Tom Y

This just arrived at the Schloss a couple days ago. As I'm not versed in the subtle differences, could someone tell me which and when?

Is it like a challenge coin?

Quite an assortment. Is it my eyes or is the guy in the front row, third from left, with the Gamschen and cigar wearing spurs?

Nice The Austrians made some classy table medals. Is it bronze or bronzed Kriegsmetall and how big is it? I have one of Hötzendorf that looks and feels bronze but someone tried to make it into a belt buckle and melted a bit of the reverse :angry:

Neither cheese nor watch. For the rest of the story go here.

After Waterloo Neuchâtel (Neufchàtel) became a part of the German Confederation. In 1831 Republican sentiment ran high and a mob attacked the castle. Freidrich Wilhelm III sent in troops and restored order by December of that year. A small (25mm) medal was designed by Professor François Henri Brandt, a native of the canton, and awarded to "those who participated in the military operations and took up arms against the rebels in the year 1831 and maintained order in their communities." Only 7,006 were struck. The arms on the obverse are those of the canton and the reverse bears the motto "Fidelite au devoir et a la patrie" and "FGIII" for Frédéric Guillaume III (Freidrich Wilhelm III).

But until now I for one had never seen the document that came with it. To ( a little help with the title, please)Hans Tetzlaff in Lublin-(?) Awarded in October 1917, it wasn't delivered until June of the following year.

I imagine most of us are familiar with this established in December 1916 "to honor of special services in patriotic war aid activity for persons of both sexes regardless of conditions and rank."

And a vet could buy this understated little stickpin, too. or a mini for his Kette.

The usual vets' associations were formed with their distinctive decorations. The Deutscher-Kolonial-Krieger-Band issued this Löwen Orden in bronze, in silver as a pin back, and gold, silver, and bronze as table medals. and the Weimar government came up with this Elefant Orden, 8,000 of which were awardedhttp://gmic.co.uk/uploads/monthly_05_2010/post-252-12752250279.jpg.

My key chain sports one too. Back in the late fifties-early sixties every surplus store had a box of them on the counter and you could help yourself.

To make it even more, er, interesting,

Those aren't umlauts. The "smile" over the spikes is a u. An umlaut would be a pair of eyes ö.

Reverses

the medals from both Kaisers in both metals and both sizes.

The most likely suspect would be the Franz Joseph or Carl Bravery Medal in either bronze or silver. Here is a bronze Carl.

My error The Cavalry would use the spike for removing stones, etc. from their horses' hooves among other things. This same type of knife has been used by sailors for ages, thus my case of foot in mouth.

The marked one is a Navy issue rigging knife and I imagine the other is private purchase. They were worn on a lanyard around the neck to keep from being lost when in the rigging. The spike, or fid, was used for splicing lines. The slabs of the top one are cow horn.

The core is identical to one of mine. Can't give you the weight as it's been repaired, but it's 41.45mm wide.

That looks very much like the silver mark of Georg Adam Scheid.

Along with it, although as far as I know not related, came this China medal. I hope I'm now ready for the minefield of clasps :unsure:

The reverses.

Here's a recent arrival at Chez Madman. A nice Colonial bar. We'll never know whose it was, but we can pin the dates of his service down exactly. With no Centenärmedaile he had to have joined after 1897, but with the 15 year LD and no WWI gongs he was either out or started a new bar for the war. A 15 year span would make it 1898 to 1913.

You'll need one of these too.

Beautiful piece. The Austrian enameled orders are some of the finest. The star, or asterisk, was normally used to denote gilt bronze.