Chip

Dave, I can't answer your question, but I am curious about the book you are quoting from. At first glance, I thought you were refering to Cron, but the title is different. Who wrote this book? Thanks, Chip

von Hessenthal & Schreiber is great, but try to get a copy at a reasonable price. There is one one the German eBay right now and it is already over 200 Euro. Chip

Here's the same game, but this time with a captured French gun. Chip

Well, I haven't contributed any photos yet, so here is one of the Teutonic brethren playing bang-bang with a captured Russian Maxim. Chip

Well, as to the style, you are very close. The 66th would look just like this with a red underlay and of course, the correct numbers and the your additional pip. There is no source you can go to in order to get the board you are looking for. Shoulder boards can be illusive, especially when you are looking for a specific unit and a specific rank. Just keep looking (especially on German eBay or Weitze's website) and you might get lucky. Chip

Chris, Red thread is good! The original backing would have been red and most likely the thread too. The length of these boards, or any other pattern for that matter, has nothing to do with what goes on them. I could show you lots of officer's boards that are nearly completely full with insignia from top to bottom. And then, on the other hand, huge boards with nothing. This was just the style of the time. All higher grade officer's boards would have looked something like this in the 1880's and 1890s. Though officer's could do about anything they wanted, within reason, the general guidelines were normally adhered to. Length could be whatever suited the soldier and the tailor. There was more latitude with length as opposed to width. I don't collect these older pattern boards, so I would not venture to say what they are worth. Besides, these days, as I am sure you have noticed on eBay, who knows what anything is worth. The world has gone mad. I'm repeatedly stunned by the prices that things sell for. My ideas of value are from a bygone era when one sat at home and wrote letters and things had a more stable value. But since you asked, I would say that I would buy them for $160, but 160 Euro is about $210.00. Perhaps if I was more interested in the era..... Chip

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I would think that you could get your money back, if you wished, by just saying that you did not realize until you got them that they had once had a backing, which is now missing. Otherwise, I think they look quite nice, though not a wartime style, if that is what you prefer. Chip

Chris, Don't get me wrong here. I am not saying that the boards are put together. All I mean to say is that the backing is missing and that by 1913, you would only see such boards being worn on dress occasions and more likely than not, by elderly retirees. Chip

Yes, and incomplete they are. How are such boards attached to the tunic? I think you can see why backing was needed. Your 10.b.IR pair look like they are clean in the middle of the backside, where the backing protected the cords for some time. Chip

Chris, I'm afraid that the only legitimate officer's boards that you will find without some sort of backing are those of Hussar officers. All others, I believe, are just missing the backing. Chip

I have an EKII document from the 3.bayr.I.D., which was signed by Karl von Schoch in January of 1918 as divisional commander. Chip

Chris, I don't think that such boards were made without some sort of backing, whose main purpose is to give some foundation to the loops which are more or less tacked together. The reason you do not see the backing in so many photos is that, particularly, on this pattern of officer's cords, the backing was very small and came nowhere near the edge of the board. I submit to you another high officer board of the same style with the type of backing that I am referring to. As you can see, this type of backing would never have been seen from the top. Perhaps, in your case, (and given the holes in the retaining straps, the backing was so badly eaten, as to have been removed. Your retaining straps do look somewhat resewn. I have lightened up the piece somewhat as it is black and hard to see, but I think you will see what I am alluding to. This board is 15cm long and only has an ?skulapstab and one pip. Chip

Chris, I can narrow it down a bit by telling you that the regimental cypher was not introduced until November 5, 1913. It does seem a bit odd to see this cypher on an old style board. Perhaps the lack of backing material is telling us something about the originality of this crown and cypher being on these boards? Chip