I am after Mackensen's mini chain!

[Claudio]

Dear forumites:

I never posted it before and jealously kept for me, because I didn't want to make too much publicity about it (discretion sometimes is necessary in our field of collecting).

Now that von Mackensen's mini chain surfaced on the new Thies' catalogue, I want to let you know that I am the proud owner of the von Mackensen Spange.

I really want to reunite the mini chain with the medal bar, so I really would appreciate if you would NOT unnecessarily bid against me.

Here is my medal bar:

? Preu?en, Eisernes Kreuz 2. Klasse 1914 (OEK 1909)

? S?chsische Herzogt?mer, SEHO Ritterkreuz 1. Kl. mit Schwertern, Gold (OEK 2475)

? Braunschweig, Ernst-August-Kreuz 2. Klasse 1914-18 (OEK 634)

? Deutsches Reich 1933-45, Ehrenkreuz f?r Frontk?mpfer (OEK 3803)

? Preu?en, Kronenorden 4. Klasse (OEK 1762)

? K?nigreich Sachsen, Albrechtsorden, Ritterkreuz 2. Kl. (OEK 2211)

? Oldenburg, Hausorden Herzog Peter Friedrich Ludwig, Ritterkreuz 2. Klasse (OEK 1523)

? Reuss, F?rstlich Reussisches Ehrenkreuz, 3. Klasse (OEK 2003)

? Deutsches Reich 1933-45, Treudienstehrenzeichen 2. Stufe f?r 25 Jahre (OEK 3524)

? ?sterreich-Ungarn Kaiserreich, Orden der Eisernen Krone, 3. Kl. Gold

? Bulgarien, St. Alexander Orden, Offizierskreuz mit Schwertern

? Italien, Orden der italienischen Krone, Ritterkreuz Gold

? Bulgarien, Milit?rverdienstorden, Ritterkreuz mit Schwertern

? Griechenland, Erl?ser-Orden, Ritterkreuz

Biography of Botschafter Georg von Mackensen (in German, sorry!):

Hans Georg Viktor von Mackensen (* 26. Januar 1883 in Berlin; ? 28. September 1947 in Konstanz) war ein deutscher Staatssekret?r und Botschafter.

Von Mackensen stammte aus einer bekannten Milit?r-Familie. Sein Vater war Generalfeldmarschall August von Mackensen, sein Bruder General Eberhard von Mackensen.

Hans Georg wurde als Kind zusammen mit Prinz August Wilhelm von Preu?en erzogen, und schlug ab 1902 die Offizierslaufbahn im 1. Garderegiment zu Fu? ein. Die Ausbildung dauerte bis 1907. Parallel dazu studierte er Rechtswissenschaften.

Im Ersten Weltkrieg war von Mackensen pers?nlicher Adjutant von Prinz August Wilhelm, zuletzt als Hauptmann. Nach Kriegsende, war er im preu?ischen Justizministerium t?tig, bis er im Mai 1919 ins Ausw?rtige Amt berufen wurde. In dieser Funktion war er ab September 1923 Gesandtschaftsrat II. Klasse in Rom (Quirinal), und von August 1926 bis April 1929 in Br?ssel. Im Juli 1931 war von Mackensen Botschaftsrat von Madrid. Im Mai 1933 trat er in die NSDAP ein. Ab Dezember 1933 fungierte er als Gesandter I. Klasse in Budapest, bis er am 15. April 1937 als Nachfolger des 1936 verstorbenen Bernhard Wilhelm von B?low zum Staatssekret?r des Ausw?rtigen Amtes ernannt wurde.

Nachdem ihn sein Schwiegervater Konstantin Freiherr von Neurath am 4. Februar 1938 in seinem Amt abl?ste, wurde von Mackensen Nachfolger von Ulrich von Hassell, des wegen seiner Kritik an der Italienpolitik Hitlers zur Disposition gestellten Botschafters von Rom. Am 30. Januar 1942 erhielt er den Rang eines SS-Gruppenf?hrers beim Stab des Reichsf?hrers SS.

In seinem neuen Amt beging von Mackensen jedoch Fehler. So arbeitete er beispielsweise nicht im Sinne Hitlers auf eine baldige Absetzung Mussolinis hin. Aus diesem Grund wurde er am 2. August 1943 ins F?hrerhauptquartier beordert und nach einem Gespr?ch mit dem F?hrer seines Amtes enthoben.

Von Mai 1945 bis April 1946 war von Mackensen in franz?sischer Kriegsgefangenschaft. Ein Jahr nach seiner Entlassung, 1947, verstarb er.

[Claudio]

This is the miniature chain I am after... the starting price isn't very cheap for the fact that it comes with a prestigeous name.

[Claudio]

I would also like to buy another Turkish Order, owned by von Mackensen:

[Claudio]

There's also his Bulgarian Military Merit Order with war decorations. I don't know yet, if it's really worth to buy such an order that could have been worn by other officers, since, like the Turkish Order, is not marked with his name.

[Ed_Haynes]

Group reunification is a noble and necessary goal. Good luck with all!

[Claudio]

I found a sculputure of von Mackensen being illustrated on a Hermann Historica catalogue.

[saschaw]

I saw you buying the bar when it came up, and when I found the chain yesterday in the catalogue, and thought you'll buy it.

In my humble opinion you should (or even might) buy the other orders too, even if they could(!) be from someone else, but I trust Thies and the former owner these are the genuine ones, so get them

[gregM]

That is an amazing chain. It deserves to be with it's big brother--GOOD LUCK

[Stogieman]

Hi Claudio... I think we're into what would be the cornerstone of your collection. I admire your desire to reunite. Best of Luck!

[eitze]

Also from me best of luck and I hope nobody else has kept an eye on these mentioned pieces!

And by the way - I want to bid on some Waldeck stuff; it has to be reunited with my other Waldeck ODM, so please don`t bid on these

greetings

eitze

[Guest Rick Research]

I will personally place an eternal curse upon anybody who bids against you, Claudio!

As a GROUP collector, George would have been horrified at the way his carefully preserved groups have been split apart.

I have a xerox of the von Mackensen bar (all that glitter and he never got a WW1 EK1!!!) when George got it and he mentioned the minis chain but no other pieces.

The Osmanie would not seem to have been his, since it is not on the medal bar, and the Bulgarian Commander grade Order seems inappropriate to his lowly status in WW1 and his lofty status under the Third Reich.

Given what ELSE Thies has completely screwed up of George's collection, I would not be at all confident that those pieces DO belong to your group.

I have been made aware, for instance, of a huge ribbon bars lot of about a dozen or so, all being sold as one mass... out of which the ONLY ribbon bar I recognize as George's is 6 down, the lower row of 2 (he never had the upper one) for a hinged FIFTEEN medal bar that could be worn in two rows, whcih belonged to Arthur von Killinger, a naval officer and (E) retread. (HHOX, Prussian Lifesaving, Messina Earthquake 1908, Tunisian, Russian, Greek, Turkish if anyone remembers that medal bar coming up, or it is also in the December sale.)

So what is the owner of von Killinger's medal bar to do? Abandon the ribbon bar WHICH WAS STORED RIGHT NEXT TO IT AT GEORGE'S HOUSE AND OBVIOUSLY BVLATANTLY MATCHED , or.... pay a fortune for a HEAP of completely unrelated items (and maybe some of THOSE go with medal bar/ribbon bar sets, whose justifiably outraged owners now need one or another to reunite THEIR broken set?

Or.... is the world full of crass boors thinking only of retail mark up, none of whom give a rat's?

Sigh.

I just wish the wretched man would END the trickle so the constantly reopened wounds can heal. This is like the death of a thousand cuts for me, personally.

To have seen that awe inspiring collection intact and in situ....

well, at least I had THAT privilege many times!

[VtwinVince]

Good luck with the reunification of the kettchen with the Grossordensspange, a very worthy undertaking and a really spectacular grouping. GFM von Mackensen was always one of my personal favorites, and his sons are equally interesting.

[Gerd Becker]

I really hope, you are lucky with your bid, Claudio. That would be a wonderful set and a great thing to reunifucate them.

Gerd

[Wild Card]

Hi Claudio,

As you probably realize by now, miniatures are one of my main interests and I was certainly hoping to get this chain. Actually I felt that the starting bid was very low. Anyway, reunification is something that I would never obstruct and it?s also good to know that it?s going to go to a good home.

Are you going to go to the auction? I would like to discuss the possibility of a third party messing things up - not everyone reads this forum.

Best wishes,

Wild Card

[Claudio]

Hi Wild Card,

Thank you for your concern. Of course I will be there (it's a quite long trip from where I live currently), but very likely only on Friday (first part of the auction).

It will be very difficult to dissuase everybody from buying the mini chain. That's why I am trying to propagating the fact that I am the owner of the medal bar. But I am not making a lot illusions; it will be a tough bidding battle, although I think that already the starting price of this very mini chain is quite expensive.

Ciao,

Claudio

[Peter J]

May the force be with you

Good luck

Peter

[Stefan]

There's also his Bulgarian Military Merit Order with war decorations. I don't know yet, if it's really worth to buy such an order that could have been worn by other officers, since, like the Turkish Order, is not marked with his name.

Hello,

I believe that "my" Konteradmiral Hans-Joachim Gadow also got this Bulgarian award. Anyone heard of that one?

Cheers,

Stefan

[MJC]

Claudio,

I was going to pursue von Mackensen's chain until I read your post. As a big believer in keeping groups "whole", I will bid on some of the many other goodies Thies is offering. Good luck with your quest.

Mike

[Claudio]

I got it!!! But it wasn't easy... the price went up quite a lot!! Congratulations Mr. Thies for the maximalisation of the profit! I think it's the last time I will try to bring pieces together at a such price...

Ciao,

Claudio

[Biro]

An outstanding result and an absolutely outstanding piece Claudio!!

Well done.

Marshall

[Ed_Haynes]

Congratuilations! Sometimes reunification has to win out over common sense and the rationality of the market. Some things we just HAVE to do as a duty to history!

[Christophe]

Claudio,

I don't like posting just to say : Bravo!!, Congrats!!, Nice piece!!! etc.... But I have to make an exception here. This is a great achievement!!! . "Toutes mes f?licitations", both for your collection and history!!!

Cheers.

Ch.

[Deruelle]

Good job Claudio

Regards

Christophe

[Gerd Becker]

Beautiful mini-chain, Claudio. Its one of the nicest, i have ever seen. Congrats, that you really got it in the end

[gregM]

Congratulations on a job well done.

That is an amazing chain