Austro-Hungarians

[Don D.]

I find it harder and harder to find new Imperial German things that I want. To fill the time I've started dabbling in A-H stuff. I really like the quality displayed and I think they are under valued and under apprieciated.

First up, a medal bar with a Silver Bravery Medal 1st class, a Silver Bravery Medal 2d Class, Karltruppen Kreuz, and two other awards. Any info on them would be most apprieciated.

[Don D.]

Some other things that came with the bar. Not really my area of interest but neat anyways.

[pammy]

K

Very nice don ..

[Don D.]

Surely Pammy and I aren't the only ones that find A-H awards interesting????

[RonR]

Don,

A-H awards are most interesting, and I have been fortunate to acquire a number through the years, and will join you in posting them as time permits.

The last two medals are Jubilee medals for Kaiser Franz Joseph 1st.

The last medal is for his 50th in 1898, and the other for his 60th in 1908.

Don't know if this reference book is still available, but although it is in German, it is a marvelous reference for A-H awards.


.........................

[RonR]

Another 60 year Jubilee Medal.......


..............

[Don D.]

Thanks Ron. Looking forward to seeing what you have.

[Elmar Lang]

Hello,

I'm happy, reading that other colleagues like to collect imperial austrian awards.

Actually, it's the theme of my collection since many, many years and until now I'm not tired to search these fine pieces of history.

The book of which Ron posted the cover, is the 1st edition of Roman Frhr. von Prochazka's "Oesterreichisches Ordenshandbuch", published in 1974; the second edition, in 4 volumes was published in 1979.

The "bible" on Austrian orders & decorations is still Mericka's "Orden und Ehrenzeichen der Oesterreichisch-Ungarischen Monarchie", published in Vienna, 1974. Until now, especially in the text part, it remains an unsurpassed work.

More recently, the Oesterreichische Gesellschaft für Ordenskunde published "Oesterreichs Orden" (Graz, 1996), available at the association's website www.ordenskunde.at : it's an excellent work with finest colour plates, describing in-deep any aspect of the Austrian award system.

The only work written in English is the relatively dated "Imperial Austrian Medals and Decorations" written by Jos. von Falkenstien (pseudonym of Dan Ragsdale) and published in Tucson, Arizona, 1972: it's a detailed, although much homemade-looking book; it excludes the orders of chivalry, but it's still extremely useful on medals & decorations.

Again, the Austrian association, besides "Oesterreichs Orden", published many useful books on the Maria Theresia Order and the Tapferkeitsmedaillen, on the Leopold Order, etc., all listed in the mentioned webpage.

Best wishes,

Elmar Lang

[Don D.]

Thanks Elmar. I'm looking forward to seeing your collection.

[VtwinVince]

Nice spange, Don. You know how hard it is these days to find kosher Austrian barsI also am partial to these awards, although I don't collect them. I had a whole group to an officer from 3. Inf. Reg., all pre-war stuff in the original, custom cases by Rothe of Vienna. I should have hung on to those

[Elmar Lang]

Hello,

actually, in Imperial Austria, properly mounted bars didn't exist: orders and decorations were mounted to the uniform by suspending them to thin cords fixed to the uniform.

The use of metal bases provided with a pin, starts after WW1, with the "germanisation" of uniforms during Austria's 1st Republic.

Different is for field uniform's ribbon bars, appeared during WW1.

Best wishes,

Elmar Lang

[Don D.]

Thanks. You are correct about finding good, original A-H bars. Ebay is loaded with fakes from Austria.

[Don D.]

Hello,

actually, in Imperial Austria, properly mounted bars didn't exist: orders and decorations were mounted to the uniform by suspending them to thin cords fixed to the uniform.

The use of metal bases provided with a pin, starts after WW1, with the "germanisation" of uniforms during Austria's 1st Republic.

Different is for field uniform's ribbon bars, appeared during WW1.

Best wishes,

Elmar Lang

Can you show us an example?

[stross]

Hi guys! Don thanks for starting this thread. As a young collector I've been dabbling in AH for several years because it is affordable. But it is tough to find pieces that are good.

Thank you for the book list Ron and Elmar!!!

[Elmar Lang]

Hello,

in my opinion, that of Austro-Hungarian Orders & Decorations, is one of the less "dangerous" fields of collecting, if compared to the III Reich and the ancient German states.

Until now, no copy or fake can reach the excellent quality of an original piece, at least to a medium trained collector's "eye".

Best wishes,

Elmar Lang