Imperial bars...

[Chris Boonzaier]

Of course, historically speaking, the complete bars are better, and what the man had put on are what makes the history....

Buuuuuuutttttt.... deep down in your heart... do you prefer bars the way the man had it in november 1918, even if just a single EK2..... or the bars of the mid 30s with Hindy-cross and the whole bunch of 1920's "apply for's...send a self addresses envelpe and RM10 to cover costs"?

[joe campbell]

1918...

1918...

1918...

while a stretch, would you rather have the soviet

leningrad medal or the 50th anniversary of

victory at leningrad award?

while i have some H-burg laden bars, i prefer the

more "period" period bars.

joe

[Riley1965]

I would prefer bars the way the man had it in november 1918, even if just a single EK2!!

Doc

[Ed_Haynes]

This is hard, and our aesthetics don't matter. Both options represent the usually hidden history of the person and both reflect his time and how he saw and displayed his own service. Given the option, of course, I'd go pre-WWI entirely, though research chances are slimmer.

[Chris Boonzaier]

This is hard, and our aesthetics don't matter. Both options represent the usually hidden history of the person and both reflect his time and how he saw and displayed his own service. Given the option, of course, I'd go pre-WWI entirely, though research chances are slimmer.

Hi,

do you mean pre 1914 or pre 1918 ?

[Ed_Haynes]

Hi,

do you mean pre 1914 or pre 1918 ?

Pre-1914.

[Deruelle]

I prefer pre 1918 medal bar. But if you've got one medal bar before 1930 it is always interresting. I have got in my collection some beauties from people who died between 1920 and 1934.

Christophe

[Scott Powell]

i like both. for me, its interesting to see the continuing history of the man, with the addition of the 'awards' of the 1920's continuing to the 1934 award. i hav both types of bars,and glean equal pleasure from them

[Tom Y]

1918. At a stretch, a lttle later for things like the Flandernkreuz anf Freikorps awards.

[Guest Brian von Etzel]

No preference. If Hindy's added etc. post '18 then still part of his life. Doesn't matter to me.

[Gerd Becker]

November 1918 would be my choice. I don?t like the 20ies and 30ies Kriegervereins-crosses and -medals and the Hindenburg-cross that much.

[Paul R]

I actually like bars with all three eras the best!

[Daniel Murphy]

I prefer a bar with purely WW1 awards on it. It can have a postwar veterans gong or two, but preferably no Honour Cross. Have I bought them? Yes, and then usually sold it later. But definitely, Never, will I like that d@mned faithful service cross with the swastika. I can tolerate an honour cross, but that thing just ruins the whole bar for me.

[Richard Gordon]

It is not quite difficult to find 1918 era medal bars without the Hindenburg tin dangling from it? I don't have that many but only one is pure in that sense.

Edited November 25, 2006 by Richard Gordon

[mravery]

I'm with Ed on this one... I prefer the pre 1914 bars over any others....

1870 IC with Oaks, 1870 with bars and Centenial medal then throw in a long service and a few other bits and bobs..... Wee Haa !!!

Cheers

Mark

Edited November 26, 2006 by mravery

[Guest Rick Research]

Whatever the original owner last wore. Which is why so many are 1930s.

These are "award biographies," and give a sense of LIVING.

[Chris Boonzaier]

These are "award biographies," and give a sense of LIVING.

Aye.... but sometimes they just confuse the issue, like a guy with bulgarian medlas who never served anywhere near there. I can imagine the somme or Verdun cross, or a verein medal withcombat bars etc helping chart the mans history... but , Bulgaran "buy ME`s" are just senseless padding.

[Great Dane]

I collect bars and the persons behind them (or at least their history - otherwise it would be creepy ). If the person chose to mount regimental awards or whatever, it's all part of his story and thus neither better nor worse that any other bar...

/Mike

[DutchBoy]

Amen to that!

Matthijs.

I prefer a bar with purely WW1 awards on it. It can have a postwar veterans gong or two, but preferably no Honour Cross. Have I bought them? Yes, and then usually sold it later. But definitely, Never, will I like that d@mned faithful service cross with the swastika. I can tolerate an honour cross, but that thing just ruins the whole bar for me.

[Ed_Haynes]

Whatever the original owner last wore. Which is why so many are 1930s.

These are "award biographies," and give a sense of LIVING.

Rick is right, but I personally prefer bars without Nazi "stuff" (including the Hindy Cross).

Or, as I said, pre-1914. But so few, so few, of those. And research possibilities are limited.

[Wild Card]

Definitely pre - 1918; actually, I prefer pre - 1900.

[landsknechte]

Personally, I rather enjoy the DIY Weimar strangeness. Granted the standard Bulgarian / Hungarian / Austrian commemoratives are a bit droll, I find the various veteran's association decorations quite interesting.

[VtwinVince]

Pre-1900 trapezoidal types are my favorite, but I'm also partial to some of the more freaky concoctions of the Weimar Republik.