OK! Deal done. We can talk about this in polite society.

[Bob Hunter]

Just closed a deal on this bar with a very scarce, maybe even rare Bavarian Red Cross decoration. The research was conducted by the "Manifestly Evil Bob" and the ever so distinguished "Not So Evil Twin" who did the quantitative analysis, extrapolation, tome pouring as well as a few timely and appropriate incantations and a spell here and there...

I will let his evilness explain his findings and rationale.

[Bob Hunter]

reverse

[Daniel Murphy]

Bob,

Nice bar. Definitely not a military man, the Hungarian medal did not come out until the 30's and there is no Honor Cross. If he were a doctor he would have had a higher grade of the red cross medal, yet there is also that nice Bavarian Red Cross long service (?) cross. I would say a Bavarian Red Cross ambulance driver or stretcher bearer who served at the front in support of Bavarian troops on the eastern or Italian front. As for the backer, it is not a centenary medal ribbon, look at the woven edge of the ribbon at the top of the bar. I believe it is just a wide yellow silk decorative ribbon.

Dan Murphy

[Guest Rick Research]

Ha! Evil Ricky knows nothing of these! Only the GOOD Ricky knows!

The higher grade of this, quite peculiarly, was a very large crown worn on the ribbon like half of what should have been a "normal" crown over the cross-- and with a reduced to proportion "1914" bar below it.

There were SUPPOSED to have been exactly 8 of those. Erhard Roth's Bavarian rolls only listed Military Personnel in "officer and equivalent officials," and so he shows only 3 "with crown."

The Bavarian Personal-Nachrichten, however listed ALL of these awards-- which is why I have just noted that 25 "crowns" were all awarded on 27 April 1918 on a page from the 17 May 1918 edition I copied 30 years ago. (I don't remember seeing any BEFORE that date and Roth lists none earlier than this, with 1 later). NINE of those 25 were women.

Roth shows a mere 54 of Bob's class "1914" Cross to officers and equivalents.

Assuming the same 1:18 proportion from Personal Nachrichten lists (and this worked remarkably accurately with Military Merit Orders long before I ever saw the rolls so I feel fairly confident in the guesstimation methodology), and bearing in mind now the 300% increase in total numbers of the crowns I have just now re-discovered,

I should be astonished if there were 3,000 of these "1914" bar Crosses. I have certainly never had one fall into my paws. Assume the same 2:1 proportion of male to female recipients as "with Crown" and the medal bar pool of males is down to 2000-ish.

It is certainly a "do-able" project to suppose that somebody someday WILL pull out the complete and "knowable" list of these Crosses.

Until then, Bob's got himself an immaculate trio to SOME Bavarian Red Cross volunteer who apparently served outside Bavaria's borders-- which will decrease potential subjects by at least half again, probably.

So: maybe 3,000 total. Maybe 2,000 to men. Maybe 1,000 who were mobilized and not local "hometown" volunteers.

Not bad, Bob. Not bad at all.

[Bob Hunter]

Udaman!

[Ulsterman]

very,very nice and mayhap to a woman! Nicest bar I have seen in a long time.

[Bob Hunter]

Anyone notice the ribbon disconnect on this bar??

[Wild Card]

Anyone notice the ribbon disconnect on this bar??

Apparently not. What are you referring to, Bob?

[Bob Hunter]

In reality nothing! I now have the bar in hand and what looked like and incorrect ribbon on the end commemorative turned out to be correct. I couldn't make out the horizontal stripes in the photo.

[notned]

Nice Bar Bob!

A question...

Are you back on the Imperial Gravy train now??

As i seem to recall a wee while back...you were selling off all your bars?

Did you have a change of heart?

Thats wonderfull Bob! you cannae beat the Imperial bug...

Regards

Paul

[Bob Hunter]

Not really. This one was too unusual and too inexpensive to pass up. I was thinking resale all the way.