Anhalt Six-Place Medal Bar from the MAX Show

[tyanacek]

Hello guys,

Here is a six-placer that I bought last weekend at the MAX Show. It features both the Anhalt Friedrich Cross and the Anhalt Order of Albert the Bear. It looks like this bar was originally a four-placer of the Weimar Period and it was subsequently upgraded in the 30s to the configuration we see here. It looks as if the backing plate was elongated and the medal bar was altered/modified, rather than doing a completely new remount. From looking at some of the construction traits, I think there is a good possibility that Gebrüder Godet may have done the upgrade work on this bar.

Best regards,

Tom

Edited October 11, 2012 by tyanacek

[tyanacek]

Here is the medal bar reverse:

[Dave Danner]

Hi Tom,

I too took a look at this bar, as well as some of the others the dealer had, but I guess you beat me to it when I returned. Too bad we couldn't meet up at the show.

What strikes me is the grade of the Albert the Bear. A Knight 1st Class is relatively high. An active officer with this class would normally be a senior Hauptmann or Major and have other decorations. If he were a serving reserve or Landwehr officer at the beginning of the war, I would expect an LD1. On a quick look, I didn't see anyone who matched. So I would guess he was a government official in the Duchy or in a nearby Prussian office who got the AB3a based on his peacetime status, and then entered the army during the war, so maybe a Lt.d.R. or Lt.d.L.

Dave

[Claudius]

Hi Tom,

I too took a look at this bar, as well as some of the others the dealer had, but I guess you beat me to it when I returned. Too bad we couldn't meet up at the show.

What strikes me is the grade of the Albert the Bear. A Knight 1st Class is relatively high. An active officer with this class would normally be a senior Hauptmann or Major and have other decorations. If he were a serving reserve or Landwehr officer at the beginning of the war, I would expect an LD1. On a quick look, I didn't see anyone who matched. So I would guess he was a government official in the Duchy or in a nearby Prussian office who got the AB3a based on his peacetime status, and then entered the army during the war, so maybe a Lt.d.R. or Lt.d.L.

Dave

I would concur. The Albert the Bear is a pre-wwi award based on it's position behind the Hindenburg. And this gentleman was naughty by also mounting his Kyffhauferbund medal after getting his HK.

[tyanacek]

Hi Tom,

I too took a look at this bar, as well as some of the others the dealer had, but I guess you beat me to it when I returned. Too bad we couldn't meet up at the show.

What strikes me is the grade of the Albert the Bear. A Knight 1st Class is relatively high. An active officer with this class would normally be a senior Hauptmann or Major and have other decorations. If he were a serving reserve or Landwehr officer at the beginning of the war, I would expect an LD1. On a quick look, I didn't see anyone who matched. So I would guess he was a government official in the Duchy or in a nearby Prussian office who got the AB3a based on his peacetime status, and then entered the army during the war, so maybe a Lt.d.R. or Lt.d.L.

Dave

Hello Dave,

That is very interesting. Thank you for your valuable insight into this unusual medal bar. So that is definitely an Order of Albert the Bear-Knight's 1st? I also figured it was a Knight's 1st, as I thought the Knight's 2nd were always silver. Then Nimmergut's book confused the hell out of me as he shows Knight's 2nd that are "vergoldet". Is there any size difference between the Knight's 1st and 2nd?

Thank you & best regards,

Tom

Edited October 11, 2012 by tyanacek