Bavaria Bavarian Military Merit Cross 2X M1905-13

[Guest Rick Research]

I've been asked to attempt higher resolution scans of my 2nd best bar, so here it is again at 600dpi:

[attachmentid=22457]

[Guest Rick Research]

These are all sewn down so tightly to prevent clinking around that I cannot slither the M1905 MVK2X out from under the M1913 MVK1X for a "full on" shot. This is the best I can do:

[attachmentid=22458]

The M1905 is all real silver, not the later wartime M1913 version's alloy, and completely unenamelled. The obverse cipher and reverse lion are separate pieces just like the Order classes. The backs of the M1905 swords are flat. I can find no makers marks. It appears that rather than the 'donut" nut used to secure wartime threaded swords, there is some sort of a larger "X" shaped silver piece that holds the swords on the M1905, but that is obscured under the very tightly sewn down suspension rings under the divide in the two halves of furled ribbon.

[joe campbell]

rick-

does this bar cover an EXCEPTIONALLY long

time frame, or am i all wet???....

beautiful!!

joe

[Guest Rick Research]

That's the 40 Years civil service cross of 1938 on there. This NCO was a Bavarian national, but ended his army service in the Schutztruppen-- thus the Prussian/Reichs XV Years Service Cross when he left the military before WW1. Recalled for the war, he served as a Feldwebelleutnant before going back to the civil service.

It has a Berlin maker's tag, so whatever he did, it was at the "heart of the Reich."

Definitely somebody 60-something wearing this.

[stevo4361]

Wow thats a nice bar, thanks Rick!

Kind Regards,

Steve

[Stogieman]

I've actually been allowed to fondle this one and I can assure you that it is a most-impressive bar. However, the most interesting aspect of this group is that it was sold as a set, split up and then re-united many years after the fact by the due dilligence of Mr. Research and his "scrounger". I don't remember how many years they were apart, but I am very proud to have assisted in re-uniting one of the most impressive pair of bars I have seen.

The early (Pre-1913) MVO/MVK series on the statute ribbon is extremely hard to find in any condition/combination or mounted. It falls well within the bounds of "obscure".

[Chris Boonzaier]

I was sure we had a thread with 3 bavarians somewhere... but so far this was the best i could find.....

[spolei]

These are all sewn down so tightly to prevent clinking around that I cannot slither the M1905 MVK2X out from under the M1913 MVK1X for a "full on" shot. This is the best I can do:

[attachmentid=22458]

The M1905 is all real silver, not the later wartime M1913 version's alloy, and completely unenamelled. The obverse cipher and reverse lion are separate pieces just like the Order classes. The backs of the M1905 swords are flat. I can find no makers marks. It appears that rather than the 'donut" nut used to secure wartime threaded swords, there is some sort of a larger "X" shaped silver piece that holds the swords on the M1905, but that is obscured under the very tightly sewn down suspension rings under the divide in the two halves of furled ribbon. [attachmentid=22459]

Hello,

nice reunion.

The second class looks very good. The veteran was an bavarian in prussian army for long time (prussian service cross 15 years) and fought in SW-Africa.

So he was allowed to fix swords on his MVK. Possibly he got the first class and the EK for fighting in the colonies at WW1, too.

The first class is a post-war-production. Deschler haven't made the first class at wartime.

Regards Andreas

Edited January 30, 2013 by spolei

[Ulsterman]

oh? easy to state that the first class is a repro, but given the provenance of the bar that is highly unlikely. What makes you think it is a repro ?

[Chris Boonzaier]

I am guessing post war as in post WW1, worn in the Weimar time as in Post WW2 repro?

I have some docs here...

http://gmic.co.uk/index.php/topic/42335-bavarian-mvk-mvo-award-documents/page-2

Where the Vet wrote post WW1 to the Groß Kanzler asking for a replacement and he was told there were no more in stock, he should please contact Deschler to buy one.

Deschler may have been the official dudes to contact for a replacement post WW1?

Best

Chris

[spolei]

Hello,

in wartime, the manufacturer Deschler produces only second and third class MVK. In the thirties, there was a great demand for decorations from the WW I. After awarding the Ehrenkreuz für Frontkämpfer FEK, a lot of bars had be rebuilt.

The decorations from several veterans associations were replaced with the FEK. So we find a lot of bars, made in the thirties. The bar with the two MVK's has also the FEK.

Deschler produces after WWI a lot of pins and decorations, Other manufacturers were Steinhauer&Lück, Godet and Sedlazek.

Regards Andreas