Define "Rare"-- A Couple Of Ordinary Saxon Ribbon Bars

[Guest Rick Research]

Here are two rather ordinary looking ribbon bars—the sort of “decent” ones that would come home from a show at the right price, if sufficient cash was available…

But nothing particularly exciting.

Oh really?

As mentioned in another thread (today is Saxon Theme for some reason in my labours), out of the entire Saxon officer corps only 285 TOTAL had the combination shown on the upper 4 ribbon bar: SV3bX, SA3aX, and SA3bX. Of those, actually all but 12 had other ribboned awards, eventually.

That’s right—12. Now to be sure, this COULD have belonged to any of the St. Henry Order Knights—all 272 of them, who also had the awards here—if they wore their St. Henry ribbon from their buttonhole. Then again, I didn’t just hunt through the entire Saxon officer corps looking for St Henry groups to exclude:

285 is the MAXIMUM number of officers who could have worn the upper ribbon bar, while 12 is the minimum wearer suspect pool.

The lower bar is in nice bright condition, and the unofficial (but effective and reasonable) crown on the SMK ribbon is nice, as is the Bulgarian bravery award. From the silver swords on that, we are looking at a Lieutenant in the first war and probably an overaged Hauptmann in the Second when he wore this at some desk job.

There were 556 Saxon officers who received a SMK in the First World War. (We know it is not one of the 2 dozen Warrant Officers from the gold Xs on the Albert Order ribbon, so a SA3bX there). Albert Orders-Knights 2nd with Swords are hardly rare…

Until we begin winnowing down from the MAXIMUM of 556 Meiningen award recipients.

Yes, I’ve counted through the entire Saxon officer corps again, cross checking.

There were 116 recipients of ONLY the SA3bX and SMK. A great many of those could probably be scratched if there was an equivalent of the Prussian “Ehrenmal” listing officer fatalities—especially otherwise invisible dR and dL officers. There is no way to tell what other awards any of these suspects may ALSO have had, since nothing else was noted by the late Erhard Roth. (Saxony remains DESPERATELY in need of an insanely committed Research Cyborg....)

But there you go. Two little ribbon bars, "nothing exciting," yet one ranging between 12 and 285 potential recipients and the other no more than 116 and probably considerably less.

And THAT, my friends, is why knowledge is important and why having reference books is critical.

Imperial treasures do not usually look like much.

You have to KNOW what you are seeing. :ninja:

Edited February 1, 2010 by Rick Research

[Deruelle]

Hi Rick,

Nice bars you have there

About the first one, the iron cross device is very impressive, a very big iron cross device.

[M Hunter]

2 lovely bars Rick! And a good insight into your hard work and dedication. Just goes to show even the most simple ribbon bars can be tracked down to their owners.

Well done!

Matt

[Schwyz]

Rick,

While not possessing 1% of the knowledge you have obviously acquired, I always enjoy reading your Posts and continue to learn from them.

I particularly enjoy items which seem to be, at first glance, off the radar screen for many and in this particular Post you illustrate very well how just a little closer look can pay hugh dividends for those who 'look' a little deeper.

Cheers,

Gary

[Guest Rick Research]

It is possible to spend one's life

but NOT one's fortune

happily immersed in Imperial obscurity and STILL find treasures

sometimes that have been sitting quietly in one's collection for years already awaiting such "puttering" around in the sources.

As was the case recently when Generalfeldmarschall Model's medal bar "turned up" (having been passed by by show attendees from all the inhabited continents for years ), it is always the COMBINATION that can be rare

even when its individual components are not. :beer:

[Nick]

I have restored this thread to its original content. The discussion on the Model bar has been added to the relevant thread.