family of a deceased recipient who had received it in 1900. Having been awarded in 1900, this badge would have been made by Siebrecht; and as such would have a ?tail down? horse. Now, since J?rgens replaced Siebrecht in 1912 as the house jeweler, does the chancellery: A. Send the piece to Siebrecht so that the badge has a medallion like it?s original. or, B. Send the piece to J?rgens who is now the official purveyor, even though the badge will now have a J?rgens style ?tail up? horse. I would be very comfortable voting on ?B?. While we?re on the subject, I would like to raise another question which is more applicable to your Red Eagle. Is it possible that the medallions were, as we say, ?out sourced?? After all, the jewelers were primarily metalworkers; so why not do the fine metal work, make the corpus and farm the medallions out to the starving artist down the street? This, of course, sets up all sorts of possibilities. I guess that I have raised more questions than I have answered, for which I apologize; but hopefully some of the more knowledgeable members will grab a hold of this one and run with it. Thanks for raising it, Wild Card

This would be an unissued example of the wound badges awarded personally by the Kaiser to very special recipients. The issued examples, of course, had his signature and date of award engraved on the reverse.

Gentlemen, Ed?s opening comment reminded me of a piece which certainly fell into this category. Some years ago, a fellow collector, now deceased, owned a collar to the Prussian order of The Black Eagle. As you may know, when one of these collars was awarded, the recipient?s name and the date of bestowal was engraved on the reverse of one of the eagle links. This particular collar was first awarded to Maximillian I, Emperor of Mexico, on 13 January 1866; and one of the eagles was so engraved. With the event of his murder in 1867, the collar was returned to the Prussian Orders Chancellery. Subsequently, several years later, it was reissued to a member of the British royal family; and again one of the eagles was also so engraved. It appears, however, that with the outbreak of World War I an attempt was made, with partial success, to remove the name. As Ed noted, it had become unwearable; but not, it would seem, returnable Best wishes, Wild Card

Hi Joe, Yes there is. The ?B?nderkatalog Orden & Ehrenzeichen - Deutschland 1800 - 1945? by Rolf Dieter Krischer and J?rg Nimmergut is such a reference. It is keyed to and about the same size as the OEK. My issue was printed in 1991. They are around - check with Tim Eriksen, he may have one for sale. I hope that this helps. Wild Card

Either or.

Gentlemen, A very nice bar indeed! Heiko has got it right. #4 is a Hannoverian long service cross; most likely a 25 year cross, but possibly a (very rare) 50 year cross. Best wishes, Wild Card

Deruelle, Thank you very much. I am sorry that I can not fulfill your wish for a cased example. Below is the best I can do. Also, Bob Hunter, yes, the finishing work on those little lions (with those curved tails) had to be a real challenge. Best to you both, Wild Card