Show your minis

[blauer_max]

Actually most Frankensteins are made out of common stuff thrown together to "look great" but make Richthofens out of Gefreiters. That's why there's a good chance yours was a window display advertising sample. Godet's brochures--as do many outfitters--often showed "sample" medal bars that no live person could have actually worn.

There is and always has been a profound difference in collecting tastes concerning minis in the U.S. and Europe. American collectors have far too long considered these tiny magnificently detailed enamel jewels as if they were nothing more than girlfriend charm bracelets. Possibly because so many are Frankensteins and might have been assembled for that purpose in Year Zero + for the occupation trade. There is therefore a great gap in how American collectors value these and European collectors do. Very few American collectors would have any interest whatsoever at ANY price in a stripped no-awards minis chain. Regional markets!

Actually gents (and stray ladies present), have we EVER seen a celebrity chain? I don't think so. They are most often long forgotten obscure officers and civil servants, as a search on names:

Brenken, Göring (no not HIM!!! ), Höne, Schack, von Stuckrad, (Freiherr von) Stumm, and Sympher will reveal from the back pages. UH OH! my compadres I now see didn't post these back around December 2010. NEw threads started. Anyone with similar groups that "should" be identifiable I'd advise posting as new separate threads, since this thread has grown unwieldy in its immenseness.

Got a couple of fine armpit to belly tiny treasures coming up at our next Traveling Museum conclave... so Watch This Forum next week!!!

Have seen a few miniatures from "Celebrities" yes. Not chains that I can think of, but still miniatures. von Bockelberg's PLM Godet mini that was sold by E-medals is a good example.

[rujab]

Yesterday , from a flea market

[christerd]

This little beauty moved into my house a short time ago , not any super duper orders on it but a Lübeck Hansa Cross and that´s rather unusual. To bad he didn´t have some Hohenzollern or Schwarzburg then he maybe could be id

But know I have ahhh 8000 suspects ?

But still nice mini (and Yes Rick , it´s an Epson )

Christer

[OTTER76]

Very nice !!

Greg, do you believe my kette can be traced in 1870s ordens liste?

[Guest Rick Research]

To refer back pages ago:

No-- this is a "pure Prussian" combination, typical of most full Obersten. To identify someone, it requires a COMBINATION of awards from different states that is UNIQUE. There would be dozens with this only-Prussia set of awards.

Here I am back, after looking through Glenn's listing of 1895 Rank List groups:

There were 96 officers that year who had the combination above. "Luckily" 85 of them also had OTHER awards that would have been worn on a minis chain.

But there is simply no way to eliminate any of the 11 remaining... that year.

Now, we know your officer was ALIVE in 1897, but was he on active duty, or retired? If he retired in 1887 or 1894 or... you begin to see the problem with no OTHER awards to "triangulate" on? He could be one of the 11 1895 officers, who went on to higher awards... but without ANYTHING that would have "stuck" on a medal bar...or one of uncounted dozens of other officers from other years who retired or ended up with that purely Prussian I-am-an-Oberst set of decorations... identifying an individual is not possible.

Compare your minis chain with this group--

http://gmic.co.uk/index.php/topic/59465-prussian-officers-medalbar-with-hanoverian-langensalza-medal/

As far as what Rank Lists SHOWED, both are "identical." But what made that MEDAL bar identifiable is that

1) he was a former Hanoverian officer--eliminating anyone who was not

2) he had no other medal-bar class awards, and

3) we had regimental biographies which confirmed the 2 (and only 2!) 1870/71 bars

That is the sort of detail needed to identify a medal bar or ribbon bar or miniatures chain.

If all of this seems very very complicated and Way Too Much Detail--that is because that is how difficult it is to identify groups.... and what makes being able to do so (occasionally) so rewarding for us.

Edited August 27, 2013 by Rick Research

[OTTER76]

Thanks a lot Rick. Very interesting and educational reference you ve given me. Pure prussian seems will keep its secret forever then. Just maybe it might be possible to check any of those eleven names for the 1895 year with my ancestors line DECKER, HOTER, or FELIX? Best regards.

Edited September 7, 2013 by OTTER76

[blauer_max]

Pour le Mérite and the China medal by Godet & Sohn Berlin.

Edited November 2, 2013 by blauer_max

[gregM]

Now THAT is a nice mini.

Edited November 3, 2013 by gregM

[larsb001]

Just received another miniature today bought on eBay. It's one of these cases where you wait and wait to see if you made an excellent buy or were ripped off. This was listed by a Seller without any history as it was his first sale, the description was a one liner without any indication of size or material, the photos were unclear and blurred and the mini was mounted on a ribbon the would have fitted better around a box of chocolate.

I showed a similar miniature of the Westphalian Crown in post # 386 mounted on a small bar together with a French LoH. That one is a fine Gold piece, this one appears to be Silver gilded but obvious from the same dye with an exact match in all details. A nice 11 * 16 mm miniature at a decent price. Thanks to all that didn't dare to bid

Enjoy!

[David M]

Amazing, congratulations! Thats my 3rd favourite order :-)! Beautiful

[blauer_max]

+ Panzer badge in Silver and bronze, Red Cross chain by Godet.

Edited November 17, 2013 by blauer_max

[gregM]

SWEET

[rujab]

Wunderbar...

Gruss

Rudi

[blauer_max]

[redeagleorder]

I have been searching around on the internet for some time, but have never seen a mini of the prussian kriegsdenkmunze fur nichtkampfer of the napoleonic wars. Has anyone got one or even seen one? Thanks

[Peter J]

I'l lpost this thread both here on the Imperial forum and on the Spanish forum to avoid confusion.

Here are two miniatures that I could use some help with, the Geulpern Order and the Order of S:t Charles III. Non of them have any attachments for wear, Geulphern has some remnants of solder on the reverse top, but I can't picture how a possibly attachment would look. Same goes with the Charles II, it has two flat bars standing top and bottom, but no holes in any them.

cheers

Peter

[Peter J]

Perhaps this can attract some attention to my previous post

[gregM]

As always, You find some very nice pieces.

[Peter J]

Thanks Greg, those kind words will render another. I've definately seen better eagles, any thoughs of this "rough" style?

[gregM]

I don't know what to say about the mini RAO. It is not

the best quality one I have seen but not the worst either.

Is the upper arm bent or is it just the photo?

That Mecklenburg cross has got to be a rare little piece.

[Peter J]

I don't think the arm is bent, it's most probably produced this way. You wouldn't notice it without this masgnification.

[Peter J]

Some more eye-candy, an 18,8mm Bavarian Verdienstorden von Heiligen Michael.

[Streptile]

I've definately seen better eagles, any thoughs of this "rough" style?

Totally typical J. Godet mini RAO3 with bow. Very nice.

Edited March 6, 2014 by Streptile

[Peter J]

Thanks. I did some reading up on the web, apparently the Heligen Michael is a miniature for Gross Kreuz

[Wild Card]

A little Bavarian ensemble.