Elmar Lang

A good picture of the hinge and of the silver marks (besides the makers marks) would help a lot. E.L.

Interesting, thank you for the further, precious information. E.L.

Dear Tony, the group photo, depicts Landesschützen, not Jaeger. Their cap is ornated with a Spielhahnstoß and the collars with Edelweiß. Is there any note, on the reverse? Best wishes, Enzo (E.L.)

A mistake that surely wouldn't have been done by an Austrian officer...

Just to add further info regarding Col. Mario Stampacchia, whose award document of the Skanderbeg Order was posted by Bob, I would like to say that this officer received two Silver and one Bronze medals for military valour, during WW1

Hello, I'm on holydays abroad, and no chance to reach my copy of Mericka's book "Orden und Ehrenzeichen der Oesterreichisch-Ungarischen Monarchie", Wien, Schroll, 1974, until late in the next week. From what I see, there could be good chances that it could be a piece coming from the auction of the Fattovich collection, taken in Turin in June 2015. Perhaps, the auction catalogues could still be seen online. It's always a good occasion, to remember the Venetian collector; a true old-style gentleman, with a deep knowledge in the field of Imperial Austrian phaleristic. A curious note: also his wife, was a passionate collector.

The date of the Statutes, can be detected from the date of the last "Nachtrag" to the statutes.

Any marks on the rim?

The Leopold Order is one of the most beautiful European awards and one of my favourites.

This medal, is a fine, original bronze "Jubiläums-Hofmedaille 1898"; as correctly remebered by Tifes, the triangular ribbon with bar, was for military, while the straight one of narrower width also with years' and suspension bars were for civil servants. The golden one at the opening of the topic, is a copy that can be attributed to Rothe & Neffe. I remember identical pieces in their shop, back in the late '70s. Best wishes, E.L.

Dear Avsar, all the compliments for your cultural effort in phaleristic, are well deserved! All the best, Enzo (E.L.)

Hello Dejan, here too, my compliments for the fine pieces and their display. I regret to say that I don't have any length of original 1849-50 MVK ribbon, besides that mounted on my own pieces... All the best, Enzo (E.L.)

Hello, this medal is described in this book: Franco Scandaluzzi: "Medaglie e Distintivi della Resistenza e della Liberazione", Milan, 2001, page 124. There it's indicated as one of the various general commemorative medals given after the liberation, from the local veterans' organizations of the "C.V.L.". The book also indicates a "normal" tricolour ribbon. The purple one with tricolour borders, should be the one for the official volunteers' medal of the type for the National Liberation Corps. Best wishes, E.L.

Actually, the inner of this case allows us to suppose that it could be for the Kriegskreuz für Zivilverdienste I Klasse. My own case, complete with its decoration is of a dark red-brown colour though.

Just as a little contribution, my own piece of soviet production, bought back in 1992. I assume, an awarded piece.

I regret to say yes, although someone dates this type of miniatures to earlier years, like 1922-1938.

Hello, I'm glad that even after a long time, this discussion could have been of help. All the best, Enzo (E.L.)

Interesting remark indeed, thank you. Actually, I don't know who could have been the original owner: this chain was on display in the showcase of one of the many jewellers along "Ponte Vecchio" in Florence, Italy, on the occasion of a visit in that beautiful city with my father, back in 1982. The price seemed fair and I bought it (with an important, financial contribution from dad). Best, Enzo

Thank you. Well, behind the round button, there is a thin hook so, the thin chain, running behind the lapel, can be fixed to it.

Actually, I agree with the observation of Tomas: the miniature chains (as different types) are three, where the Commander's one, is updated with the miniature star, to signify the class of "Kommandeur mit dem Stern". I've just "simplified", considering the Kdr.m.d.St. as a miniature-chain alone, giving the wrong idea that there should be 4 chains of different design. Enzo (E.L.) Here, my own FJO miniature chain for a Commander:

Yesterday, when replied, I was very tired, not noticing that Resch was the first manufacturer, correctly quoted by Tifes in his post. Re. The miniatures, they actually aren't miniature "collars" but, simply miniature chains, for wear as pinned to the lapel, often with the miniatures of the other orders awarded to the FJO's recipient. All the best, E. L.

Actually, the miniature chains existed for the following classes: Großkreuz Kommandeur mit dem Stern Kommandeur Ritter Tifes gave all the necessary details to identify the badges of the FJO and their size. Among the manufacturers, I would add Messrs. Resch of Vienna, makers in the relatively "early" period of this order. That roman numeral, engraved in the inner cylinder of the reverse medallion is just a reference for the mounting of the decoration, at the manufacturer's laboratory, to be sure that each part would perfectly fit to each other. In other words, that decoration in the maker's tray, was no. XVII. All the best, E.L.

Thank you for your very kind words!...

Hello, beautiful medals indeed. It should be noted, that the "Al Valore Militare" and "Al Valore Civile" medals, with the exception of few cases, were officially engraved by the state mint, before actually being awarded. Collectors, in fact, are highly interested in the study of the various types of engravings, since many were the specialists in charge of naming the medals. It is also worth to be mentioned that during WW1, a special tool was prepared at the mint, to compose and impress the naming on the medals for military valour, because of the high number of awards. Soon, this complicate tool demonstrated itself to be fragile and unfit to accomplish the job and was discarded. The medals named with this machine are uncommon to see, although some of them are known in collections. All the best, Enzo

Hello, of course, this is a post-Anschluß mounted Große Ordensspange, prepared when the man entered service in the Wehrmacht. The Goldene Tapferkeitsmedaille, being a "Bronze HMA" piece, in my opinion shouldn't be considered simply as a replacement because, besides a limited number of awards of medals actually struck in gold, most of such decorations have been officially awarded in the gilt version (but with the old-fashioned suspension, typical of the gold medals). I agree that the "K" Auflage should be later than 1918, and this can be explained because the shop that prepared the bar, also added the "german-type", shortened Wiederholungsspangen and surely in his drawer there were also other small metal devices, like the said "K". The 2nd class Silver medal, really looks to me an original, award type piece in silver and not a zinc replacement. Let's say that the bar looks like a "mix", as it should be expected for a group like that. I also agree that it was an expensive piece. But a group with the provenance from a known war-hero, is expected to fetch a price higher than what a collector would pay for the single pieces. Well, with more than 5.000,- Euro, again I agree that we could buy a single, important order, but we cannot enter in the head and "project" of collectors... And sometimes collectors, when fighting at auction for a piece, could fit in this paraphrase of Tennyson's Charge of the Light Brigade: "(...)Theirs not to make reply, Theirs not to reason why, Theirs but to bid and buy." All the best, Enzo (E.L.)