EK2 with interesting ribbon

[Valter Gorenc]

I recently bought this EK2. Nothing really special on the cross, but I found ribbon interesting. It looks aged beyond ordinary WW1 EK2, and silver strips are wider than those usually seen on EK2's. Is this a 1870 ribbon or ribbon used for other awards, like RAO?

[streptile]

Regulations stipulated wider stripes for specific awards, for example the MEZ. But in this case the ribbon itself was also wider, usually 35mm. So yours is a bit of a mystery. It could be a ribbon meant for mounting the MEZ (e.g.) to a medalbar. What is the overall width?

[tompress]

Is the main color black? In my computer seems to be dark blue...

greetings
Tomasz

[Valter Gorenc]

Gentlemen, thanks for speedy response.

Added additional pics - artificial light is not good, my camera neither, but you'll get the impression.


Measurements: overall: cca 32 mm; outer black: 1,5 mm; silver strip: 8-9 mm; inner black: 12-13 mm.

I measured two ordinary WW1 EK2 ribbons: overall cca 30 mm; outer black: 3 mm; silver: 5-5,5 and 6 mm; inner black: 14 mm.

To Tomasz: It's absolutely black, no blue hue.

[Dansson]

The ribbon construction is good and makes me believe it's period. That ribbon has been hanging on that cross for a while.

A very possible explanation is that the ribbon was originally for another award, but when the guy who picked the ribbon for his cross didn't really care about width of stripes as it anyways looked like an EK2 ribbon to him and was good enough. Or this just is another version of the ribbon(?).
No one will notice the difference, except some collectors in the future who'll be scratching their heads bald wondering about it...

[tompress]

Now I see, that the black is black

This ribbon with its color proportions matches to No. 417 from Nimmergut's Bänderkatalog, used for Militärverdienstkreuz and Militär-Ehrenziechen 1. and 2. Klasse (MEZ), all awarded 1864-1918. But - as noticed by Trevor - in original this ribbon was 35 mm wide, so possibly a medal bar version.

greetings
Tomasz

[streptile]

I guess it's a ribbon for one of the MEZ series that is narrower for some reason. It's an interesting idea that it could be for mounting, but in truth I've never seen any bar that bothers to use the correct ribbon for the MEZ (they use EK2 ribbons).

[Valter Gorenc]

Gentlemen,
thanks alot for your valuable imput and references! This forum is really great. Well, I'm glad to clarify what the ribbon is for. I still think it's likely older than WW1 ribbon, as both its weave and wear are different than usually seen on WW1 ribbons. Common EK2 ribbons deteriorate differently, this one is also structurally somehow "weakened" as a whole, not just frayed from physical wear and tear.We'll never know how and when it came to this cross. I'll leave it where it is. I really like old ribbons with honest amount of wear - like this one. If I ahave a choice of aged, worn medal with piece of old original ribbon or minty medal with modern ribbon - there's no hesitation for me! Modern repro ribbons I use only if i got them with the medal and have no original to utilize.

And on the suitcases, of course