Imperial German Medal Bar - Opinions Please

[rossi1321]

I have just acquired this medal bar and was hoping to get some opinions. This is a new area of collecting for me. The bar appealed to me as I am quite interested in this period of German history.

 

The Duppel Storm Cross appears to be on an incorrect ribbon? I assume that the Wound Badge and 1914-18 Honour Cross must be to another family member? Do all the other medals appear correct?

Any information / opinions would be very greatly appreciated

Thank you

 

Mark

[Dave Danner]

The second medal, the 1864 Kriegsdenkmünze, goes with the third ribbon. I suppose it is possible the more brightly colored ribbon for the Düppeler Sturmkreuz did not survive the period from 1864 to 1897, and the owner couldn't afford a replacement or didn't really care,  so the piece of dark ribbon in second place was thrown on there.

Here is an example where the ribbons survive relatively well for their age:

[GreyC]

Also a very nice bar!

GreyC

[rossi1321]

Thanks very much Dave

[Valter]

I have to say this bar doesn't look period to me. The stitching is very messy, with thicker thread than usually seen, and ribbons are placed really sloppy. It appears the ribbons are placed to the bar recently, hard to say if they are original or not. Maybe they even are, but the rarer Duppel ribbon was not available to the seller (=faker). The hardware and medals appear original to me. So probably a bar put together from (partly or completely) original parts, with very bad craftsmanship. It could also be repaired by the owner somewhere in time, without proper replacement parts (ribbons) and skills. Did you check the ribbons with black light? And tested the thread wether cotton or synthetic?

[Streptile]

Also, a Centenary Medal in first place? I too have some doubts about the bar, although the parts (ribbons, medals, bar) do look good to me.

[Dansson]

12 hours ago, Streptile said:

Also, a Centenary Medal in first place? I too have some doubts about the bar, although the parts (ribbons, medals, bar) do look good to me.

The Centenary Medal was also the first thing I noticed, it should be the last medal on the bar. I agree with Streptile.

 Plus the setup looks modern made and sloppy. I agree with the previous comments that the medals and hardware of the bar are original.

[HeikoGrusdat]

18 hours ago, Streptile said:

Also, a Centenary Medal in first place? I too have some doubts about the bar, although the parts (ribbons, medals, bar) do look good to me.

Take a look at the reverse...it seems that the bar has been worn as a Frackspange , then the KDM70 would have been in first and the Centenar in last place....

[Streptile]

3 hours ago, HeikoGrusdat said:

Take a look at the reverse...it seems that the bar has been worn as a Frackspange , then the KDM70 would have been in first and the Centenar in last place....

I thought Frackspangen usually had the catch on the right and the hinge on the left. This one has the catch on the left like a normal bar. How can you tell that this bar was set up as a Frack? Just trying to learn as bars are not my area of specialty.

Edited March 14, 2017 by Streptile

[Chris Boonzaier]

I think we place too much emphasis on the accuracy of a Vetrans medal bar.

I live in a pretty thriving village of 5000 in Germany... in the 1950s there were 2 cars, dirt roads and everyones yard was full of pigs.... imagine how it was in 1900 ?

What I am trying to say is, a Vet living in a rural area, or even a village back then probably had to wing it when it came to mounting his own bar... not everyone could afford to go to town and get a tailor to mount them... maybe it was 3 old vets sitting in the bar puzzling how the new medal should be mounted and Klauses wife mounted all three bars.

I dont think it is a Frack bar, it looks like a normal one that at some stage had a Centenar added, as I said, i thend to think added in the wrong place by the vets wife (although of course it could have been him, his daughter or the local milk Maiden)