Old-style Ribbon Bar

[Jason]

Hi guys, got this a few days ago in the post and hoping to get a little info on it....unfortunately the first ribbon is long gone, so my questions are:

Is it traceable? what do you think the first ribbon may have been? and confirmation on the decorations on the bar (I'm pretty sure about them, but second opinions always help!). There seem to be a lot of civil awards on there, so maybe a court flunky type?

thanks in advance

Jason

[Jason]

reverse

[saschaw]

Lovely bar, and pretty sure traceable!

A court flunky type with BRAVERY award in #2?! As there's no 1870 medal ribbon I assume the WMV3 was given for WWI and the bar is most likely from about 1914/15 - and the missing ribbon presumably EK2. In my opinion a officer, with some peace time orders and decorations. W?rttemberger with pretty much Coburg and Gotha (and Bulgaria) connection...

[Jason]

Thanks Saschaw, thats a great start!

Jason

[Stogieman]

First place could be another Wurttemburg order?

[Guest Rick Research]

1) Missing-- 1914 Iron Cross 2nd Class

2) W?rttemberg Military Merit Order?/Medal?

3) Prussian Crown Order?/W?rttemberg Friedrich Order?/Prussian CrownOrder Medal?/W?rttemeberg Friedrich Order Merit Medal?

4) 1897 Centenary Medal

5) Coburg 1899 Jubilee Medal

6) Bulgarian Civil (odd) Merit Order?/Cross?

7) Coburg 1905 Jubilee Medal

8) Ernestine House ?Order/?Cross/?Medal

Now, from this, I'd say could be either an officer or a senior NCO-- but absence of any long service award ribbon does suggest to me an officer rather than a Feldwebelleutnant WW1 type.

In service by 1896, and in Coburg at least 1899-1905.

If he was an officer, and a Prussian, a WM3 is highly unusual. Nobody leaps instally to hand, which gives me some pause to suspect that this was actually a senior NCO's bar making him "invisible." Too many variables with the ribbons to be entirely sure of IDs.

[Jason]

Thanks guys for the opinions, very much appreciated!

cheers

Jason

[Wild Card]

Gentlemen,

There is something about this bar that I think is worth mentioning. It may be of significance, it may not.

Contrary to virtually every other ribbon bar of this era that I can recall, the ribbons on this bar are mounted

from left to right. That is to say that each ribbon (except the last - the Ernstine, to the far right) is overlapped

by the one to it?s left not right.

Significant? I do not know, but especially curious when one realizes that the missing (EK?) ribbon had to be,

at least in part, under the W?rttemberg MMO ribbon; which from what I can see, does not show any sign of

having been disturbed.

Any comments are most welcome.

Regards,

Wild Card

Edited May 10, 2009 by Wild Card

[Guest Rick Research]

:Cat-Scratch: I've seen a number of little M1915+ ribbon bars assembled by dyslexic outfitters, so that didn't register with me--

but that is a VERY interesting point you raise about the missing ribbon showing no sign of having been pulled out from UNDER the presumably overlapping W?rttemberg in 2nd place. It had to have been on TOP, which would have made for a very ungainly bar indeed-- I wonder if the wearer got this in the mail, wasn't happy with it, started taking it apart himself and then said... "Ach, I'll just get ANOTHER one!"

:cheers:

[Naxos]

.... wasn't happy with it, started taking it apart himself and then said... "Ach, I'll just get ANOTHER one!"

"Ach, hatte ich doch am anderen Ende angefangen das Ding auseinander zu nehmen"

He should have started on the other end to take it apart, much easier. :cheers:

Edited May 10, 2009 by Naxos

[Naxos]

It almost appears that there is another ribbon missing

[Guest Rick Research]

That's probably just the difference between the 40mm Bulgarian ribbon and the 25mm German ones.