Medaille/Orden Question

[jager73]

Hello All,
I have a question pertaining to the different style of medals and orders issued in the DDR.
I have noticed the two distinct types of medals/orders which are the five sided ribbon and the spange with the medal attached below it. Was this a distinction between civilen and military/Police issue? If so this also raises a second question. I have been cruising Ebay Germany pretty often the last few weeks and have noticed a few of the different spanges with medals attached to them also have a version that consists of the five sided ribbon, and the two that immediatly come to mind are the Verdiensmedaille der DDR and the Ehrenmedaille zum 40 Jahrestag der DDR. Are these post unification concoctions or are they legit?
Having recieved the first of a few ordered refrences has actually raised a few more questions for me than I previously had, lol.

Thanks in advance,
Shawn

[uscob]

As it was possible for military or police personell to earn civillian awards on the 4-sided ribbons it was inofficially allowed to put them on their own expence on the 5-sided ribbon bar to attach them to the "military style " Medal Bar. otherwise it would look ugly to them to have different styles of Medal ribbons.
But most of the ones on ebay are made up with expensive civi ones to value them up. Normally they take Kampfgruppen Medals use the bar for the civy medal with ribbon by the yard and use the Medal itself as a key ring hanger or something else. It's unusual to find them single, because normally they were made by the "Münze" as a complete Medal set on a multiple Bar.
Nico

[Mike G.]

There were some NVA medals produced that were originally suspended from a suspension bar, and subsequently produced and hung from a five sided ribbon.

Case in point:

Meritorious or Honorary Military Pilot of East Germany:

<O</Oa). Goldplated Non-ferrous medal alloy produced with arc-shaped 40.5 x 30 mm eye, from which it was suspended from a 14 x 25 mm rectangular suspension bar. (1974-76).

<O</Ob). & c). Goldplated Non-ferrous medal alloy produced with a round eye from which it was suspended from a five sided ribbon. (1976 1989).

Attached:<O</O