Medalbar help needed!!!

[Brian R]

Guys-

Can you provide comments on this medalbar? Besides the fact that it has a 1939 "Round 3" EK it seems to have an interesting mix if WWI awards from Austria etc. Is this a believable combo of awards and are they in the right order?

Thanks in advance,
Brian

[Brian R]

Reverse...

[Rick Research]

Looks like a VERY nice bar to a "40 something" former Austro-Hungarian soldier.

One thing to note: the "1873" General Campaign Medal (retroactive awards were made then back to 1848) following the Karl Troop Cross and Hindenburg Cross with Xs was NOT authorized for WW1 service. It was assumed that, based on normal practice, it WOULD have been given for frontline service 1914-16. It was NEVER so authorized-- and yet many, many Austrians "self-awarded" it--and it can be found--utterly improperly--even in the groups of Wehrmacht Generals! It was actually last authorized for the Boxer Rebellion of 1900-01.

Looks good to me! My only concern is that the pin catch appears as if it may be hand snipped and not stamped or wire, which would NOT be a good sign. If you blacklight the flawlessly mounted ribbons and those are OK, I'd have no doubts at all it is good.

[Brian R]

Rick-

Thanks SO MUCH for the info. I have been talking to the gentlemen who is selling this bar about making a deal. He is in Vienna. It seems that he is interested but then all of a sudden I have not heard from him in two days. I asked about the blacklite test and he says it does not glow. He said he acquired this bar from a family in Austria. I've seen some of the other items he is offering (these are things I know much more about) and they all seem good to me. He is guaranteeing its originality and said he has no problem providing an inspection period. I like this bar because the medals cover a lot of different periods/events etc. Hopefully this guy is still interested in the deal. I hope to know by tomorrow. I will post a follow-up.

Thanks again,
Brian

[Kurasier84]

Hi,
I have a question:
This soldier has the german and hungarian commerative WW1 medal, but not the austrian one.
Why?
Cheers
Christoph

[Rick Research]

He might have been an Austrian Nazi, either in jail or a fugitive across the German border: the Anschluss Medal is a good indication he was some sort of Nazi sympathizer.

So perhaps he didn't apply for one--or was not allowed to receive one.

In this sort of group, over the years I have seen many that I took to be residents of the Sudetenland-- they had the October 1938 medal, and all the WW1s--except the Austrian one. Why? Because the Czechs didn't allow bestowal of "enemy" WW1 awards? The thing is, the Austrian medal awards (except, bizarrely, the Tyrol WW1 Commemorative Medal) ceased at Anschluss, but the Hungarian and Bulgarian WW1 medals were awarded into WW2. So while someone in former-Austria or former-Czechoslovakia could get one of those as new subjects of the Third Reich, the Austrian medal's authority had ceased to exist.

[Kurasier84]

Hi,
thanks for your reply
Cheers
Christoph