Tom Y

Could that just be a FLAKE coincidentally over his state cockade? It certainly looks pre-1897, so I'd expect only the single cockade on the capband.

Nope. It's gold paint.

As for the "prop" puppy:

Someone call Senator Byrd! ***

*** How do you STOP a wriggly little puppy from MOVING?...

Laudanum?

And other things.

I don't know exactly what it is (but it's probably civil) and it's made with boar fur. If you have an idea...

Large diameter : 9 cm

Cockade diameter : 2 cm

Looks like something a Forester would wear.

This just arrived the other day. I was tempted to add it to Dogs of War

, but decided to give it its own space. It's about 4 in. high and looks like it was cut out of an album.

The device on the cap looks like it might be an eagle, but a Totenkopf would make more sense.

No telling what the cross is.

He's definitely a Reiter of some kind.

Anyone know of a good paint stripper?

Thanks to my new Canon EOS D40 I can now show the ?se

It may just be the photo (or my eyes), but the details look less crisp than I would expect. particularly the borders of cross and medallion. I'd also expect a "barrel" type ?se.

About 75% as big as on the screen.

Best

Chris

Sounds like roughly lifesize.

The same medal was used for '14-'18, only with swords instead of sabres on the ribbon. I've been hunting for a pair of the sabres for years.

Show the backs

Great find. How big are trhe originals?

Feel like ruining a swell blued-core EKII?

Try this

God only knows what the idiot put this on

I've showed you mine. let's see yours. I think one of our newest members has a few.

Lost your EKI in the mud 'cause of that pesky catch? Not to worry. Just drill some holes, grab a needle and thread, and hey, presto. That sucker won't fall off.

You just got your EKI preliminary doc. You're stuck in the middle of nowhere with no pinbacks, let alone screwbacks, to be found. Waddaya do? You improvise.

Looks great from the front. Just don't let ?m see the back.

Actually, I have some doubts about this one. Not the Cross itself, but when it was converted. The safety puin looks too modern.

My vote's for 2. Got enough to make a bow?

Verrry interesting. You've always been good at finding oddballs. Great to have you aboard

I'm convinced. Looking more closely and allowing for die wear, the frame and core are a perfect match with one of the well stamped G's.

I'm not convinced. I'd agree if it weren't for this:

All 3 from my collection.

Looks to me like this one

by an as yet unknown maker.

J?rg Nimmergut and Detlev Niemann both offer authentication services. I can't find Nimmergut's homepage, but Niemann can be found here.

It costs a bit, and there's always some risk in international shipping, but for peace of mind and resale it's worth it.

Tom,

What size is the EK? 42-43 mm (pre-TR) or 44 mm, which would be correct for Meybauer TR?

Even if the marking is a "7", is does NOT necessarily mean this "7" has anything to do with WW2 markings - it could be something similar to the numbers found under the pins of many S-W EK1s (ie quality control, assemblers marking, etc).

Regards

Mike

42.56mm exactly. Pre-TR. I think it's probably issue/20's by an unknown maker. The bottom line,though is I it.

Well if it's a 7, it would indicate Paul Meybauer as the maker. Now, was this old stock, because it looks like a period piece as opposed to a TR era made piece. Maybe the Meybauer firm had old stock left over and stamped thier official number on it after 1939 or whenever they brought in the number system. Meybauer did make crosses during both world wars, but as far as I know, no one has identified or come up with a Meybauer marked EK2. I have always wondered about this as they made many EK1's and both classes in WW2. Of course, this all depends on it being a 7 and not something else. It could still be a letter, poorly struck and hard to read like so many from this era. The ribbon looks like it came right out of the WW1 era.

The core looks like a possible Meybauer, but I just can't picture that ribbon on a TR uniform. Maybe for mufti. There's no sign of any method of attachment, so I imagine it was worn on a string or "comb" in the Austrian style, or maybe just for display. Anyway, I'm still chuffed

In a plain black wrapper

A new arrival from Schaumburg-Lippe via Stuttgart, the Kreuz f?r treue Dienst.

Established in 1870 by F?rst Adolph Georg for "loyal service during the 1870-71 war".

Reinstituted in 1914 by Duke Adolph, is was intended for "his" regiments, 2. kurhessischen Husaren Regiment Nr.14, Kavallerie Division, westf?llischen J?ger Bataillon Nr. 7, and rheinischen Husaren Regiment Nr. 7.

In 1916 a noncombatant version on a "negative"of the ribbon was added.

I don't understand the '66 noncobatant and he 70/71 combatant. If I remember the regs shouldn't it be in Stahl, even if am Kaempferband?

That was my opinion to, but I thought all numbers were TR manufacture, and this appears to be Imperial. Wha intrigues me is the "j"on the ?se. Hopefully, someday, well learn what all these marks mean'.

See what a polishing cloth and a case of OCD can do

This guz must have been really proud of his service and paraded a lot.

Note the brass half-round wire soldered to the ends of the bar to protect the ribbons and keep them in place.

The low end of the Friedrichs Orden