Reading An Old Style Ribbon Bar

[Guest Rick Research]

I was sent this color print by a technically impaired person (you have NO idea how much better that makes ME feel )

So what does this tell us about the wearer?

OK:

2nd ribbon is a Prussian Crown Order 4 X for 1866...

what's the 3rd ribbon?

Where's the standard ordinary Red Eagle Order 4th Class?

I'm not sure exactly when the transition occurred, but around 1890. UNTIL then, Crown Orders were much less frequently awarded than afterwards.

Ribbon 3 is a Prussian Crown Order 3rd Class with the completely unnecessary and hence invisible "Swords on Ring."

Sooooo....

where's the Red Eagle 4?

You know:

It's moved UP AND OFF.

Yup. That's right. In this time period, Red Eagle Orders were promoted far more often than Crown Orders--leaving this one behind.

The recipient had a Red Eagle Order 2nd Class with Oakleaves (and Crown to that is PROBABLY an error, typical of the Orders Almanac)... and here he is

Glenn has much more on his career. We now have a specific example for trying to figure out the transitional period when Crown Orders were much less frequently given than Red Eagles... and bars like this were normal!

Another odd thing-- I will usually beomoan a "pure Prussian" bar like this as not having anything DISTINCTIVE about it, allowing one recipient to be picked out from another...

but oddly enough, in this case, it is precisely the LACK of anything else on the bar which pinpoints his identity. The only other "pure Prussian" who shared this combination...

died in the 1880s.

So sometimes NOT having other stuff IS helpful.

[ccj]

Are all of these non combat awards?

[ccj]

Are all of these non combat awards?

[Guest Rick Research]

Yes Charles. Your Oberstleutnant (probably) got that Hessian Philipps Order in last place at a time when ALL awards to military personnel came "with Swords."

That combination is undoubtedly traceable, but it requires looking through 1880s and 1890s Rank Lists. He got the Baden Z?hringen Lion as either a Captain or a Lieutenant Colonel-- no way to tell from a ribbon bar--so a number of years would have to be searched.

Working from the assumption that last-place means most-recently awarded, I don't find anybody who matches in the 1890 Rank List. That's the only one from that decade I have.

[Guest Rick Research]

Viz the starting ribbon bar wearer's career-- this got lost in the shuffle (from Glenn of course)

[Wild Card]

Rick, Glen you guys are fantastic!

May I ask what is the source of this entry?

Many thanks,

Wild Card