JensF.

Rick, can you post the exact name of the maker which is stamped on the paper bag? It is difficult to read. Something like "A. Diederich???".

I think the second one must be a Long Service Dec. from Sachsen and the other one is a Hamburg Hanseatic Cross. A Red Eagle would be in the wrong position as long as the peacetime Lippe order is at last.

Hi Chris,

you mean new pics? I haven't cleaned it and I will keep it as it is. Only a little bit with a wire brush to remove the loose rust. But I made the opening/lid usable. It took me 30 min. Good german steel...

This one looks german. Thanks for posting.

Thanks Dima,

do you think my "crab 3" is also an unawarded example?

Thanks. I also thought the same. The medals and serials are in a logical order and combination. There is still the possibility, that the owner mounted them himself with the original ribbons. I think it wouldn't make sense to "fake" such a logical award combination just to hope to get more money becaues it is a medal-bar and not single awards. However, as many here said, without papers or more these are only theories.

Maybe the jubilee medals are on the second row of medals...

Here is mine:

Here is the back:

Medals and serials:

Order of the October Revolution (Serial-No.: 100712)

Order of the Red Banner of Labor (345890)

Order of the Red Banner of Labor (151142)

Order of the Badge of Honor (612216)

Medal for Distinguished Work

Medal for heroic work during WWII

Medal "Veteran of Labor"

Medal "1500 years of Kiev"

I got this monster medal-bar a while ago. Some people say, it might be put together but I think it is original because the serial numbers and combination of awards make sense.

I think this is one of this "fake group" of 1. Class crosses. You can find the crosses from Oldenburg, Braunschweig and Mecklenburg with exactly the same type of pinback. At the moment they appear quite often at ebay. Here are some examples:

http://cgi.ebay.de/Mecklenburg-Orden-1-Kla...1QQcmdZViewItem

http://cgi.ebay.de/Ernst-August-Kreuz-1914...1QQcmdZViewItem

http://cgi.ebay.de/Ernst-August-Kreuz-1-Kl...1QQcmdZViewItem

http://cgi.ebay.de/Friedrich-Kreuz-1-und-2...1QQcmdZViewItem

http://cgi.ebay.de/FA-Kreuz-1-WK_W0QQitemZ...1QQcmdZViewItem

Oho! That is the first time ever that I hear a possible or better THE name of the maker of these nice crosses! Thanks for posting!

I remember some years ago in the WAF forum maybe Stogie-Rick posted the name of the maker of the Oldenburg FA crosses. Does someone know this makers name?

Another correction, it is "Der Expensivemeister".

Nice! Thanks for posting.

If I may post a little correction. It is the Bavarian Military Merit Cross 2nd Class with Swords. Nice bar!

Thanks for this great contribution Chris! I think men like these are some of the real heros of the war. Here is another example. German soldiers save a french comrade from drowning in the mud:

They were no cowards and no victims. They were just humans. It is normal and simply human to have fear especially in such an abnormal situation called "war".

Yep, and you can "read" the most medal bars much better than any Third Reich medal bars. Very nice set, complete with the ribbons, buttoniers and miniatures!

Here is another medal-bar with the Braunschweig cross. This one is the really rare type with a two-ring attachment. This is only the second cross of that type I saw and in the "von Hessenthal" book is written, that this shall be the original type of cross which I can't believe because 99,9 % of all Braunschweig crosses have a "normal" one ring attachment. Strange...

Yes Rick, I thought the same. Maybe I will research my Newski and this one. Do you think an Order of the Patriotic War 1. class is also worth to research?

More technical data:

Caliber: 8 x 50R Lebel

Length: 1.306 m

Barrel: 803 mm

Weight: 3.81 kg

Rifling: 4 grooves

Magazine capacity: 3 rounds

There is also a model 16 of this rifle. As far as I know the only difference is, that this model also accepts 5-Round loading frames.

Markings on the left side. The rifle model and the maker; the french arsenal of Continsouza. I think this is a rare maker for a Berthier. All guns I saw before were made in the arsenal at St. Etienne.

The markings on the right side. Dated 1917.

Closeup of the bolt.

Made for the standart Lebel spike bayonet.

Closeup of the buttstock.