Oldenburg Friedrich August 1st Class

[GODISHIGH]

Hello, I'm interested in this 1st Class cross but I've never owned one of these before and would like more opinions regarding its authenticity.
Thanks
John

[ChrisKelly]

Looks genuine to me.  Privately converted from a pinback.

 

 

 

Edited February 9 by ChrisKelly

[VtwinVince]

I would agree.

[GODISHIGH]

Thanks for your help

John

[Edelweiß21]

This piece is indeed a good one.

Greetings from Oldenburg

[GODISHIGH]

Was this cross a private purchase after the war or awarded during the war?

Thanks

John

[ChrisKelly]

Presuming you're the owner... 

 

I think there's really no way to tell.  I own one myself (see my post from 9 February 2025), which is a wartime piece.  Yours may very well be a wartime piece that's been converted to a screwback by its original owner.

[GODISHIGH]

I was interested in purchasing it but I ultimately passed on it
Thanks
John

[Edelweiß21]

The cross itself is a wartime piece made by Bernhard Knauer, Oldenburg. But the needle was replaced with the screwback, as mentioned. The type of this modification is more likely to be post war.

Greetings

[Yeohelmetguy]

… I am not an imperial German militaria or medal collector, my interest focused on British Victorian Army headdress… but I do have this decoration in my possession purchased from Herr Bielitz, Wallertheim, Germany about 45 years ago… not on the subject of the Oldenburg cross in question in this post but of Oldenburg significance...

 

Cheers,

 

David

 

 

[VtwinVince]

Nice one David, the HO with swords is scarce and heavily faked these days.

[Edelweiß21]

2 hours ago, VtwinVince said:

Nice one David, the HO with swords is scarce and heavily faked these days.

The most dangerous fakes of it are from the 1980s and 90s. But its true of course.

Its a really nice piece.

Greetings

[Yeohelmetguy]

1 hour ago, Edelweiß21 said:

The most dangerous fakes of it are from the 1980s and 90s. But its true of course.

Its a really nice piece.

Greetings

... I can assure you this particular decoration is not a copy or "fake"... it was purchased from J H Bielitz who enjoyed a much respected reputation as an Imperial German militaria collector, historian and seller who must now be in his late 70's or early 80 years of age and this and several other House Orders from various other German states I still own were authenticated at both The Deutsches Museum and the Bavarian Army Museum curator of medals while I was living in West Germany... It is a lovely original piece ...

 

D. 

[Stogieman]

I agree that your cross is not only quite real but also quite scarce. I’ve been fortunate enough to have owned several examples over the years, but not with swords. All are quite scarce and I always found this order to be quite beautiful, especially the enameled and scripted reverse!

[Edelweiß21]

On 01/03/2025 at 21:51, Yeohelmetguy said:

... I can assure you this particular decoration is not a copy or "fake"... it was purchased from J H Bielitz who enjoyed a much respected reputation as an Imperial German militaria collector, historian and seller who must now be in his late 70's or early 80 years of age and this and several other House Orders from various other German states I still own were authenticated at both The Deutsches Museum and the Bavarian Army Museum curator of medals while I was living in West Germany... It is a lovely original piece ...

 

D. 

Maybe my words were a little missleading. Your piece is of course an original cross made by Bernhard Knauer or Zimmermann and was awarded for colonial or ww1 war merite.

I just said the most dangerous copies are from the 80s and 90s, not that your piece is a fake from that period.

English is not my first language, so sorry if i made it sound that way.

Greetings

Edited 15 hours ago by Edelweiß21