German Order of Precedence

[Indyarch]

I have been looking for a good reference source for the order of precedence of German medals. Particularly when displaying the 1914-18 Honor Cross with German states medals.

My specific question regards the the positioning of the Honor Cross and long service awards. Which comes first? I've always thought that the Honor Cross came before LS awards.

I have attached photos showing the medals displayed each way. Is there a reason why the LS award would be placed before the Honor Cross?

I aprreciate hearing your thoughts.

[Indyarch]

Another

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[Indyarch]

Another

[Indyarch]

And yet another

[saschaw]

Any long service award should actually be gehind the Ehrenkeuz, but e.g. a Württemberger might have considered this cross as a "foreign" award, so "his king's" long service award outranks the Ehrenkreuz.

Is that first medal bar yours? Honestly, I do not like it. The "gold" medal seems to be modern gilt, and the Wiederholungsspange looks some kind of strange, too.

[Indyarch]

Thanks for the verification. No wonder it's hard to find a reference book with all the states placing impotance on their own state's awards first.

The first medal bar with the spange is in my collection. It was a nice looking bar purchased reasonably. I'm not an expert on the Third Reich Spange or metals and finishes. Thanks for your candid opinion.

[Wild Card]

Thanks for the verification. No wonder it's hard to find a reference book with all the states placing impotance on their own state's awards first.

The first medal bar with the spange is in my collection. It was a nice looking bar purchased reasonably. I'm not an expert on the Third Reich Spange or metals and finishes. Thanks for your candid opinion.

How true, especially with the Saxons and Bavarians who frequently went their own way by putting their state awards in front of all others.

You might want to take a look at Parade Medal Bars of the Third Reich by Thomas M. Yanacek. Aside from being an excellent presentation on the subject, it does specifically outline “The Order of Precedence for Mounting Awards”.

Best wishes,

Wild Card

[Indyarch]

Thanks Wild Card. I'll try to find that book.

Archie