Unknown Order? Need help on ID please.

[Hauptmann]

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

[JBFloyd]

Costume jewelry, unfortunately. Several companies in the 1950s and '60s made award style jewelry, often mixing and matching parts to come up with something "new". You'll see DIs included in many of the designs, but often with odd colors.

[Hauptmann]

Costume jewelry, unfortunately. Several companies in the 1950s and '60s made award style jewelry, often mixing and matching parts to come up with something "new". You'll see DIs included in many of the designs, but often with odd colors.

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