Shoulder Boards

[Scott]

Can someone provide assistance in identifying these boards? Period? Rank? Prussian I assume?

Thanks!

Scott

Edited January 4, 2008 by Scott

[Guest Rick Research]

Are the lines in the silver braid up at the button on end black?

Full OBERST of a regiment numbered "1." But not of the Guards, infantry, field artillery, or cavalry. Foot artillery?

[Scott]

Thanks Rick . Unfortunately, I don't recall the color of the thread on the tresse. I do recall in the hand, the "fringe" or braid was much more heavy and substantial that it looked!

Scott

[dwmosher]

What are the colors of the horseshoes and the highlights in the tresse braiding towards the buttonhole? If the horseshoes are silver and the highlights in the tresse braiding is in black (Prussian), they are for a full colonel from Pionier-Batl. Furst Radziwill (Ostpruessisches) Nr. 1.

Dave

[Guest Rick Research]

Are they still in their case?

A cased OBERSTLEUTNANT set, as minty in 2008 as they were in 1888 (scans do not do justice)

http://gmic.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=7215...ier+Regiment+10

[dwmosher]

If the horseshoes are in brass and the highlights in the tresse are in black, they could be either for Jager Batl. 1 or Maschinegewehr-Abt. Nr. 1 (both Prussian). If the highlights in the tresse are in blue and the horseshoes are in either silver or brass, there are several possibilities for Bavarian units

[Guest Rick Research]

The horseshoes look gold to me, but if they are silver, Pioneer Battalion 1 would be a VERY good thing since the battalion commanders were normally no higher than Majors

BUT

a VERY FEW officers promoted up higher actually wore battalion level uniforms with their no-longer-in-the-unit ranks on Engineer Inspection staffs--

so a PB 1 full Colonel should, I think, be personally identifiable. That wouldn't be the case, given the length of time these could have been worn, for Fussart Rgt 1.

I'm assuming these have GOT to still be in their "bikini bra" case, Scott-- or all those danglies would long since have tangled and ripped and darkened. The maker of the boards will be inside the case lid and could be a major clue.

[Scott]

No case unfortunately - at least not that I know of; they were hung on the wall somehow. The 'horseshoes' are copper-colored, which may have been tarnished gold. These are in my wife's uncle's collection - he's a retired military history professor and author in Germany. We visited him last year and I took some photos of his few collectables, and just recently downloaded them from the camera. He had an amazing talent for painting lead figures.

Scott

Edited January 5, 2008 by Scott