Schießplatzmeister

Hello Troy: Your medal is a non-officially awarded period copy of the 1870-1871 medal. It therefore does not have the "made from captured cannon" impression aroud the rim. Best regards, "SPM"

Hello again: Upon further study, it also appears that the Albert Order is hanging a bit low. Whatever was on the clip in this position at one time was not as high! SPM

Hello Stogieman: This group is unusual in that the Albert Order 1st Class with Crown and Swords (a relatively high order awarded to Officers with the rank of Major, Hauptmann, and Oberstleutnant, etc.) seems to have been paired with a Second Class Landwehr Long Service Award. This is a highly unlikely combination, so it is likely that the group is not original, although the components appear to be. Best regards, "SPM"

Hello Wildcard: Thank you for your astute observations regarding these pieces and the very fine examples shown. I especially like the group with the RAO/SEHO! You are absolutely correct of course, miniatures were never worn in uniform, so, the manner of wear, and not the size, dictates what a piece really was (i.e.: "miniature", "Prinzen", or "reduction"). Further, as you pointed out, an 18mm, 20mm, or larger example could be worn as a miniature when out of uniform. I personally really like the "Prinzen" or "reduction" pieces. Hello again Henke: It is difficult to be certain regarding the manufacturer of a 4th Class RAO badge of the last type if the piece is not marked. There were simply too many manufactures to be certain. Also, I find it probable that each firm had more than one employee who painted RAO centers, so even within a firm, there were probably very slight eagle variations. Each piece is truly a work of art! I will point out however, that our very own Medalnet has done a superb job in comparing examples of the eagles of 3rd Class RAO badges by manufacturer on his website. Best regards, "SPM"

Hello again Henke: You already identified the maker of the other cross as J. Godet u. Sohn of Berlin. Godet was one of the major House-Jewelers for Prussia. The quality of their wares was always excellent. You are right, these are 4th Class Red Eagle Order crosses of the "last" type. This type has stippled arms and was awarded from approximately 1879-1890 to 1918. There were probably tens of thousands of these awarded, I have never seen an exact number listed. There were also numerous firms that made these badges. Your pieces are especially nice. The badge with the case and paper carton is wonderful. These paper cartons were usually thrown away by the recipient. The miniature by Godet is also very nice. It appears as though it may be a "Prinzen" piece. Most of these were not really for Princes, but were deluxe-grade miniatures for wear. Standard miniatures were 16mm in size. Anything 20mm or larger, and smaller than a full-sized badge, could be considered a Prinzen piece. The Godet Prinzen pieces are real gems. What are the dimensions of your pieces? Congratulations on owning these wonderful examples. Pieces like these have been commanding rather healthy prices on the market as of late. Friendly greetings from the USA! Best regards, "SPM"

Hello Henke: Greetings to you. What would you specifically like to know about your pieces? Perhaps I can be of some assistance. By the way, "J.H.W." stands for jeweler J.H. Werner of Berlin. Best regards, "SPM"

Hello Paul: The Johanniter badges were always worn on the left side of the tunic under the pocket. For field wear the linen crosses were usually worn. There were pin-backed badges however which were also worn. These are most-commonly seen in silver. A pin-backed award for the right-side could be for many 3rd Reich badges as already stated. Another possibility from the Imperial era would be an Iron half-moon (or TKM). I'm sure that there are a great many other foreign awards which could be worn in that position. Best regards, "SPM"

Hello Kevin: Thanks for posting this item. It is without a doubt a modern creation. My guess is that it was made within the last ten (10) years or so. This is a modern forgery meant to deceive collectors. Fortunately, some very key details are lacking to make it resemble an original. Beware, there are VERY good copies out there that have been accepted as originals in some highly acclaimed recent publications. Caveat Emptor! Best regards, "SPM"

Hello Les: I could not have said it better myself! Your words: "When a relatively scarce item shows up, caution is always advisable. When more than one or two of the same scarce item start turning up....it's time to take a very hard look at that "rare" item." are pearls of wisdom. Thanks Les for the great advice. "SPM"

Hello Les: Was this the "Russian-made" piece with crowned woodpeckers between the arms in gold offered for ONLY $5,000 (buy-it now) by a fellow in Dallas? When these first came out (many years ago!) I think they fooled a few folks. Now, not a chance, as those who are smart enough to properly research what they collect have many sources of good information available (this site, other web pages, books, etc.). I hope that some poor fellow didn't buy it! It might be worth about $100 or so for the scrap value, but not a lot more. Best regards, "SPM"

Hello again Rick: For the first type: The size is only listed as 34.4mm (it would therefore seem that they only varied by thickness, but there were probably other sizes) 3 Mark (14.62g) 4-1/2 Mark (21.93g) 6 Mark (29.24g) 9 Mark (43.86g) For the second type: 3 Mark (14.5g) 30.0mm 4-1/2 Mark (22.0g) 34.8mm 6 Mark (29.5g) 38mm 7-1/2 Mark (36.5g) 40.2mm 9 Mark (44.0g) 42mm 12 Mark (58.5g) 42mm As you can see the prize was equivalent to currency at the time and had a real "monetary" value. Best regards, "SPM"

Hello Rick: A very nice shooting medal indeed! These were official State awards. They were "Schie?preismedaillen" (shooting prize medals) of the War Ministry. They were awarded from 1818 until 1894. They were awarded in various sizes in silver. The first awards were made to the three best shots at Bataillon level. The larger the size, the higher the award. The piece that you show has the die-sinker's mark "E. WEIGAND FEC." for Emil Weigand (*1837-+1906). It was either struck from June 1883 to May 1887 or from March 1884 until July 1887 (there are two similar die variations where the reverse die changed and I cannot tell them apart from the information that I have). Some of the pieces are extremely rare, and some of them are very common depending on the coinage. These pieces were awarded as "table medals". The piece that you have has had a suspension loop added by the recipient. This was common as they were usually turned into watch chain fobs by the recipients. These pieces were thoroughly covered in an article by Lothar Tewes "Die preu?ischen Milit?rschie?preismedaillen von 1818-1894" in "Beitr?ge zur Brandenburgisch/Preussischen Numismatik, Numismatisches Heft 1998, Nr. 5". Best regards, "SPM"

Hello CCJ: I hate to cause more confusion, but I vote that this is probably a counterfeit piece. My advice (not that you asked) would be to stay away from it and move on to another piece. Best of luck! "SPM"

Dear Claudio: Congratulations on the acquisition of this excellent group! It is one of the nicest groupings that I have seen come on the market in awhile. Although a few other pieces may have "gotten away", you obtained the majority of the items. It is a shame that the auction house did not offer it as one big lot. Auction houses are businesses though and of course they exist to make money. By splitting up the items, they maximize their profit. Also, at today's prices, very few of us could afford to purchase the entire offering at once! Unfortunately, complete groupings like this will become less and less common (or non-existant) over time due to this phenomenon. It is nice to see that someone who appreciates the history behind the items obtained most of them. It is a shame that the rest were scattered to the wind (as time marches forth, the history is faded away). Best regards, "SPM"

Hello Wildcard: I believe that what Gaffken is alluding to is the fact that there are indeed genuine Bavarian MVO 3rd Class w/swords gilt badges that exist. However, the piece in the photos posted here is a 4th Class w/swords which has been gilded and that this is evident because of the method by which it was manufactured. Genuine gilt MVO 3rd badges were made/constructed differently. This difference is a bit of a "guarded" secret for Bavarian collectors. Perhaps the new book coming out soon from Germany about this Order will reveal all. Best regards, "SPM"

Thank you Gerd! You have saved me a bit of time. Number 8 however is of course: "Lippe-Detmold, Kriegsverdienstkreuz, am Band f?r K?mpfer". Best regards, "SPM"

Hello again Eric: "Steckkreuz" means "cross with a pin" or "pin-backed cross". I will identify the other items for you in German later today (if someone else doesn't beat me to it). Best regards, "SPM"

Hello Eric: 1) Preu?en, Eisernes Kreuz 1914 2. Klasse am K?mpferband 2) Anhalt-Gesamtstaat, Friedrich-Kreuz am Band f?r K?mpfer 3) Mecklenburg-Schwerin, Milit?rverdienstkreuz 2. Klasse 1914 am Band f?r K?mpfer 4) L?beck, Hanseatenkreuz, 1915-1918 5) Hamburg, Hanseatenkreuz, 1915-1918 6) Oldenburg, Friedrich August-Kreuz 1. Klasse (Steckkreuz) 1914-1918 I hope that this helps! Best regards, "SPM"

Hello Yankee: This is not a typical WWI piece or maker. With the centers being gold, the piece would most likely be from the 1870-71 or colonial period. It could also be a very early WWI piece. Unfortunately, there is no way to tell for certain, unless someone knows when THIS manufacturer made FO badges, and if there was a finite window in time. An unusual and very nice piece! Congratulations, "SPM"

Hello again: It may be "worth" more. It is difficult to set values for these items (for me anyway). It is worth at least this much. But, if there is a buyer/collector who really wants it, then it will possibly sell for much more. Prices for such items have been going up and up and up. I am certainly having trouble keeping up with market increases! The missing ribbon ring and ribbon are easily replaced, therefore they do not decrease the value. Now, so that we don't offend our Russian/Ex-Soviet friends, perhaps we should say that the piece was "re-appropriated for appreciation in the Motherland" Best regards, "SPM"

Good decision Paul! You will find a genuine piece, but it may take awhile, and you may have to pay a bit. Be patient. Best regards, "SPM"

Hello Cosmic: This is a knight 1st Class (the loop at the top is the proper configuration for a knight 1st). It was made in my opinion from ~1890-1916 (I don't believe that there is a way to be any more specific). It is in great condition (only missing a ribbon ring and ribbon). I would place a value of EUR600 to EUR 800 on it. I hope that this is helpful. Best regards, "SPM"

Hello Paul: Unfortunately, Chris is entirely correct. The piece that you have is a 1914 EKII which has had the details ground off of the obverse (I can see the circular machining marks left where the "1914" date used to be). The core is definately a 1914 EKII core which has been altered. The piece was then re-soldered poorly, hence the open seam. And of course, in my opinion, ANY EKII with a marked ring was made during the First World War or thereafter. Thus, this is a forgery of relatively modern origin. Best regards, "SPM"

Hello Westfale: Congratulations regarding the acquisition of the field ribbon bar. I saw it for sale on the website just yesterday and thought that it was an interesting piece (I was considering buying it too-but too late!). The backing is certainly original and period. The ribbons look like they are old silk stock. The stitching of the ribbons is the only feature which could be an issue for some collectors. Yes, it does appear to be a bit haphazard and loose, but I have seen 100% original pieces that look a lot worse. With an original backing and original ribbons, I vote that the piece is probably good! As you know the 1866 campaign crosses are a bit scarce. Best regards, "SPM"

Hello Marcin: A very nice photo indeed! The photo is pre-1902 (based upon the design of one of the streamers which changed to a different design in 1902). Best regards, "SPM"