Red Cross Order

[redcross]

during the Weimar period,

I am aware of the Red Cross order

1st & 2nd class

which are well documented in the standard works

was there also a rare "special class"

or is this a fantasy medal

as it does not appear in anything I have

I've attatched a 1st class award for some color

[James Clark]

The answer to this is quite interesting. The following details are from the book Staatlich-Zivile Auszeichnungen, Weimarer Republik und Drittes Reich by Dr. Kurt-G. Klietmann (Motorbuch Verlag, 1990).

The German Red Cross first considered introducing a new award in April 1922. The commission responsible produced a statute which envisaged an award in two classes (1st and 2nd class) but also made provision for a special award in exceptional cases. This was to consist of the 1st class mounted on a silver star, which was to be worn on the left breast. This was approved in June 1922 but the new award was not actually instituted until 1924. The statute for the award, published in February 1924, was the same as the one drawn up by the commission and approved in April 1922 except that it did not include the section refering to a silver breast-star.

Detlev Niemann confirms this in his catalogue with the remark that "The Breast-star to the 1st class was announced in 1922 before the official institution of the award, but it was not introduced. There is as yet no evidence that this grade was awarded or that samples of it were manufactured".

So it would seem right to consider a 1922 model breast-star a fantasy award, since it was never instituted and there is no evidence that it was ever manufactured or awarded. The breast-star was eventually introduced when the award was modified in 1934 and it was retained in 1937.

[redcross]

many thanks

the person selling this thing

tried to make me feel like an idiot

and then came up with a good story

giving his offering irresistable provenance

but as the saying goes,

if its too good to be true,

it probably is....

here's what was being offered,

rather pretty I thought

[Ulsterman]

Pretty-but still looks "fresh" and "glittery".

I hope you avoided the con. The hobby is filled with them.

[James Clark]

Well, it's a neck decoration, not a breast star. And the star looks gold coloured rather than silver. So it's not even an attempt to produce what was originally described. Very poor.

[James Clark]

Also, you have a very nice, original first class that you show in the first post. Compare the this with what you have been offered and you'll see that there is no comparison in the quality.

[Guest Rick Research]

My God!!!!! Fantasy WEIMAR stuff, now!!!!

I can only assume that this is intended for the current generation of "Must Have One Of Everyting" collectors, who are getting pitched a load of horse-manure about "variants" and "prototypes" ? la Third Reich frauds.

Amazing.

[redcross]

if money had been no object I would have bought it,

and it did sell for about half what I paid for a 1st class

a few years back - this particular fantasy was said to

be sold by Klietmann himself at an OMSA convention.

As for Fantasies andd fakes....

I do fall victim to them from time to time

so many Red Cross medals are simply not documented

although this is less likely in the case of German awards;;

and the german states during the weimar period had some

awfully nice awards - if I had to specialize

that would be the one I'd choose

but they are showing up few and far between

[Ulsterman]

a few years back - this particular fantasy was said to

be sold by Klietmann himself at an OMSA convention.

A most interesting statement..."Let those who have ears, hear"...

A