Great Dane

A bit outside my normal field of interest, but I'm curious since I know there are a lot of copies floating around. What do the experts think - is this the real thing? /Mike

I'm not a militaria expert, but it certainly looks like one of ours... (that is, Danish) /Mike

Yes, I believe so. We have the same in Danish for certain words - the change occured (over a period of years) around the turn of the century (last century, that is...) Maybe our Swedish members can tell...? /Mike

I'm not a specialist on Swedish medals, but I think "K. KR. WET. AKAD." is short for "Kungliga Krigsvetenskapsakademien" (Royal Academy of War Science - don't know if 'science' is the correct English translation, but I'm sure you get the idea), since "F?derneslandets F?rsvar - Mod och Kunskaper" is their motto. P.S: They still exist and has a website (in Swedish and English): Kungliga Krigsvetenskapsakademien /Mike

When the Order of St. Catherine was first established, the ribbon was white with gold stripes at the edges. This later changed to red with silver stripes as on the pictures above. It's unclear to me whether the motto was also present on the early type ribbon. There was a Grand Cross Badge, a Grand Cross Star and a Lesser Cross Badge (same as the Grand Cross badge but with fewer diamonds - awarded without a star and a sash). The badge itself may have undergone some changes in appearance during its time (after all, it was 'sleeping' for 70 years) I don't know of any medals... /Mike

Hello Noor, Prince Romanov's book "The Orders, Medals and History of Imperial Russia" (although not known for being very accurate) mentions both types (light and dark bronze), but doesn't say who got which or if it meant something at all. It claims, however, that the medal was awarded with four different ribbons to distinguish between the recipients: The book doesn't mention any numbers unfortunately... /Mike

Hi Lorenzo, With Liverpool Medals I think it's not so much that they don't know their medals, but more a 'filing error'. After all, Iraq is close to Ireland alphabetically - they had a medal from Dahomey listed in the Denmark section for a long while for the same reason. /Mike

Irish. Take a look: Irish Medals /Mike

I guess that would explain the prominent position of those insignia (compared to the Schwarzburg Grand Cross). BTW, the award date for his Dannebrog Commander 2.class was 03.03.03 (3. March 1903). /Mike

OK... I decided to give the second photo a try... Hmm... he is a Dannebrog Commander... so I tried the Danish "Hof & Stat" for as close to - and before - 1908 that I could get (I had the 1904 edition). Started to look for anybody who was a Commander 2. class and had "Adolf" in his name... There was quite a few and still a lot of uncertainties... did he receive his Dannebrog between 1904 and 1908? Was his name indeed "Adolf"? Was he listed without his first name? (about 5% of them are) Then use the "Adolfs" as entries to the DOA 1908/09 and... Grf. v. Bassewitz, Adolf, Kherr., Ritterg.Bes., Ob.Ltnt. a. D., Prebberede, Mecklbg. (Wesselsdorf 20. 12. 67): PrRA3 * PrKr3 * SchwbEK1 * DnD2b * RussA2 * SiamWE3 - Preussen Roter Adlerorden (3. Klasse) - Preussen Kronenorden (3. Klasse) - Schwarzburg Ehrenkreuz (1. Klasse) - Denmark, Dannebrog orden, (Commander 2. class) - Russia, Order of St. Anne (2. Class) - Siam, Order of the White Elephant (Commander 2. class) His Johanitterorden is not on the list, but still...? /Mike

Where do you see the Mecklenburg Wendische Krone? The order around his neck seems to me to be that German Johanniterorden thing (with matching breast cross)...? /Mike

The lowest decoration on his jacket is - I believe - the Thai (Siamese) Order of the Crown (old type) or Order of the White Elephant... /Mike

I see (just shows how little I know about German Imperial )... Could the alleged Belgian ribbon then be German too? That would make the bare more 'regular'... /Mike

Not sure about the Finnish suggestion. The ribbon on the bar clearly has 2 white stripes at each end. And too well defined to be just an approximation of the Finnish ribbon. Don't know what it could be, though... /Mike

The award date for his Dannebrog order (Commander 2. class) was 28. Feb. 1903. He is listed as "Budde, Otto Carl Ernst, Engineer, Director at the Krupp factory in Essen." I can't find him in the Swedish Vasa list from 1900, so that one was probably awarded 1900 or later. /Mike

Very, very nice I know that Sweden has a tradition to issue even less 'important' medals in real (hallmarked) gold instead of silvergilt. Any real gold medals on this one? /Mike

Amazing collection, Kapitular! Were any of these named? Where is the best place to buy your book (it's been on my list for a long time...)? /Mike

Okay, not Turkish but I couldn't resist showing this photo of Danish Captain Kinch wearing the Chinese Order of the Double Dragon (3. class, 3. grade): /Mike

Did this medal come in various classes? I've seen one without the white enamel (except for the year at the bottom) - could that explain this price? /Mike

I was playing with the thought that #5, 6, 7 and 8 were all foreign (i.e. non-german) medals/orders, which would indicate some sort of diplomatic career, but it doesn't really make sense... surely he would have received the Order of Dannebrog instead of a Danish medal for that (and probably German orders as well). /Mike

I don't think #5 is the 1897 medal - that yellow ribbon normally comes out very dark on b/w photos from the period. I don't have any other suggestions though... /Mike

Interesting indeed! I doubt the Danish ribbon is for the Medal of Recompense (he isn't the sort of guy these were awarded to...), but as you say it can be for a variety of things (we're not very original when it comes to ribbons ) My guess would be one of the life saving medals (Noble Deeds or Saving Life from Drowning) or - a wild guess - King Frederik VIIIs Memorial Medal (the King died in hamburg in 1912 and the medal was awarded to those that helped in 'shipping' him back to Denmark). Fascinating! /Mike

The 'this' is the civil version of the Order of the Bath. It goes with the rightmost breast star on the picture. /Mike

Isn't post #6 still wrong? It looks to me to be the Thai Order of the Crown (old version), not the order of the White Elephant... /Mike

Isn't this Friedrichsen: Friedrichsen /Mike