Elmar Lang

Which Auction House, if I may ask?

Dear Glenn, since nearly 20 years ago, when I first saw your invaluable webpage, I've found it as the best internet resource on the Austro-Hungarian Armed Forces and related topics. You've been a pioneer in an area that now has many, many fans and collectors all over the world. I feel kind of guilty for having visited your page very rarely in the later times, but always finding something precious for my own collection and/or researches. The section about the Mexican campaign, for instance, is a fantastic synthesis of the subject, yet giving all those informations, to be found only consulting many rare to find books. The same for all the other sections. I agree with Sandro's words, if anything could be done to keep a piece of history alive. Thank you Glenn, Best wishes, Enzo (E. L.)

Thank you again for the added information and I apologize for my late reply.

I regret to inform that this piece is a well-known fake (not a copy, I mean, but a piece produced to deceive collectors), that sarted to appear in the early 2000s. It's a carefully-made cast, copying even the struck maker's and hallmarks, both to the star's corpus and the pin. The centre, also cast, can be found either with real enamel, or synthetic one. Typical "red alert", the roughly-made "FJ" to the centre medallion and the very inaccurate piercing to the star's rays. I hope you could have a money-back guarantee, because in my opinion -sorry to say- it is worth just the value of the metal used. All the best, E.L.

Thank you very much for again helping me! is this badge connected to Police, due to the "Public Security" thing? Is the number struck to the reverse to be considered as its award number? Many thanks again, Enzo

Hello, I would like to post the pictures of a badge that's unknown to me, found some years ago at a militaria auction in Italy. I'd be glad if anyone could identify it! All the best, Enzo (E.L.)

Hello, this is the piece present in my little, Albanian collection, acquired back in the early '90s. the screwmount was almost completely filed off, and fitted with a horizontal, tin-soldered needle. Besides the transformation, I'm quite pleased with it, since it's very difficult to find.

Thank you, I am glad if I could have been of any help. Some years ago, I've acquired a large group of orders, decorations and medals, belonged to an MfS Oberst: there are also Soviet awards and badges, most of them, with their corresponding papers. I will take pictures of the relevant pieces and post them here too.

Searching through the entry-book of my collection, I see that I've bought this cross back in 2009... Now, I'd like to add some further pictures, obverse and reverse, taken from 3/4, to better appreciate how the details of the cast iron centre are rising and well-detailed:

Dear Alex, thank you for your kind reply. I would like to add a picture of the reverse side: the "Eichenlaub" has 4 acorns as it should be on a Großkreuz. Do you have an idea about when such pieces could have been made?

Hello, I would like to participate to this interesting thread, posting some pictures of Soviet awards to foreigners. First, the Order "Friendship of Peoples", awarded to Valery Fischmann, DDR, Secretary of the Central Committee of the Society of German-Soviet Friendship. The piece is in its original case, with ribbon bar and a length of spare ribbon; then, a full-view of his group of awards (I fear that some further pieces and papers are now lost). I find rather curious the velvet presentation table, with badges of the German-Soviet society, along with the KGB and MfS badges; something that could allow us to suspect that Fischmann could have also been involved with Comrade Erich Mielke's Ministry... Now, after the DDR group, the KGB 60th anniversary medal, awarded to the Bulgarian General Georgi Minev:

Interesting information indeed. As a matter of interest, I purchased what looks like an identical 1914 Großkreuz at a German auction some years ago. It was offered as a relatively old copy that, from an attractive starting price of 100,- Euro, rose in the room up to a much higher, but still very reasonable hammer price. I haven't been able to take a picture with the same light of the supposed v. Mackensen's piece, but I can say that both are identical, besides the different signs of age. The centre is made of stove-enameled cast iron, the frame is made of silver (no marks), the loop is separately-made and soldered to the frame, the ribbon ring is also made of silver, then sewn to a piece of very old Grand Cross ribbon, folded for "display" reasons.

Hello, The medal that Emperor Franz Josef -as Oberstinhaber (not Oberbefehlshaber) of the Russian Kexholm Guards Rgiment- created on his 1898 Jubilee, was awarded in 91 cases, thus it's a very rare medal. An original piece, will be auctioned at the Dorotheum, Vienna, on their next auction of Orders and Decorations, in November.

Following to Paul's interesting observation, I would like to post the pictures of a nice, little group, belonged to a soldier who fought in the 1859, 60-61 and 1866 campaigns also earning the "Menzione Onorevole" (later transformed in the Bronze Medal for Military Valour), where the French medal, bears the signature of Sacristain.

Hello, putting order in the drawers of my collection, overseas dept., I've found two medals that are unknown to me. The first, is surely referring to parachuting, made of anodyzed and lacquered aluminium, approx 45 mm dia. The second medal, made of silver-plated bronze, I think should be referred to athletic, and from 1963. the suspension is an elaborate pattern of laurel leaves soldered to the rim, a strong loop to the upper centre, fitted with a thick, round ring; approx. 65 mm. dia. I would be glad for an identification and for the translation of the inscriptions... Many thanks in advance, all the best, Enzo (E.L.)

Interesting information indeed! I am not surprised that the Emperor would have sent his aid-de-camp to see what happened to the Erzherzog Thronfolger...

I see that Gf. Hoyos was also wearer of the "Franz Josef Kreuz", also known as "Militantibus a Latere Meo", something not common to see...

Hello, here: although an 11 years old topic, we can have some info and pictures of the evolution of this fine award. Best, Enzo (E.L.)

Hello, this is my DDR "Grenzschild", removed by me and a friend of mine, off a "Grenzsäule" in the days of the "Wende", when the Grenztruppen were not dangerous anymore, or simply, they were less concerned in defending a vanished border... The damage to the reverse was done with a battery-operated tool, to cut the top screw, after having hammered the relatively rotting concrete of the border pillar.

Hello again, the "1951" thing, I suspect is just a mistake of the maker. The Order was reinstituted in 1947 and also the officers who, still alive from 1947 onwards, who earned the OMS earlier than June 2nd, 1946 (proclamation of the Republic of Italy), had to exchange their Savoy's type decoration, with the "new one". The same, happened with the Medal for Military Valour (Medaglia al Valore Militare) in its three grades, Gold, Silver and Bronze. Also in the Order's Honour Roll, all knights of all times, are now described as having received the "Ordine Militare d'Italia", instead the "Ordine Militare di Savoia". I would add that very few pre-1946 knights, or those decorated with the Medal for Military Valour, wore the republican type on their uniform, being the Savoy model quite tolerated.

Actually, many used to wear the OMS with the savoy-crossed medallion as "obverse", but statutorily, the obverse is the one with the crossed swords.

Hello, the obverse is the side with the crossed swords and the year "1855". All the best, Enzo

Being "self styled orders" otherwise fake orders themselves, the average quality of their insignia can vary, from true jeweler's work, to cheap workmanship, depending on how rich was the "grand master" of such amusing "honours"...

II'd like to revive this old thread with a question: is this the piece illustrated in the old Klietmann's "Deutsche Auszeichnungen" plates' volume? It looks like a very well finished piece of the so-called "Meybauer" type. Any opinion? All the best, Enzo (E.L.)

Hello, the Ethiopian Campaign Medal of the official, state issue, should bear the crowned "Z" mark of the Royal Italian Mint, but due to the very large number of medals that had to be awarded, the Ministry of War purchased all the medals necessary to complete the distribution, from various makers, f. instance, Lorioli, Johnson, Pagani, etc. I confirm that this medal is usually finished with a dark, almost black patina. The other medal looks ok too. All the best, Enzo (E.L.)