restored medal bars

[Komtur]

Ernst Freiherr von Mirbachs medal bar and its Ottoman medal of the Kaisers visit to Konstantinopel in 1889:

 

1. as sold in Thies auction 1988 (probably in the original version of sewed ribbons)

2. as sold in Thies auction 2004 (evidently the ribbon of the Ottoman medal was removed and refixed in a different manner)

3. as sold in Künker auction 2017 (the Ottoman medal was turned)

4. as sold by a renowned medal dealer in 2018 (the Ottoman medal and its ribbon was removed and permanently separated from the medalbar)

5. after replacing the missing medal

 

The original Ottoman medal in gold was in 2017 removed by the acquirer, who was obviously only interested in this very scarce medal. The then missing medal and ribbon was replaced with a contemporary bronze gilded medal and its original ribbon.

Edited October 7, 2021 by Komtur

[Komtur]

Landesbankdirektor und Hauptmann der Landwehr Kuno Dopfer

 

The medalbar was linked with the name of Dopfer at an auction and came with two long service crosses. Interestingly Dopfer was mentioned indeed in the Prussian sources with the Prussian cross and in the Bavarian ones with their cross. I am until now not sure, if he was officially qualified for both. It is quite possible, he got them by mistake, because of his service in the Bavarian Army and his place of residence in Hohenzollern (belonging to Prussia).

[Komtur]

Generalmajor Maximilian Lesser

 

The Baden order was removed, probably because of return. By comparing the medal bar with the one worn by Lesser after May 1905, the position of the Baden order was changed later. Supposing, he wore the bar because of political reasons in that way in his late private life, I leave the sequence of decorations as I found it and only replaced the Zähringer Lion.

Edited October 7, 2021 by Komtur

[Komtur]

Vizeadmiral Hugo Louran

[Komtur]

Robert Esser

 

 

Edited October 7, 2021 by Komtur

[1812 Overture]

Wow! Your bars are great! I would like to ask if the last medal of this medal bar is the 1908 Messina Earthquake Rescue Medal?

[Komtur]

1 hour ago, 1812 Overture said:

Wow! Your bars are great! I would like to ask if the last medal of this medal bar is the 1908 Messina Earthquake Rescue Medal?

Yes it is. As commander of SMS Hertha from April 1908 to March 1909 Hugo Louran got the scarce medal of merit in silver.

Edited October 8, 2021 by Komtur

[VtwinVince]

Nice work Komtur, as usual.

[Komtur]

1 hour ago, Simius Rex said:

... I have a question about the Esser medal bar.  How was it determined that the White Falcon and the Maurice & Lazarus were the two awards missing?  Was the name of the owner known in advance, or was the combo of remaining 5 awards enough for an I-D?

This bar came along with two other bars of a very special combination, wich of this reason were researchable for his son Ferdinand Esser. So it seems likely, to attribute the other bar to a relative and therefore the father Robert Esser was found promtly.

 

As often in these cases, all the glory belongs to Daniel ?.

 

Later I found the portrait, where Robert Esser wore exactly the bar I´ve got. Both missing decorations are to be seen there clearly.

[Deutschritter]

Dear Komtur, can you possibly name the four neck orders and the extra little medal on Robert Joseph Esser's (1833-1920) jackett? Thank you!

[Herman]

I am speechless. Thank you Komtur for showing us these fabulous medal bars.

 

Regards 

Herman 

[GdC26]

1 hour ago, Deutschritter said:

Dear Komtur, can you possibly name the four neck orders and the extra little medal on Robert Joseph Esser's (1833-1920) jackett? Thank you!

I hope Komtur doesn't mind but what I think I see are:

 

1. Preussen, Roter Adler Orden Komturkreuz
2. Preussen, Kronenorden Komturkreuz
3. Italien, Kronenorden Komturkreuz
4. ? (looks to be a Russian order?)
5. The little medal on the lapel looks to be the Mitgliedsabzechen der Kaiser Wilhelm Gesellschaft zur Förderung der Wissenschaften - 

Compliments to Komtur for a great threat.

 

Kind regards, 

Sandro

Edited October 8, 2021 by GdC26

[Deutschritter]

Thank you both, Sandro and Komtur!

[Komtur]

Friedrich Drenker

[Paul C]

Great work.

[Komtur]

Oberstabsarzt Dr. Georg König

[Komtur]

Dr. Karl Friedrich Müller

[VtwinVince]

Great stuff Komtur, I've never seen that bilingual Greek Urkunde before.

[saschaw]

This must be one of the most interesting threads of the past months here... thanks, Komtur, for sharing your skill and passion in researching and restoring these absolutely terrific groups! It seems an exemplary manner to me you're also documenting even here in public these groups were restored, where most(?) other fellow collectors or dealers might maybe keep silence about these subtle facts...

 

 

On 08/10/2021 at 20:59, Deutschritter said:

(...) name the four neck orders (...) on Robert Joseph Esser's (1833-1920) jackett?

I think the fourth neck cross remained unnamed until now. It's apparently not listed in his DOA 1908/09 entry, but my best guess would be an Ehrenkomturkreuz of the Großherzoglich Oldenburgischer Haus- und Verdienstorden des Herzogs Peter Friedrich Ludwig. But is it? Might anyone have a younger source mentioning Robert Esser with this award?

 

Edited February 20, 2022 by saschaw

[Deutschritter]

I hope we can find out, Saschaw, that would be great!

[David M]

On 09/10/2021 at 00:21, Komtur said:

Friedrich Drenker

Which one is the MgVM? Is it the last medal?

[Komtur]

2 hours ago, David M said:

Which one is the MgVM? Is it the last medal?

Yes it is.

 

I know, that there is a wrong ribbon for the medal on this place of the bar. But because of the extraordinary strange combination of decorations and because of what was to be found under the ribbon, I am quite sure, it is the right medal.

Edited February 20, 2022 by Komtur

[David M]

Oh I had no idea about the ribbon. Just curious about what MgVM stands for 

[saschaw]

On 21/02/2022 at 06:57, David M said:

Oh I had no idea about the ribbon. Just curious about what MgVM stands for 

Then your answer might be: It has to be something like Montenegrinische goldene Verdienstmedaille. Just a guess, but it certainly is something from the Principality of Montenegro...

 

 

[ostprussenmann_new]

Very interesting and great work everyone. I definitely don’t see anything wrong with proper restorations.