Schießplatzmeister

Hello, Congratulations regarding these very nice photos. The general appears to possibly be wearing a MMJO RK ribbon in his buttonhole. Best regards,

Welcome to Imperial collecting! The PLM is one of the most counterfeited Imperial Orders. There exist counterfeit pieces of excellent quality. My suggestion would be to look at every piece that you can and to look at genuine pieces in old collections and museums. Gather knowledge (this may take many years) before you spend any money. Good luck!

Hello, This appears to be an old private striking made from different dies than the originals. It is also probably not made from captured enemy cannon bronze and therefore lacks the "from captured cannon" impression on the edge. As noted the suspension is unlike the originals and the ribbon is not of the proper type. It is "original", but is a period-made piece offered for sale by a private firm and is not a piece that was awarded by a government entity. Best regards,

Hello, This item rather newly made. It has machine engraving that is unlike anything that would have been made in 1914. It also has a glaring grammatical error that I see (and I am not a native German speaker). It was therefore prepared by someone who was did not speak German. This item has no value in my opinion. Plaques and table medals awarded to individuals are known, but they certainly did not look like this. Best regards,

The piece is original and in good condition. The price is rather steep however! :-)

Hello, I don't see any problems with this field ribbon bar. The order of ribbon placement/precedence is strange, but I have seen much stranger original field ribbon bars. Best regards,

Hello John, This piece is correct. The ribbon is a modern copy however. The deciding factor regarding purchase should now be the price. A Commander in gold may be found for a reasonable price if you search a bit. Good luck. Best regards,

Hello all, I see nothing to immediately question the authenticity of this ribbon bar. I believe that it is not for a Prussian recipient necessarily, but possibly for a Princely recipient (Prince of Hohenzollern?). But it could also have been for a high-ranking general officer as all of the star devices have swords. I believe that this ribbon bar does not represent all of the awards of the recipient, but was an abbreviated version for wear. An interesting piece! Best regards,

Hello Paul, No worries! Thank you for your thorough observations and explanation. I have very little knowledge regarding this particular Order. I thought that you were probably leaning on the side of satire! I now see what you mean about the altered star body. I am very familiar with stories regarding this individual. You comment "It is best to stick with the urkundes they tend to be less of a problem" has me in stitches!!! I have an interest in the awards of Ferdinand and have examined a piece in person from the Karlheinz Müller sale. Although I didn't mention my opinion above, my guess is that this particular piece may have been assembled circa "2015". Much older than 2018! Best regards,

Hello, This particular piece is not listed in the 1989 Karlheinz Müller, Limburg auction catalogue which had a large number of the Orders and uniforms of Zar Ferdinand 1. of Bulgaria. The seller's description does not mention a relationship to Zar Ferdinand 1. of Bulgaria: "Georgien Orden der Heiligen Tamara, Bruststern 1.Klasse in übergroßer Ausführung für Generäle, wohl Silber und teilweise vergoldet, Zentrum Silber mit vergoldeten Erhöhungen, mehrteilig gearbeitet (zweiteiliger Stern bestehend aus einem vierstrahligen silbernen und goldenen Stern, diese rückseitig vierfach verschraubt), rückseitig an feinem Nadelsystem, Höhe 96,07 mm (also wie ein Großkreuzstern !!!), herausragend gearbeitetes Stück in absolutem Bestzustand, in dieser fast einmaligen Ausführung extrem selten" A curious piece to be certain. Apparently there is no provenance regarding this piece. It appears to be well-made, but one cannot be certain regarding who made it and when it was made. Best regards,

Brilliant idea and very smart looking. They look more comfortable than wooden klompen! Had these been available years ago, I could have saved a great deal of money on children's shoes. I would like to get a pair as I am getting long in the tooth and will not have to bend over to tie them. Will you be shipping to "Merika"? ps: Do you have a patent? (If not, I might run off to China to have these mass produced at a discount). They are made out of 95% re-purposed materials and are recyclable (great for marketing these days).

Hello again Don: The 1870/71 campaign medal would be bronze as this soldiers other awards were combat-related. The DA ribbon does look more blue than green, but this is normal for these early ribbons. I have seen this before concerning groups from this era. Here is an example of an earlier-type DA ribbon that is somewhat similar in color: https://www.weitze.net/militaria/24/Sachsen_Koenigreich_Landwehr_Dienstauszeichnung_II_Klasse_1874_1913__292524.html Best regards,

Agreed! This is a pre-WWI large medal bar. The first position should be an 1870/71 EKII, followed by the 1866 Sachsen Erinnerungkreuz (Campaign Cross), followed by a Saxon DA, followed by an 1870/71 campaign medal. The last ribbon is interesting and definitely could be a Swedish decoration. So, properly restored, back to the way it was, it could be much more interesting.

Hello Pep: Welcome to the forum. Your eyes did not deceive you. For Prussian Crown Order awards there are at least five proper ribbons that I can think of off the top of my head: The cornflower blue ribbon for awards without swords (non-combatant awards). The black ribbon with white side stripes (Iron Cross-style) for combatant awards (with swords). The white ribbon with multiple narrow black stripes and narrow red borders (ie: the same as the WWI Prussian War Aid Cross). This was the ribbon for awards with the "Geneva Cross" awarded mostly for the 1870-71 conflict to male medical staff. The white ribbon with black side stripes (Iron Cross-style). Very few special awards made. The lifesaving medal ribbon (orange with white side-stripes). Very few special awards made. There may be more ribbon possibilities, but this is not my area of expertise. Regarding field ribbon bar devices there are a variety of possibilities: On the cornflower blue ribbon there would usually be no device, unless worn in the Austrian-style with a device representing a higher-grade. On the black ribbon with white side stripes, crossed swords would be normal. On the ribbon for the Geneva Cross award, a Geneva Cross device is sometimes seen. I probably didn't address all of your questions, but now you have a starting place. There are many good publications on this topic (in German). Best regards,

Hello: This is a photo of Ritter Jakob von Hitzler. *8.5.1877 †12.5.1915 He was posthumously awarded to MMJO RK. I have a large grouping of photos that belonged to him. Best regards,

Hello again: Chris, you bring up a good point that the piece could be a period wearing copy (Spangenstück). I guess that this is possible, but with such copies, unless they come from the family of the veteran directly, then I would be doubtful. This is certainly not one of the numerous more modern "copies" (really forgeries) often seen. All that is known is that it is not an issued piece. Proving what it is beyond that, is a rather complex issue. In any case, I would advise collectors to stay away from such items and spend a bit more on a genuine piece. But, some collectors are satisfied with such pieces in their collections. It is a matter of personal taste. Best regards,

The document is not only not a period document, it is a relatively modern forgery.

Hello: A single photo with a group does not necessarily mean that individual is the recipient of the award shown. Documentation (Urkunden), etc. are acceptable for attributing an award. If documentation exists, then the photographs can be considered to possibly be of the recipient of that particular award. The Bene Merenti piece is a really awful forgery. There are better quality forgeries, so beware. The e-medals piece itself is 100% original and correct. However, the photo is not necessarily of the recipient of that particular award. Also, the case is incorrect. See this website for more information: http://www.medalnet.net/Difference.htm Best regards,

Hello Andreas: My copy of the book is finally here! It is an outstanding work by Walter Kinast. I am certain that is was a monumental task that took many years to put all of this information in one place. I now know that stories regarding a great many items in my collection. The highest praise for Walter Kinast for his dedication in making this available to collectors and researchers. Best regards,

Hello Andreas: Thank you for the information regarding this new publication! I have purchased a copy of it and can't wait for it to arrive. It will be a great resource for my library. MfG,

Hello: This is a commercial (un-official) medal commemorating 100 years since the founding of the Kingdom of Württemberg (1806-1906). On the obverse is King Friedrich I who was the King in 1806 and King Wilhelm II who was the King in 1906. The medal was struck by Mayer & Wilhelm, Stuttgart who also made Fire Brigade medals during the Weimar era. Best regards,

Hello John: Yes they are struck from silver alloy and are original. The ribbons are also original. I believe that the minimum standard silver alloy for these planchets was probably 800/1000 silver as stated above. The ribbon rings, suspension rings, and sword devices may have been made of slightly lower-silver content allow to make them harder and more durable. Best regards,

Hello John: The medals look to be original. The ribbons however are modern copies (of the correct colors). Both medals do look to be struck from silver alloy. The Württemburg MVM could have been struck from a lower-content silver allow however. It is difficult to be certain via photographs. Best regards,

Hello Jason: Congratulations regarding this item being added to your collection. I am glad that the transaction worked out well and that you are pleased with the piece. Best regards,

Hello Jason: The ribbon appears to be a correct period ribbon for this medal. Best regards,