Bavaria military merit order 4th class

[Hannibal]

hi
can someone tell me the differences between the 4th class with crown and without it? is it a common award? how many were awared? who are the main manufacturers of this award?
thanks

[Rick Research]

The Bavarian MMO 4th Class with Swords was awarded over 24,000 times. The same class with Crown was awarded just over 3,000 times, so theproportion is roughly 1 to 8.

These were awarded to officers from Leutnant to Major.

Although normally the 4th Class with Swords was awarded first, and the Crown indicated a second award later, in some cases the Order with Crown could be awarded directly as a first award for exceptional merit. This applied to the three grades of Crosses as well.

A recipient of the 4th Class with Swords had to return it when awarded the upgrade with Crown.

I've got a particularly nice Bavarian group where the receipt for his MMO4X pledging he or his heirs would return it in event of his death (rather macabre, issued "at the Front"), stamped by the Bavarian Orders Chancery indicating that he HAD returned this, and authorizing relesase of his MMO4wCX.

Makers were Hemmerle Brothers, J. Leser, and Weiss & Co.

[Hannibal]

thank you very much for your reply Mr.Lundstrom.

[Rick Boyd]

Rick,
Did the same thing go for the second class? I had a second class Bavarian Military merit cross cased, with crown and swords. The cross, swords and crown were copper colored. I've never seen another one like it.

[Rick Research]

Rick--all copper colored? That's the 3rd Class. Not silver(ed) with enamel obverse center disk?

Yup, the three grades of crosses for enlisted men were NORMALLY awarded with Swords, and then with Crown and Swords, but COULD be awarded with C&S as an initial award, for more than usual merit.

[Rick Boyd]

Rick,
I found this one in the dusty corner of an old jewelry shop in Indiana. The owner purchased it off the street, and it came in a blue case. The printing on the top definately said "2KL". I don't think it was ever silvered, it almost looked like a copper or bronze colored wash over the entire award.