Vor dem Feinde

[Tom Y]

This just arrived form an English dealer I've never dealt with before. The ribbon has very pronounced ribbing and is narrower than one would expect. The color is consistent throughout, so it doesn't appear to be faded.

[Tom Y]

The cross itself has much more pronounced pebbling than my others. The surface of the arms comes to a peak or ridge rather than the smooth curve I'm used to.Is it a keeper, or should I send it back?

[Mike Kenny]

Hi Tom,

I can't tell you what to do! Here's an image from a cross I used to own though - sorry, this is the best I can cobble together but I think the ribbon is similar to yours (at least in their narrow widths). It came from a German dealer and I sold it a while ago because I didn't like the ribbon (I wanted a standard one) and the cross was near-mint (I prefer used!). Note that I am not saying that either my cross or ribbon were produced recently. From memory the ribbon glowed under UV but I may be wrong (or confusing it with a genuine old piece of Bav St Michaels Orden ribbon which definitely glows!).

Regards
Mike K

[Bill M]

--Are you thinking it's bogus, Tom?
--Well I can't comment on that, but it is different than the ones I have and am used to seeing. I can't even embellish on what you said there, I can only say it's an ugly one.
--I'd like the proper ribbon on it, though. Two questions on that: did you know it was coming with a 'prinzen(?)' ribbon and are the colors true (or is it a trick in the lighting)? They seem a little off.

[JensF.]

Are the cross and the clasp magnetic? And is there a fading on the ribbon under the clasp?

[Tom Y]

Are you thinking it's bogus, Tom?

Yup, although I don't remember hearing of fakes.

Jens, the cross is non-magnetic, but the bar is magnetic. As I said, the ribbon is a uniform color all over. No darker spots anywhere, even wher e it's foded over to fit through the ring.I bought it sight unseen and nothing was said about the ribbon. Looking back over old posts it looks very similar to your brass example in http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...t=oldenburg+fa Does yours have the pebbled surface?
For some reason the ribbon makes me think "British" Possibly a make-do added by some collector/seller along the line.

[Robin Lumsden]

Tom.

Your cross looks fine to me. These things were made right through the 20s and 30s and I've seen a number of variants - like variant EKs. I've seen them in brass, iron and even zinc. As for the ribbon, again it looks OK to me. Seems to be the standard 25mm type made for court mounting. It's not uncommon to see slight differences in colouration/dimensions with 20s/30s ribbons. Some of the veteran etc. awards had distinctly orange stripes instead of regulation red, for example. It was precisely because of these variations from the norm that were common in the 20s and early 30s that Hitler clamped down heavily on the production of medals and decorations after 1933 - to achieve a better degree of standardisation. Before that time, some makers and suppliers almost 'did what they liked'. Hope this reassures you.

Best regards,

Robin.

[Tom Y]

Thanks, Robin.

[Rick Research]

I've never seen pebbled arms either-- which On The Happy Day will CERTAINLY identify the specific maker.

Is that a continuous SLIDE ON loop, bent to hold it against the ribbon, not two prongs?

The fact that it IS magnetic, and the strange loop make me think it is an "original" issue---

my ONLY full size bars (two on medal bars and one on a ribbon bar) are all non magnetic, and appear from what I can see (being mounted) to be "prong back"-- but then mine are all in 1930s mountings. Of course a continuous loop could have been neatly SNIPPED by a recipient to mount as required-- a "slide on" being possible as "presented." I have ZERO to go by on these.

The red stripes are often dull bricky-pink on this type ribbon.


I'd keep it.

[Tom Y]

Yeah, it's a loop, interestingly, it's the width of the ribbon.

The red stripes are often dull bricky-pink on this type ribbon.

These are more of a ti(*)(*)y pink