Hauptmann

Hi all, Here are the latest additions to my small but growing Hungarian collection... with a HUGE THANKS to Charles for these wonderful gifts. Thank you my friend! You're the Greatest!!!! I've attempted to ID these and hope I did okay. Waiting to hear back from Charles for final confirmation... so without further ado... here goes: Service to the Fatherland Medal in silver:

Hi Lukasz, Wow, this is terrific... just what we needed. Thanks so much for posting all these! I actually feel like I have a reference to go by on these now and can plan out the hunt much better now than I could before. I'd never seen those last two... and I have an awful feeling they're pricey to say the least... if not downright unobtainable. Again in all these years of searching Ebay, other auctions, dealers lists, forum sales boards... I've not seen so much as one. But thankfully for the most part the rest seem fairly easy to obtain. I really love the Verdienter Volkspolizist... beautiful!!!! And I didn't know that about the ribbons... another very important piece of info. Again thanks so much!! Dan

Hi all, I hope it's okay to post this here but felt it might be of interest to someone in this section: http://cgi.ebay.com/ORDER-MEDAL-STORAGE-CA...tem250076374732 Note the manufacturers info, etc. on the satin lining inside of the lid. Would be a shame if this was just reused as a general display case or worse yet reworked as same. Hoping someone can get it and preserve it as is and use it for what it was intended for. Dan

Hi Nack, Kinda what I expected. There are miracles and then there are MIRACLES. I agree, a shame. I'm just thankful they weren't rare. Of course had they been I'd have never had my mom even try. Not sure if it's worth it to just get the one done. I guess if nothing else they can serve as an example of what happens when the moths get to them and when a non-professional attempts a restoration. If it saves a good pair then it's worth it. Many thanks for checking. I deeply appreciate that. Have a fantastic weekend! Dan

Hi Vic, Many thanks for that my friend... but hoping to see your collection grow to immense proportions and hoping you'll keep it all. Of course, extras would definitely be appreciated. Dan

Hi WL, Would definitely love to see and get more details if you'd like to post them. I'm sure everyone would agree we're always looking for new and better ways to display our treasures. Thanks, Dan

Hi Soviet, Sorry I didn't see this sooner. That's a great piece and yes, it does seem totally authentic. Here's the post on my copy which includes pics of an original. You'll see the same attachment points on the back as you have on yours. http://gmic.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=7682 You'll also see some examples I posted on how they were originally mounted on the border poles, etc. Definitely a great piece. Wish mine was an original but for what I paid I don't think you could get an original unless you got extremely lucky. Definitely a great centerpiece to any DDR collection. And the Soviets had similar plaques on their border posts. Thanks for sharing your's. Always love seeing more examples. Dan

Hi Jeff, Many, many thanks for your ID'ing it so fast. I'll pass this along. I'm sure she'll be glad to at least know for sure. A shame it didn't turn out to be something better but still a nice looking piece and something from her mom so that makes all the difference. Thanks again! Dan

Hi all, Boy things are moving around! I'm feel I'm on the verge of getting lost. Anyhow, I'm hoping this is the right place for this but if not please feel free to move it to a more appropriate section. A friend of ours requested I try to find out about this "Order". Her mom just passed away a few weeks ago and she found it in her possessions. She did these pics, and I have to apologize that they are not better quality/resolution. I did request more but so far I haven't received any. Am happy to keep trying. She's in Pennsylvania so nowhere near me in order for me to do better ones. Anyhow here are the pics, followed by the story in her own words: While going through some of my mom's huge jewelry collection I came across something I had forgotten. She had a huge brooch that also had a chain that looked like a medal. I asked her about it once and she told me that when she'd worked in DC after she graduated from college (she met Dad in a USO canteen in DC during Korea(, she had briefly dated a guy who worked at an embassy -- she didn't remember which country any more -- and he'd given it to her, claiming it was real... but a real WHAT she never knew. Perhaps you can find out something about it? Looks like bronze, a good 3 1/2 to 4 inches measured widest points to widest points. three eight-pointed starbursts (one superimposed on top of the other in a stack) made up of rays. In middle of smallest starburst (very center of whole thing) is an enamelled shield. I can't make out the small gold-color enamellings, but basically the shield is red and dark blue quarters (upper left and lower right, facing, are red), with a white X cross over them. The X is made of crossed double lines of white with a gold divider line between the white lines. The crest on top of the shield is a knight's visor with weapons around it. Whole shield is no more than 1/2 inch diameter. I know you're interested in medals. If you can track anything about it, perhaps with web photo so I can verify if it's correct, I'd love to know what this is, if it's real. Anyhow I'm hoping one of our members might recognize this and be able to tell us a bit more about it... ie: if it is indeed an Order or something else. It looks very well made and "looks" like a breast star but one that has been converted to be hung like a piece of jewelry. Very difficult to tell from these photos I know. Will be keeping my fingers crossed and many thanks in advance for any help on this. Dan

Hi Vic, Just saw them and they're terrific! Beautiful set! I'm so happy you've got the whole family together. Now on to bigger and better sets! Dan

Hi Vic, I'm very pleased I could help out. Always love seeing another set completed. Plenty more left to work on though so we'll keep forging ahead. One of these days I may need your help to find a set of these too. Hope the arrival helped you feel a bit better. Hang in there... before you know it you'll be right as rain and ready to take on the world. For now though just work on some R&R and feeling better. Enjoy the new goodies my friend! Dan

Hi Kirk, Sure would. Would deeply appreciate the help. Are they named so we'll know what's for what? That would be a huge help. Mucho thanks! Dan

Hi Richard, Welcome to the club! Great pieces... I especially love the obverse design. There's alot going on there but it doesn't come across as cluttered. Very nice! How hard would it be to find one of these? And in what kind of range if you don't mind me asking? This would definitely be one I'd love to add to the pile one of these days. Dan

Hi all, I wondered if perhaps someone could post pics of the full set of DDR police medals, complete with ribbons as the medals seem to look so much alike. Myself and at least one other member want to work on putting together a full set but none of my refs cover police medals. I currently have two and am hoping to get another six soon (one of which is, I believe a repeat of one of the ones I currently have) so it would definitely be a good idea to have a reference to work from to know how many more we need to get. Also, has anyone come across one of the "Grim Reaper" Orders in it's case? Are the cases rare and hard to get or what? I have the Order but would LOVE a case for it. Could someone perhaps post a pic of one so we know what to look for? Many thanks in advance! Dan

Hi Greg, Very nice piece! And I especially love your last pic... just the right amount of light and shadow and it looks as if a dragon is rising up from the depths to wreak havoc... right out of one of the old Japanese monster movies. A very nice composition. And love the inlays as well. Thanks so much for sharing this one. Even though not military it's definitely very interesting. Dan

Hi Craig, Very cool! Mucho thanks for the additional info. Didn't realize they'd been copied... but I should have as it seems like everything that's ever been made probably has been. So will definitely be very careful if an opportunity ever comes up to get one. With luck I'll be in a situation where I can post it and get opinions as I definitely agree that that is the best way to go about such things until a certain expertise can be acquired over time. I would definitely be a newbie to this field but I'm always open to new things... especially beautiful ones. And these definitely qualify in that department. Dan

Hi Doc, Good to hear from you my friend. Been awhile. Hope all is going well for you and your's. Definitely a great area of collecting and study re: British and I'm guessing Commonwealth police forces. If you go to a search engine and type in police truncheons or police tipstaffs a bunch of sites and information come up. Here's the info on that book I mentioned: Collecting Military Antiques by Frederick Wilkinson Copyright 1976 with my edition being from 1984. ISBN # 0 946495 07 6 It originally ran 12 pounds 50 pence back then. I think I got it for like under $5 about fifteen or twenty years ago. Chapter 13 on Police covers fourteen pages and has photos of uniforms, truncheons, handcuffs, badges and discusses all of them. Sadly the pics are all in black and white. I did a quick search on Ebay and there are several copies listed... most under $5 and the rest up towards the $10 to $15 range. One of the cheaper ones is the 1976 edition... which I'm guessing is the first edition. There are eleven of them listed from $8.99 an up on Amazon.com. Even back then when this was first published I believe that the more decorative of these would fetch a pretty penny. But they are very beautiful with some having silver or gold crowns of the reigning monarch at the top of the staff. Works of art in their own right. There are some color pics on this site: http://citypolice.tripod.com/cuffs_and_truncheons.htm Here's another fascinating site covering not only truncheons but also badges, uniforms, etc. http://www.constabulary.com/crowns.htm And a couple on the Railway Police: http://www.truncheon.org.uk/rp.html This one having some gorgeous metal examples: http://www.scienceandsociety.co.uk/results...&imagepos=5 Note the beautiful crowns at the tips. This one covers an example from the period of William IV: http://www.scientificcollectables.com/page_enlarge620.htm I only wish I had some to post. Perhaps someday... I can but dream. Dan

Hi all, I wondered if any of our members collected these. I purchased a book on militaria many many moons ago that got into this subject and I found it fascinating. I've never managed to get a British one... only a U.S. nightstick which just aren't the same. Of course the British versions I'm referring to were considered a badge of office and in some instances the tops could be unscrewed and a warrant concealed inside until it was needed. Many of them are extremely fancy with the various coats of arms, crowns, etc. I found this site which I thought I'd pass along. http://www.btp.police.uk/History%20Society.../Truncheons.htm If anyone has any examples I'd love to hear more about them. Thanks, Dan

Hi Kirk, I'll continue to keep my eye out for it as it's definitely an easy one to remember. If I find it I'll let you know. Dan

It seems to have the color of the Life Saving Medal but that looks like this: Medaille f?r ausgezeichnete Leistungen (Medal for Outstanding Service) (1951 From Orders and Decorations of East Germany (German Democratic Republic), 1949-1990 http://www.medals.lava.pl/de/ddr.htm Seems to have a clasp or graphic of one at least that runs across the bar whereas the one on your's is plain. I wonder if Rick might know as he's the guru of ribbons. Someone put up the bat signal! Dan

Looks like I goofed on the dates on these. Many apologies. My German is not fluent. How I wish someone would put out a translation of the DDR refs. I tried to translate the brown book since it's not that big but East German had so much influence from the Russian language under the Soviets that alot of it doesn't translate properly. Not as easy as it seems. But still a great reference. Dan

Hi Jacques, Beautiful! Stunning actually! I can assure you if mine had been in anywhere near that kind of shape I'd have never let it go. That's definitely one to be proud of! Dan

Hi Vic, I believe the Besters were authorized in 80 and issued from 81 on if I'm reading my brown book correctly. The design was changed to the type you and I have in 86 till the end of the DDR. Hope I've got this right but I'm sure Kirk can confirm. You've "got" to get a copy of the brown book. I'll let you know when I spot another on Ebay. But I do believe Kirk's discs has that as well. Well worth it! Dan

Hi Kirk, "Very" nice!!!! I generally love the BG stuff a bit more, especially since my favorite color is green but that red is very vibrant... looks great! Hope you're able to find some. Wouldn't mind a set myself down the road. Plenty of treasures still to be found... just gotta stay on the hunt. But that's part of the fun! Dan

Hi Kirk, Welcome to the club! I love your site and all the goodies you carry. One of these days I need to get with you re: some ribbon bars. You actually ended up with one I was aiming to get off Ebay a while back. Was a fairly big one too... I'd actually outbid you on it but there was a glitch somewhere along the way internet wise and by the time Ebay got it it was too late. Really wanted that one too as at the time I didn't have any. Even now I only have a few smaller bars so I'm still hoping for more. Just wish they weren't quote so pricey. I think the one I'd wanted that you got went for something around $14 or thereabouts. I'm still kicking myself over that one. I'm also planning to get some of your reference CD's. Just gotta build up the old war chest again before I can jump back on the band wagon. Again so glad you've decided to join us. I'm sure you'll have some fascinating contributions re: the area of DDR militaria and I hope you enjoy the rest of the forums as well. Dan