Bundesrepublik Deutschlands Verdienstkreus am Bande

[Ralph A]

...für Damen! Steinhauer & Luck.

Can someone help me identify the age? There's a nice write-up on these in Issue 14 (Aug 2001) of the BDOS's Orden und Ehrenzeichen, but this one does not match any of the pictured examples attributed to that maker.

[Ralph A]

The cross.

I think less than 700 have been awarded to women, in this grade. Too bad I don't have the document!

[Ralph A]

The medallion

Tell-all, for the age. Any help on approximate date of manufacture?

[Ralph A]

Eagle's beak.

At first, I thought I had a "no tongue" bird, but it's there - just not enamelled.

[Ralph A]

Reverse.

...

[Ralph A]

Pinback.

There are no maker's mark on the piece at all.

[Ralph A]

Case lid.

The piece it holds is exceptionally well made, as you might expect.

Lovely enamel, and gilding is delightful. Great details. The ribbon is heavy and colors are vibrant.

[Ralph A]

Maker mark on box.

25mm. Still at it, after 117 years.

You don't see these pieces in collector's hands very often do you? Some help on the age would be appreciated, gentlemen. I think... 1950's.

Thanks for looking.

(ps here's what the case is sitting on, in pic #1 http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...ad.php?t=91903)

[oli4vercammen]

Damn!

I used to have a Grand Cross of this order: the one with eagles onthe sash and a breststar with six points. It was from an Belgian minister, but his collection was broken up by the doughter after he died

The story goes like this: There was a dealer in old stuf, who bought hole interiors of houses, etc... when people die and he came to the house of the former minister and bought some stuf from the doughter. then he saw a few garbage sacs and asked the doughter what was inside. The doughter replied that it was just rubbish and he asked if he could take them also. In the the bags where some statues from churches and other stuf, plus there was one or two bags with ALL his decorations: atleast 15 Grand Crosses, 20 Grandofficers, 20 Commanders, ect...
There whas a Grand Cross of the order of Leopold (Belgium) / order of the Crown (Belgium) / order of Nassau (Netherlands) / orderof the Dannebrog (Denmark) / order of the Oakcrown (Luxemburg) / the German Bundesrep. Verdienstkreuz / and lots of other African and South American orders!

Here comes the Horror: The seller sold all stuf on a fleamarket, so the collection was broken up! He sold a Grand Cross sash for 600 BF (€15) and the breststar for 400 BF (€10): this means that a complete set was sold for 1000 BF or 25 euro, yes: twenty five euro!!! This is nuts, so after one hour everything was split up and a few weeks later he was back again and sold the Grandofficers and Commanders at even lower prices.

This story is realy happened in Flanders, since I hearded it from several reliable collectors who where there and I bought the German set from one of them!

Olivier Vercammen