Elmar Lang

You're welcome Jan, I'm always glad if I can be of any help. Re the price, if we consider how the price of Austro-hungarian awards is increasing in these years, yes, I think it's a relatively fair starting price (keep in mind that the auction's fees have to be added too...). All the best, Enzo (E.L.)

Hello, from what I can see in the provided pictures, the cross is a pre-1918, private purchase piece. This is quite reassuring, I hope, since many pieces offered on the market are the rather well-made copies made by Messrs. Rothe & Neffe, Vienna, until the mid 70s of 20th Century. In the hope of being of some help, I would like to post some pictures of an original cross, made of gilt silver, struck with all the correct marks we would like to see on such pieces. As a curiosity, I would also like to post the images of a further cross for 50 years service for officers, of a quite uncommon to see variation. These two pieces are from my own collection. All the best, Enzo

Dear Megan, this is a very nice surprise! I remain a passionate collector of Imperial Austrian awards, but it's a couple years, since I've focused my interest towards the DDR too. Curiously, our colleague Greg, also a collector of Austro-Hungarian awards, is now showing a deep interest in the "ehemalige Republik" too!... and is doing very good steps in putting together a remarkable collection. Please keep us informed about your book and if I could be of any help with pictures of my for now humble DDR collection, don't hesitate asking! Best wishes, Enzo (E.L.)

You're welcome!

Hello, the hinge to the reverse medallion indicates that the piece is made of gold. The fact that the decoration wouldn't have been struck with any gold marks, could indicate that it was made prior to 1867 and this is the case of many Resch-made pieces or, simply, for any now unexplicable reason... it escaped to be struck with marks (it happened that too!). From what's visible in the pictures, this FJO looks like being a fine cross (perhaps, but could be a reflex of light, there is a little loss to the red enamel, at the base of the upper arm,'s reverse, just above the medallion's hinge). Best wishes, Enzo (E.L.)

Hello, from what I can see in the picture, it should be a French mark. Best wishes, Enzo

It's not enamel, those details are usually spray-painted (or, depending on the maker, brush-painted). All the best, Enzo

It's an original, officer's type badge of the Regia Aeronautica to be used on the overseas cap; in this case, made by Messrs. Binda, Milan, a then known maker of metal badges, buttons etc.

Helmut Meißner "our only son and brother" found his Heldentod being just 19 years old and already a 2nd Lieutenant Pilot... exactly 9 more month and the war was over: how sad, poor boy.

The "Gemsenkopfpunze" for gold 750/ooo was introduced from 1867 and was discontinued in 1922. The maker's mark looks like a "FB"... but I'm not sure. Best wishes, Enzo (E.L.)

Some pictures would be of great help...

I suspect that this mark could be something struck to indicate a batch of production or some reference related to internal administration of the makers...

A nice case, where the Militärverdienstmedaille was stored at retailers, thus, without ribbon. The buyer, entitled to wear the medal, had then the choice of the proper ribbon. In fact, the reverse of the case opening this thread, shows the handwritten note (probably by hand of the original seller): 5,40 Ohne Band 70 _____ 6,10 Explaining the price of the medal without ribbon and of the ribbon itself: interesting data anyway. All the best, Enzo

Hello Leonardo, it's really nice reading from you on this Forum! The document hereby posted, is of great historical interest, for its accuracy, neat calligraphy and personal notes (even poetry!), besides knowing that this officer couldn't survive the war as a consequence of his wounds. Your contributions shall always be welcome! All the best, Enzo (E.L.)

Hello Carlo, your fine medal for 40 years faithful service as a civil servant is preserved in a surely privately-made case, probably originally made for a pocket watch, then adapted with the velvet-lined, fitted compartment. It's nice to see posts from other Italian collectors of Austro Hungarian awards and historical artifacts. Best wishes, E.L.

Would it be possible to see the piece on which these marks have been struck? This would help quite a lot. Many thanks in advance, E.L.

Hello, thank you for sharing the pictures of your fine pieces. I'm from Italy, but since decades I collect Imperial Austrian awards. I see a beautiful, early KD Leopold Orden in its proper case, with early maker's mark of Rothe... The MMTO looks very interesting too...

Drugo, your correction gives the right description of what's said in the "motivazione".

Let's not forget that the "A" mark was struck on the rim of silver and gold medals from 1867 onwards. In the case of the Emperor Ferdinand type 1st Class medals, the suspension appears as modified from the larger loop to the one as known on the gold and silver bravery medals, Emperor Franz Josef type, from 1848/49 until 1914 (for the gold ones, until 1916/17).

In this case, you are the lucky owner of a very early triangular ribbon. Its purple colour is typical of those issued in the 1848-1859 period. Of course it happened that this type of ribbon could have been used later too, or simply changed from a medal to another one. All the best, Enzo

you're welcome!

Hello, I can only congratulate for the beautiful, early Marianer-Kreuz, that's preserved in its original case of Gebr. Resch, Vienna. All is correct, and all parts appear as belonging to each other, including the black ribbon. All the best, Enzo

Hello, recently, I've purchased the group of orders and decorations belonged to Hermann Lewerenz, a Luftwaffe officer captured in the last days of the Stalingrad battle, shortly before the surrender of v. Paulus's 6th Army. Lewerenz was amongst the first members of the Bund Deutsche Offiziere and the Komitee Freies Deutschland; after the war, he entered in the KVP, then the NVA, reaching the rank of Oberst. He was a consultatnt in the movie industry, and I've read that he was an actor too. I hope I will know or find more about his life and career. Besides his full set of the Vaterländisches Verdienstorden, he received some soviet awards; one of them, the Order of the Patriotic War 2nd Class; also this, cased and with its Ordenskaya Knizhka... All the best, Enzo

Zimbler is the best known maker of the "Spangen für wiederholte Verleihung" especially because most of their products were marked to the reverse, but many producers made and supplied these pieces, most of them, without putting their marks on them. There exist bars in silver too and, towards the end of the hostilities, also made of various metal alloys. All the best, Enzo

A very interesting miniature group. Any idea about its original owner?