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    Hello Gents, Please have a look at this Knight's Badge of the Mecklenburg Schwerin Griffin Order (obv and rev scans at 800dpi). I bought this at OMSA a half dozen or so years ago, but I've just looked closely at it today and compared details to Nimmergut's listing, his no. 1679 in vol. 2.

    My piece measures 46.5mm high x 43mm wide and weighs 13.7 grams. Nimmergut says Knights are 49mm x 49mm and the weight as 20.2 grams. He seems not to include the pie shaped suspension in his measurements! If his 49mm size is correct, isn't it unusual that a Knight would be larger than the Knight with Crown (his no. 1678) which he quotes as 44mm x 44mm, not including the size of the crown?

    Other than the size and weight, what bothers me about my piece is the pebbling within the pie shape suspension. It does not actually consist of raised dots as pebbling should be, but rather like irregular, somewhat circular, broken raised lines. If other members who are specialists in German Imperial Orders would have a look and comment, I'd be most appreciative.

    Many thanks, Frank D.

    Germany Meck Schwerin Griffin obv.jpg

    Germany Meck Schwerin Griffin rev.jpg

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    • 2 weeks later...
    • 5 years later...

    This is a Knight grade of the Griffin Order given in 1901 to a Dutch officer.

    They are quite scarce with only a handfull awarded to Dutch recepients. 

     

    Regards

    Herman 

     

     

    Clavareau of van de Roemer.jpg

    IMG_7116.jpg

    Edited by Herman
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    Assuming it's Etienne de Kruijff, who was awarded the MG3 on 6.3.1901, it should be a Knight of the Orde van de Nederlandse Leeuw, which replaced an earlier-awarded Officer of the Orde van Oranje-Nassau. It appears the Netherlands Lion was returned in 1947, but I can't read Dutch well enough to decipher all the handwritten comments.

     

    KruijffEtiennede-KanselarijderNederlandseOrden.thumb.jpg.c6f100cdfdc17c1dd431aae4712c0e32.jpg

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    Sorry Dave, it is not de Kruijff. You show two cards of two different E. De Kruijff. Look at the different dates of death. Captain E. De Kruijff awarded with the Griffin order died on June 4th, 1912.

     

    I searched all kind of officerslists and identified 15 Dutch officers who got a Knight in the Griffin Order. De Kruijff is one of them, but he died before he received the Officerscross, so no match.

    After checking the medal entitlement of these 15 officers, 2 remained. The others got more and even much more awards.

     

    The 2 remaining officers are:

     - Colonel E.P.M. Clavareau

    - Major-General H.Z.A. van de Roemer

     

    The missing medal is therefore an Officer in the Order of Orange-Nassau with the swords as both received it.

     

    Van de Roemer also received a Knight in the Order of the Dutch Lion,  but that was less than 2 months before his death in 1928. I don't think it went in his medalset, of which I couldn't find proof he had one.

     

    My guess is Colonel Clavareau as I found a picture of him wearing a set of 3 medals. A blurry picture and the medals are difficult to see, but it is proof he wore them. My money is on him.

     

    I add two pictures. The first one is van de Roemer,  the second one is the blurry one of Colonel Clavareau.

     

    Regards

    Herman 

     

    urn-gvn-CBG01-018057-medium.jpeg

     

    MMRAZ02_000418062_mpeg21_p00004_image.jpg-1-1.jpg

    Edited by Herman
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    • 2 weeks later...

    Here is a set of J.H.F. Dumonceau, retired Dutch Lieutenant-General. 

    He got a Knight of the Greifen order in 1901 and a Knight with Crown in 1909.

    He used his Knight in this set and added a separate Dutch Crown to imitate his Knight with Crown. 

     

    Regards 

    Herman 

     

     

     

    J.H.F. Graaf Du Monceau, Lgen bd.png

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    Very interesting, because his Knight cross was given back in 1909, after he received the knight cross with the crown!

     

    Monceau, Joseph Heinrich Felix Graf du

    born 22.08.1859

    Haag, Königlich Niederländischer Premier-Lieutenant und Ordonanzoffizier Ihrer Majestät der Königin

    Knight cross: 07.02.1901

    Knight Cross back in Schwerin: 28.10.1909

     

    Knight cross with the crown: 28.08.1909

    Haag, Königlich Niederländischer Hauptmann und Flügeladjutant Ihrer Majestät der Königin

     

    Regards

    Seeheld

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    Interesting indeed, as there is another medalset of the same Dumonceau with a correct issued Knight with Crown of the Griffin Order.

    This set is in the National Military Museum.

     

    Regards

    Herman 

    Lgen bd J.H.F. Du Monceau.png

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    The number three medal in the picture in my post of last Friday, aka Weddingmedal 1901 Queen Wilhelmina /Prince Hendrik.

     

    This is his medal entitlement (in Dutch):

     

    Ridder in de Orde van Oranje-Nassau
    Grootkruis van de Huisorde van Oranje
    Bronzen erepenning voor menslievende daden
    Onderscheidingsteken voor Eervolle Langdurige Dienst als officier XXX
    Huldigingsmedaille (inhuldiging van Koningin Wilhelmina op 6 sept. 1898)
    Huwelijksmedaille in zilver (uitgereikt ter herinnering van het huwelijk van H.M. de Koningin)
    Herinneringsmedaille (uitgereikt ter gelegenheid van het 25-jarig huwelijk van H.M. de Koningin)
    Draagmedaille (uitgereikt ter herinnering aan het huwelijk van H.K.H. Prinses Juliana en Z.K.H. Prins Bernhard)
    Ridder van de 4e klasse van de Orde van de Rode Adelaar (Pruisen)
    Ridder van de 3e klasse van de Orde van St. Anna (Rusland)
    Ridder 4e klasse van de Orde van de Witte Olifant (Siam)
    Ridder met kroon van de Orde van de Griffioen (Mecklenburg-Schwerin)
    Ridder 1e afd. van de Orde van de Witte Valk (Saksen-Weimar-Eisenach)
    Ridder 1e klasse van de Huisorde en Orde van Verdienste van Hertog Peter Friedrich Ludwig (Oldenburg)
    Ridder van de Orde van de Wurtembergsche Kroon (Wurtemburg)
    Ridder in de Orde van Berthold I (Baden)
    Commandeur van de Orde van Gregorius de Grote (Kerkelijke Staat)
    Officier van de Kroon-Orde van België
    Ridder in de Orde van het Legioen van Eer (Frankrijk)
    Commandeur 2e klasse van de orde van Adolf van Nassau (Luxemburg)
    Grootkruis van de Orde van de H. Schat (Japan)
    Grootkruis van de Orde van de Poolster (Zweden)
    Grootkruis van de St. Olaf Orde (Zweden en Noorwegen)
    Grootkruis van de Orde van het herstelde Polen (Polonia Restituta)
    Grootkruis van de Orde van de Dannebrog (Denemarken)
    Grootkruis in de Orde van de Eikenkroon (Luxemburg)
    Grootkruis van de Orde van Leopold (België)

     

    And his entry in the Dutch Officers list 1940.

     

    00001372_405.jpg-1.jpg

    Edited by Herman
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    For those who can't read Dutch, I took the liberty of translating the list into English. I think I got most of it right.

     

    Knight in the Order of Orange-Nassau

    Grand Cross of the House Order of Orange

    Bronze medal for charitable deeds

    Insignia for Honorable Long Service as Officer XXX

    Tribute Medal (Inauguration of Queen Wilhelmina on September 6, 1898)

    Silver Marriage Medal (awarded in commemoration of the marriage of H.M. The Queen)

    Commemorative Medal (awarded on the occasion of the 25th wedding anniversary of H.M. The Queen)

    Bearer Medal (awarded in memory of the marriage of HRH Princess Juliana and HRH Prince Bernhard)

    Knight of the 4th Class of the Order of the Red Eagle (Prussia)

    Knight of the 3rd class of the Order of St. Anna (Russia)

    Knight 4th Class of the Order of the White Elephant (Siam)

    Knight with Crown of the Order of the Griffin (Mecklenburg-Schwerin)

    Knight 1st Class of the Order of the White Falcon (Saxony-Weimar-Eisenach)

    Knight 1st class of the House Order and Order of Merit of Duke Peter Friedrich Ludwig (Oldenburg)

    Knight of the Order of the Wurtemberg Crown (Wurtemburg)

    Knight of the Order of Berthold I (Baden)

    Commander of the Order of Gregory the Great (Papal State)

    Officer of the Order of the Crown of Belgium

    Knight of the Order of the Legion of Honor (France)

    Commander 2nd Class of the Order of Adolf of Nassau (Luxembourg)

    Grand Cross of the Order of the Sacred Treasure (Japan)

    Grand Cross of the Order of the Polar Star (Sweden)

    Grand Cross of the St. Olaf Order (Sweden and Norway)

    Grand Cross of the Order of the Restored Poland (Polonia Restituta)

    Grand Cross of the Order of the Dannebrog (Denmark)

    Grand Cross of the Order of the Oak Crown (Luxembourg)

    Grand Cross of the Order of Leopold (Belgium)

    Edited by bolewts58
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    On 27/06/2023 at 17:55, seeheld said:

    Very interesting, because his Knight cross was given back in 1909, after he received the knight cross with the crown!

     

    Monceau, Joseph Heinrich Felix Graf du

    born 22.08.1859

    Haag, Königlich Niederländischer Premier-Lieutenant und Ordonanzoffizier Ihrer Majestät der Königin

    Knight cross: 07.02.1901

    Knight Cross back in Schwerin: 28.10.1909

     

    Knight cross with the crown: 28.08.1909

    Haag, Königlich Niederländischer Hauptmann und Flügeladjutant Ihrer Majestät der Königin

     

    Regards

    Seeheld

     

    Seeheld,  your answer got me wondering. Were Mecklenburg-Schwerin awards to be returned to the Chancellery upon death of the recipiënt or upon receipt of a higher grade in the same order?

     

    Regards 

    Herman 

    Edited by Herman
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    Herman,

     

    According to Mr Ludvigsens outline Paragraph 6.a, pg 9 the order was to be returned upon death or promotion to the next higher order.

     

    v/r,

    Chuck 

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    On 30/06/2023 at 21:39, Herman said:

     

    Seeheld,  your answer got me wondering. Were Mecklenburg-Schwerin awards to be returned to the Chancellery upon death of the recipiënt or upon receipt of a higher grade in the same order?

     

    Regards 

    Herman 

    Yes,

    this was the regulation. 

     

    Regards Seeheld

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    Quoting Mr Ludvigsen awards were returned as late as 1941 by the German recipients. Less so by foreign recipients particularly Russians. 

     

    Regards

    Chuck

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