Carlo

From what I can see from the photo everything looks right, the marking is ok, even the ribbon and stitching are original. I would say that nothing has been changed since it was assembled back then. Regards Carlo

You're welcome, if I can contribute in any way I'm always happy to do it! cheers 🍻 Carlo

Hi everyone, I would like in my small way to add something to this great work by Farkas in collecting and identifying the various KTK producers. Among the various markings I did not see the KS mark. So here are some photos of one of my KTK marked KS, the mark used by Karneth & Sohn. Carlo

Hello Gents, in this topic I wanted to discuss something that in my opinion is little known: the packaging in which some decorations were sold. We are all aware of the various boxes for the most important decorations (orders, merit crosses, merit medals, etc.) but for some time I have been wondering how the other decorations or second pieces were sold. I personally have some paper bags that I think were the simplest and cheapest packaging at the time, but it makes me wonder if these bags were produced for all the decorations or some shopkeepers only made them for the sold pieces. The decorations shown below are very common, but you don't see many envelopes around. Do you think this is because being paper bags and not boxes they were thrown away after purchase or could there be other reasons?

For me it's very similar to what you say, it's not just the material possession of decorations, it's the whole "outline", the research, the study, especially of the little things. I remember the first object that introduced me to this fantastic world, they were two Italian ribbon bars from the First World War and the Italo-Turkish war, in terrible conditions to be fair, but it all started from there. They were given to me by a friend, I remember that at first I thought: nice, but what are they? From there I began with my studies, not only of orders, decorations and medals, but also of history, to know what events in the past led to the creation of a specific decoration, for what reasons it was awarded, and so on. I also agree with you on the fact that along the way you can meet many interesting and very knowledgeable people ready to share their experience with others, I have found many of them here in this group. I hope to be one of those people too one day in the future, which is why I say: the study continues! All the best, Carlo

Thanks, you're right, medals with bars are always interesting items! wow, more than 40 years of collecting, I've only been collecting for 5 years, I have a long way to go.

Good morning everyone, I haven't been very active lately, but always looking for new pieces. I recently managed to get these two commemorative medals from the 1898 jubilee, bronze and silver class, both on the military ribbon with the correct bar with the years 1848-1898. With these there are two out of four, now only the ones on straight ribbon for civilians are missing, not counting the gold ones. The hunt continues Regards Carlo

HI, I actually didn't add a photo of the box, but I think it was purchased privately as it has the small seat with the outlines of the decoration. Here are other photos that perhaps can help with identification. The case appears to be the size of a full size Order of Franz Joseph Carlo

Good morning everyone, I recently purchased this miniature of the Order of Franz Joseph, my first miniature of an Austrian order. Examining it in person I realized that it has no mark, neither the medal nor the chain, nor any manufacturer's mark or material mark. I'm pretty sure it's original, and was wondering if the manufacture could identify a possible manufacturer. The cross almost looks like gold, while the chain doesn't, another thing I noticed is that the clasp of the chain is engraved by hand, which I don't know if it was done on other materials other than gold. Can anyone give me some info?

Great research, but I don't think it's a worn die, but a different style of engraving. But looking at yours I noticed that mine has more acorns, I count 12, while in yours and in my others I only count 8. Notice the tops of the leaves on the right side.

You're right, the photos aren't the best, but you should see better from this one. Another detail that I noticed is that in the second pair of acorns starting from the bottom there is not one on each side, but one on the left and two on the right, something that I only found in this specimen. I have to verify who the engraver of the decoration was, I don't remember his name at the moment, but it certainly could be.

Good evening everyone, with this topic I wanted to share with you this kriegsmedaille which is marked with a small Z at 6 o'clock on the back. Does anyone know if it is indicative of any manufacturer? I immediately thought of Zimbler, but I have another marked J.Z. and it's different, so I don't think it's the same manufacturer.

Thanks

HI, yes I mean 2.5 meters, but I prefer not to cut it. It has arrived today in this form and I don't want to change it.

Interesting explanation. The width of the ribbon is exactly 6.8cm and it is approximately 2.5 meters long. However, I hadn't thought about the fact that the red ribbon could be a French Order of the Legion of Honour, I have to go and review a couple of things about the alliances of the time.

Hello everyone, here are more photos. To answer Farkas' question: the medal is attached to the ribbon by simply hooking the hook inside the upper edge of the ribbon. Unfortunately I no longer have the photo, but there is also a variant with a small metal element to reinforce where the medal attaches to the ribbon.

Greetings, I want to present to you an article that has given me a lot to think about lately, it is a combined ribbon with 4 decorations. I know that combined ribbons existed and were used, what makes me think is the combination of decorations to which the individual ribbons belong. Order of the Iron Crown, Order of Franz Joseph, Kanonenkreuz, Service Cross. The ribbon that makes me think is that of the kanonenkreuz, which could have been combined with that of the order of the iron crown, but I have some doubts about the other two. The ribbon is made of very fine silk, which makes me think it is quite old, but other than that I have no other information. If anyone has any ideas or information it would be greatly appreciated.

Hello everyone, I recently came across this medal for 40 years of faithful service with an uncommon ribbon attachment system. I've only seen a couple before, in my experience it should be one of the alternative methods for attaching the medal to the ribbon that were designed between the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century. Not having had much success at the time, today there are only a few examples that can be found.

Hello everyone, in this topic I wanted to present a new addition to my collection. A Kriegsmedaille in an old box, I believe from the period of the creation of this medal. Unfortunately neither the box nor the medal have any distinctive marks or signs.

You're welcome!!

Judging by the color (especially the back) it seems to be made of silver-plated zinc, where the plating has been lost over time. There is a zinc version of this decoration as well as the Kriegsmedaille and the Military merit medal made at the end of the First World War. In my opinion an interesting piece and not easy to find.

FA is the mark of Franz Adler from Vienna I'm pretty sure I saw it in the emedals archive some time ago. It will probably have been an officer who was not happy to have the same decoration as the troop and would have had it personalized, as happened with the kanonenkreuz

Interesting, it could be, it's a shame we don't have a box to add a few more elements to the search...

Hello, unfortunately I don't know how to help you, I've been asking myself the same question for a long time. The only thing that came to mind was about the KMT mark, which could also be interpreted as KriegsMeTall, the Karl Truppenkreuz is made of zinc which in German was also called kriegsmetall. On the version of the Kriegsmedaille made in zinc during the First World War there is the mark KM which I believe also indicates the word kriegsmetall. Unfortunately I can't think of anything else, I hope for the intervention of those who know more.....

Hello everyone, I recently came across this box for the gold merit cross, nothing special about the box itself, it is a Bergmann box dated 1916 for a piece made of bronze. The reason why I bought it is inside, a Rothe sticker is glued to the inner side of the lid. I'm pretty sure it's original because I've seen other stickers like it applied on the boxes of a Marianerkreuz and an Order of the Iron Crown, as well as on the boxes of some miniature chains. The thing I was wondering is the reason for this, considering that Rothe produced both the decorations and the boxes for all the pieces I was talking about above. Now I rely, as often happens, on the knowledge of the most experts. Carlo