Saxony Saxony, St.Henry Gold Medal

[Bernhard H.Holst]

Hello:

A Military St.Henry Gold Medal (maker marked F.U.) together with Saxony-Coburg-Gotha Silver Merit Medal with Swords and the China Commemorative Medal for Combatants. Plus the ribbon bar.

Important notice/correction posted Aug.3, 2013:

these pictured medal- and ribbon bars have meanwhile been identified as being incorrect/most likely made up to deceive. I thank Rick Research for giving such a thorough expertise of the several matters identifying them as such. And I apologize to have given the impression of them being the genuine articles.

B.H.H.

Edited August 3, 2013 by Bernhard H.Holst

[Jason]

Stunning!! My favourite kind of bar...colonial and Saxon!!

[Guest Rick Research]

Bernhard, I very much regret to say I'm not happy with either. I have NO idea if any Gold St. Henry Medals were awarded for China, but there weren't any World War ones awarded without Iron Crosses unless (will have to double check) the recipient was killed--in which case back it would have gone. If it is GOLD--great--who cares about any of the rest of this! That's pre-into early WW1. If it is bronze-gilt, hope is still high--for late WW1, but not on THIS bar. But if it's silver gilt, then it's a BAD "upgrade."

The Ernestine Medal is not only 1905+ but looks like a post-WW1 example since it has a normal suspension ring and not that awkward Italian style lug across the top. There would be not medals of this type without a date bar AND swords before the 1935 "Nazi" version.

The ribbon bar, I think you will find, is a WW2/1930s type steel bar with the catch punched out. You won't be able to feel the routine center holes punched in the center of each space with that style ribbon, but again time does not match what is on there.

The medal bar looks much better than the ribbon bar-- ??? a Silver "China" St Henry Medal (I have no clue), a peacetime Ernestine (monkey fingers added incorrect Xs to a wrongly replaced medal?)....

BACK AGAIN: just looked through Weber/Arnold/Keil undated (?1997 no copyright date!!!) comprehensive "Die Orden des Königreiches Sachsen" and they say MINTED = 1849 12 golds, 1866 15 golds, then no new ones until 125 in 1914-15, after which 110 bronze gilts were struck in 1917 and 1918. They don't show whether any of either medal were actually handed out for China, though. I suppose a no-decorations China veteran might have been in the running for a WW1 one... but without an Iron Cross....

Got to look through that Third REich volume on all the gold recipients, but still does not look promising. Same minting history for silvers: 184 and 30 1849/1866 then no more struck (or needed?) before the thousands of WW1 silvers.

BACK AGAIN. Per the 1936 "Ehrenbuch der Inhaber der Sächs. Goldenen Militär-St. heinrichs-Medaille" there were no "solo" WW1 awards of the gold medal.

Edited August 3, 2013 by Rick Research

[Bernhard H.Holst]

Hello readers:

Please see my notice and correction incorporated into my original post above regarding this unfortunate incident of having posted something which does not belong!

Thanks to Rick Research for uncovering the truth.

Bernhard H. Holst

[Guest Rick Research]

We are all at the mercy of naughty persons selling bad things. That's why collecting friends all have to stick together! Anything I can do to help, ever!

[redeagleorder]

I think this is the same bar:

http://gmic.co.uk/index.php/topic/44932-saxon-gold-st-henry-medal-bar/?hl=scottplen#entry415051

[Bernhard H.Holst]

I think this is the same bar:

http://gmic.co.uk/index.php/topic/44932-saxon-gold-st-henry-medal-bar/?hl=scottplen#entry415051

Yes it is indeed. Somehow I missed that post. It would have saved me a misstep.

Bernhard H. Holst

[VtwinVince]

That's too bad, as Gold St. Henry Medals are rare for WW1, so this was a little hopeful.