Rare and real!

[stogieman]

I'll start this with a slight caveat. This bar will be up for grabs on the E-Stand at some point in the future. The evil master-minds of Rick & Rick, are attempting to research the original recipient as we speak. Condition is stunning. Really. The thing is, anybody can stick some leftover WW1 non-com ribbon on an EK2 and tah-dah! Instant "rarity". BUT, when you find one in a mounted, original medal bar group, then you know you truly have one of the few, the rare, the real. Enjoy!

[stogieman]

And so, what we have here...

...is a real 1914 iron Cross, 2.kl. Non-Combattant; Prussian Order of The Crown, 4.kl.; Prussian General Honor Decoration, or Service Medal; Landwehr 20 year long service cross and a Centenial Medal. This fellow would have worn this bar during the war. If it was post 1918, he would have been wearing a 25 year cross and the 20. Here's the back-side of the bar:

[ccj]

I see no images. What happened? Is this only my problem?

I wanna see too!!!!!!!!

[Rick Research]

I see them. I took them, too, since You-Know-Who keeps making those icky ones with dark backgrounds!

[Daniel Krause]

Really a nice bar! Congratulations! Absolutely fantastic condition!

Best regards

Daniel

[McCulloh]

Military Beamter?

To me this is a classic mid-level Beamters' medal bar. Do the rest of you agree/disagree?
Its' very nice and I wnat it!
Cheers,
JeMc

[Tom Y]

So do I.

[McCulloh]

Arrrgh!

Stogieman already sold it!

[Rick Research]

Musta been my sharp, clear, vibrant scans, huh?

[stogieman]

Ach....

du Lieber Gott! Such abuse I take! And yes, the bar has been sold to a good home!

[Mike H.]

Who did it belong to?

You went and got me all curious, then left me hangin'....

[McCulloh]

Hruumph

Well, if I didn't get it; it can't be that good a home. Hruumph.
To me this bar says Beamter. That is some well-bred but not too bright, Protestant University graduate who got his law degree and after he went down, joined a ministry as some sort of bureaucrat :"rat" (Yes, prime Minister type). I have a list somewhere of the various levels of bureaucratic service in an article on Wilhelmenian bureaucracies.
He also would've had to do his military service as a gentleman volunteer/officer candidate.
The non-com EK2 indicates he probably was a civillian in 1914-1918 as 10,000 out of 13,000 were given to civvys.
Note the crown order is also a peacetime issue, denoting a job well done in service of the Fatherland , as does the much lower rated staat service medal (see the earlier thread on this below).
The Landwehr cross was given for 20 years long service as a reserve officer-an almost automatic commission in some bureau appointments (like Justice or Finance).
These crosses were not handed out after September, 1914, so at the latest, it denotes a chap who got his commission @ 1894. Give him 3 years at university getting his LLD. and 2 years in the army and he was minimum, born @1872. So was minimum @42 when war broke out. He was probably older given the Crown Order-@50 (or really well connected, or efficient), because that tended to be proffered after @15 years or more higher level service (Asst. Deputy Director of naval coal procurements) etc.
However, the Centennial medal indicates a military bureacrat since the Centennial stautues allowed for vets, serving soldiers and military Beamter to get it (along with Royals). He couldn't have been an active soldier in 1897 and have received the XX cross prior to August, 1914, so my guess is hes' some sort of military official in Berlin.
Lastly other clues indicate a mid-level bureaucrat-no other states awards, no foreign awards, no kyfserbund medal to demonstrate proud WW1 service.
Thats' my theory anyway.
What do you chaps think?
Thanks,
JeMc

[Dez H]

Sold??????

I was gonna jump on that one too

I guess I must be getting slow



Regards

Dez