I went to a gun show to meet a friend of mine who said he had a medal bar he wanted to show me. He wasn't sure what one of them was, and described it to me, and I took a medal of mine to show him. It turned out to be a three medal bar: EKII, Golden Merit Cross !!! in the center, and a post war Garde du Korps commemorative service medal. The Golden Merit Cross if the recipient is in uniform is worn suspended from a buttonhole. The presence of the medal on the bar indicates it must have been worn with civilian dress. The unofficial G.d.K. medal, and lack of the "Hindenburg" would seem to indicate the bar was made (and worn) between 1918-1934. The Golden Merit Cross was not marked, and had only slight traces of the gilt remaining. The lighting at the show was far too dark to get any decent photos. My friend lives about an hour's drive away, and I will visit him with the intention of getting some photos, and having them posted here.
I spotted an 1870 Wagner made EKI, that conforms almost exactly to the example on page 112 of "The Iron Time." The lacquer had flaked in a few spots (one fresh area) and rust was beginning to form along adjacent to two of the arms. The price was about what could be expected, but I decided to think the piece over because of the rust formation. (It can be stabilized but I like getting things that don't require anything needing to be done to them.)
I might go back for it on Sunday...maybe.
Lastly, I met a friend of mine who owns and runs "Great War Militaria" in Chambersburg, Pa. The owner told me that he's been hired by Miramar studios to make 40 reproduction Australian WWI uniforms, and both German and British fliers uniforms. The word is that a new film on Richtofhen is in the works, and will be filmed in New Zealand. The two "Kiwi's" that read this Forum ought to be pleased to hear about this. There was a three-way conversation going on that I was trying to follow, and I heard the name Peter Jackson (the fellow who did Lord of the Rings), a N.Z. film-maker, and WWI collector.
Militaria films tend to boost sales of related items. If you think Pour le Merite prices are high right now, wait two years, and don't be surprised if the price of fakes, even if sold as fakes, is going to go higher than some of would think possible. A real one? Selling the car in the past might helped get you one, soon you might need to sell the house, wife (not a bad idea at times...), the kids, but not the dog.
Les
I spotted an 1870 Wagner made EKI, that conforms almost exactly to the example on page 112 of "The Iron Time." The lacquer had flaked in a few spots (one fresh area) and rust was beginning to form along adjacent to two of the arms. The price was about what could be expected, but I decided to think the piece over because of the rust formation. (It can be stabilized but I like getting things that don't require anything needing to be done to them.)
I might go back for it on Sunday...maybe.
Lastly, I met a friend of mine who owns and runs "Great War Militaria" in Chambersburg, Pa. The owner told me that he's been hired by Miramar studios to make 40 reproduction Australian WWI uniforms, and both German and British fliers uniforms. The word is that a new film on Richtofhen is in the works, and will be filmed in New Zealand. The two "Kiwi's" that read this Forum ought to be pleased to hear about this. There was a three-way conversation going on that I was trying to follow, and I heard the name Peter Jackson (the fellow who did Lord of the Rings), a N.Z. film-maker, and WWI collector.
Militaria films tend to boost sales of related items. If you think Pour le Merite prices are high right now, wait two years, and don't be surprised if the price of fakes, even if sold as fakes, is going to go higher than some of would think possible. A real one? Selling the car in the past might helped get you one, soon you might need to sell the house, wife (not a bad idea at times...), the kids, but not the dog.
Les
NOOooooo, definitely NOT the dog!!! 
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