Anhalt Cross and Ribbons

[Ammersee]

I saw this cross on ebay a couple weeks ago. The cross looked okay but the ribbon was a bit wrinkled. This is the photo from ebay.

[Ammersee]

The seller also had another auction with a box of ribbons. After looking at the ribbons, I assumed the Anhalt Cross and the box of ribbons went together. In the upper left corner of the ribbon lot pic, you can see a really nice ribbon for this cross. Perhaps the original ribbon. (??) Here is the ribbon lot pic from ebay:

[Ammersee]

I managed to buy both lots and they finally arrived. I replaced the ribbon on the cross with the nice full length ribbon.

[Ammersee]

I went through the box of ribbons and found a few items of interest. These were part of a medal bar at one time. The middle Anhalt ribbon is the one that was sewn to the medal. The first one is the Prussian Red Eagle I think. 25mm ribbon. Second is the Anhalt ribbon and the last is for the Kaiser Wilhelm I 100yr centennial.

[Ammersee]

These 3 ribbons are sewn together. If I'm not mistaken, they are made to wear on the buttonhole of a tunic. The ribbons are the EK2, Sachsen-Meiningen War Merit Cross (or medal), and the Anhalt Friedrich Cross.

[Ammersee]

There were several other ribbons cut at an angle that I also think were part of a button hole mount at one time. One Sachsen ribbon and one Anhalt ribbon are particularly dirty along the exposed edge and I wonder if these ribbons witnessed some action.

[Ammersee]

Other odd pieces of ribbon.

[Ammersee]

Here's one I'm wondering about. It's a buckle of sorts on a long service ribbon. Any ideas what this is??

[Ammersee]

Last are these 2 very small ribbons. About 17mm wide and both look like they had medals on them at one time. The colors in the photo are fairly accurate. What are they?

[Ammersee]

That's all from the lot. The seller claimed she was selling these items for an elderly relative that was related to the soldier that earned or acquired them. She claimed the original owner was Wilhelm von Karstadt, a WW1 pilot. While this sounds romantic, I doubt if there is anyway to prove it. Whoever owned the cross and ribbons, I'm enjoying them now. Ammersee

[Don D.]

I hate to see the remains of a bar that has been torn apart.

http://www.worldmedals.co.uk/Rib/germrib.htm

[Ammersee]

I know what you mean. It seems like half of the loose medals that I buy that are used show signs of being on a medal bar at one time. I think part of the reason so many were taken apart is that you can buy the complete bar for less than the cost of the medals sold alone. I just did this last month. I bought a complete untouched bar with an EK2, Hessen silver medal and Hindenburg cross for $63. I could take the EK2 off and sell it for $70!

Eventually the number of medal bars will be less than the demand and this rape will end.

There is a thread right now in the photo section about the same thing...taking photo albums apart and selling the pics one at a time. How sad.
Ammersee