Hohenzollern Golden Honor Medal w/Swords

[Mark M]

I found an interesting medal bar with a Hohenzollern Golden Honor Medal with Swords. Does anybody have any information about how many of these were awarded, their value and was this a strickly noncom/EM award? Any comments on the medal bar would be appreciated also.

Regards,

Mark

[attachmentid=47241]

[Mark M]

Here is a close up of the award.

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[Mark M]

Here is a photo of the reverse. Notice the uneven cut of the zig-zag on the bottom of the wool backing....

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[Mark M]

The ribbons are also the dreaded "folded up under" style instead of the Prussian "loop" style.

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[W McSwiggan]

Hello Mark,

According to O'Connor, 640 awards of this medal were made between 1914 & 1920.

It was an an award intended for ranks other than officer or eqivalent per my understanding. I do not know if this award was tied to a specific rank range as were so many of the Imperial Awards. Perhaps a more learned member of the forum will be able to help with that.

As to value - I can not help you there.

Regards,

Wayne

I found an interesting medal bar with a Hohenzollern Golden Honor Medal with Swords. Does anybody have any information about how many of these were awarded, their value and was this a strickly noncom/EM award? Any comments on the medal bar would be appreciated also.

Regards,

Mark

[attachmentid=47241]

Edited July 19, 2006 by W McSwiggan

[Guest Rick Research]

Hmmmmm. VERY odd pin and catch on back that look inadequate to actually holding the bar on. Mock pinking shears cut....

I dunno....

[Mark M]

Wayne

Thank you for the count - good to know.

Rick

I know - certian aspects of the construction look good, such as the use on random ribbons under the mounted ribbons and the padding, other aspects, such as the backing and the folded ribbons at the bottom scream bad.

Mark

[Stogieman]

And, at the price he wants, it's not worth taking a chance on yet another "put-together" bar....

[Daniel Cole]

Are you sure its Golden? I had one once and with the tarnish it look golden but was really silver, with golden swords.

F?rstlich Hohenzollernsche Hausorden

Silberne Verdienstmedaille von 1842 mit Schwertern

The Princely Hohenzollern Silver Service Medal with Swords was issued from the Principality of Hohenzollern in Sigmaringen. It was awarded between the years 1851-1927, with records indicating a total number of awards to be 6034. Awarding was to lower officials. Von Hessenthal/Schreiber dates the first awards of the silver service medal with swords to non-commissioned officers and enlisted men of Carl-Anton Prince von Hohenzollern's Hohenzollern Fusilier Regiment Nr. 40, in 1871.

Actually, followed the first awards between 1866 and 1869.

The statutes of the Princely Hohenzollern Decorations states:

" ohne Unterschied des Ranges und Standes solchen Personen verleihen werden, welche durch Treue im Dienst, oder ohne Anstellung im Staatsdienste, durch vorz?geliche Verwendung in Staats- oder Gemeindeangelegen-heiten, durch n?tzliche Erfindungen und Anstalten dieser Auszeichnung sich w?rdig erzeigen."

"May be awarded to such persons indiscriminate of rank and standing, which through faithful service, or without appointment in civil service, through excellent employment in civil or community business, through beneficial inventions and institutions shows himself deserving of this decoration."

? 6 Absatz 3 der Statuten des F?rstlich Hohenzollernschen Ehrenzeichens vom 5. Dezember 1841

[JensF.]

Here is my example of the Golden Honor Medal with Swords:

[JensF.]

Back:

[camelneck]

On ‎7‎/‎19‎/‎2006 at 21:07, Daniel Cole said:

The Princely Hohenzollern Silver Service Medal with Swords was issued from the Principality of Hohenzollern in Sigmaringen. It was awarded between the years 1851-1927, with records indicating a total number of awards to be 6034. Awarding was to lower officials. Von Hessenthal/Schreiber dates the first awards of the silver service medal with swords to non-commissioned officers and enlisted men of Carl-Anton Prince von Hohenzollern's Hohenzollern Fusilier Regiment Nr. 40, in 1871.

I've been trying to determine exactly how many of the silver medal with swords were issued. 

1) Does the number 6034 apply to those with swords or does it apply to all of the silver medals?   It was my understanding that the swords were only issued during wartime. 

2) Can you also clarify that the 6034 applies to the life of the award (1851 - 1927) and not just during WW1 (1914 - 1918) or WW1 and after (1914 - 1927)?

Thanks.

[camelneck]

I just bought one of these medals on ebay for $150.  The seller listed it as a "silver medal with swords".  It is in NEF or better condition so I'm really happy with the purchase.  However, as soon as I opened the package, I immediately thought that this might be a gold medal because most of the photos that I've seen of the so-called golden medals only seem to have a small amount of the original gilding left.  In fact, I thought about posting a photo, but my medal looks almost identical to the medal in the photo that JensF. has posted above. 

If it is a gold medal, most of the gilding has worn off.    On the other hand, I wonder if tarnish could give this medal a slightly golden look.  If only 640 gold medals were issued as opposed to 6,000+ silver medals, then I'm sure the gold medals are worth a lot more money than the silver ones (especially since I have a gold one with swords).  

Sincerely,

David Collins