The Hard Lessons.........

[Stogieman]

......... why is this medal bar a fake?

[Ulsterman]

St. Henry's ribbon?

[Guest Rick Research]

Just from the scan (unless you know the ribbons are all brand new), looks "played with" rather than all fake. The SA3aX goes nicely with a 1920 Reserve-Landwehr XX for a Hauptmann type-- IF that was a Saxe-Ernestine House ORDER (and probably Knight 1st Class X, sans the dumb swords on the ribbon)

[Stogieman]

If you look very closely, you will see that the same bright purple thread that was used to sew the swords onto the ribbon has been used to sew a rather beat-up St. Henry Medal suspension ring inside the trifold. I'm not buying this as a period-made bar for that reason alone. There are abvious other "issues", but this is the most important one. Not one Saxon (or a Duchy thereof) would have mounted a Saint Henry on the wrong ribbon, or in the wrong precedence. I could accept that it was simply missing a SEHO RK1wX but for the matching threads putting it together. Notice how in the seller's photo, the SSHM is very carefully covered by the neighboring pieces! By chance? I think not!

[Stogieman]

400- Euro and counting....

[JensF.]

I think it is ok except the St. Henry Medal. A replaced Ernestinischer RK 1 + X?

[Stogieman]

Then you have a problem again as the threads used to sew the ribbon to the bar is the same as the swords, is the same as the (wrong) St. henri medal......... I'm telling you, this one is bad. This style of Saxon frack I have never seen post 1935!