Rare Hannover Long Service Bar

[Stogieman]

Here's a Schnall I have not seen before. Never mind the box!

[Stogieman]

The lid of the case:

[Stogieman]

Details:

Note! Photos courtesy of J?rg Kalies, Hamburg

[Riley1965]

Stogieman,

WOW!!! That's a VERY NICE GEM!!!

Doc

[Wild Card]

Hey Stogieman, thanks for a great presentation on a rather interesting and obscure decoration that reflects some of the most intricate workmanship to be found in the world of Imperial German.

For the benefit of any who might be interested, what we have here is a Hannoverian/Brunswick twenty-five year service decoration to Household Staff. There are also awards for forty and fifty years. Interestingly, these awards were instituted in 1903 through Ernst August, Duke of Cumberland, Duke of Brunswick-L?neburg in behalf of the Royal Family of the former Kingdom of Hannover which, at that time had been in exile for about thirty-seven years.

One interesting thing about this example is the box/case which is so typically Hannoverian. Below is an example of a case for a forty year decoration. My guess is that the twenty-five year case is to an original (1903); while the forty year case is to a later (1913 and onwards) award.

[Wild Card]

Liner inside the lid showing the logo of Rothe.

[Wild Card]

The forty year award. Notice that the backing ribbon is of the Brunswick Order of Henry The Lion. Now I am not quite sure about this, but I seem to recall that when these decorations were instituted, the original backing ribbons were those of the Hannoverian Order of the Guelphs (a very pale blue); and then from 1913 on, they were of the Order of Henry the Lion.

[Stogieman]

Hey WC, thanks for expanding this. Awesome bars!