The Blood Order

[jimt]

Has anyone ever done a data base on the Surviving 1st pattern Blood Orders? It would be interesting to see how many have survived?

[ErichS]

[QUOTE=Jim Toncar;5079940]Has anyone ever done a data base on the Surviving 1st pattern Blood Orders? It would be interesting to see how many have survived?[/QUOTE

My guess is Jon Fish has most of them but I don't think there is anyway to really know how many survived the war. A lot of those who were awarded the BO got rid of them at the wars end, so who knows? My guess would be 1%-5% of the 1500 or so awarded.

[chen]

A member once said app. 200-300 survived. Another member said app. 100 survived and 40 account for.

[ErichS]

A member once said app. 200-300 survived. Another member said app. 100 survived and 40 account for.

Again, it's just a guess because some may be hidden away in old collections etc. and it would be almost impossible to put a number on it.

[chen]

Absolutely true.

[Jon Fish]

1st patterns I have 12, 2 colleague's have around the same,another collector is supposed to have 7 or 8 [although this is] hearsay. Then I know of 2 guys who have 3 or 4. Then there is a clutch of guys with 2 examples and I would say I know of maybe 10 guys with 1 example. I have seen but missed out on around 7 or 8 others.So I know of about 70 [although I am going by what I am told with the 2 large collections as I have not seen them but the owners are reputable and I don't doubt] So then probably the same again that are in families and never come to light,that would make a guess of around 120/140 surviving , under 10% of those produced.
But its all guess work apart from what I have.
Chen,do you have any?

[rkhunter]

Ulric of England is supposed to have a large collection of blood orders?

[jabnus]

I think it's impossible to really know whats out there and what remains hidden in families or in silent collections...

[Jon Fish]

Ulric of England is supposed to have a large collection of blood orders?

Thats one collecion I have allowed for in the numbers

[ErichS]

One of my favorite BOs that Ulric owns is the fobke cased Order that came from the Dienna collection. The bottom line is most agree that under 10 percent probably survived.

[Coburg]

For such an historically significant item I think the low numbers suggested that remain is sad.

Without getting into the rights and wrongs of the NSDAP movement, I think the Blood Order has to be one of the most politically important awards of the 20th century.

I am fortunate enough to own a first pattern, which stands in my collection as one of my most valued items. To have 12 1st pattern as Jon has is ofcourse something else.

Thankfully some do remain and hopefully more will be uncovered as time goes on and families feel a little more comfortable with their ancestors past. As ever, we tend to judge history by the present and perhaps don`t look at the attitudes of the day , whether they were right or wrong for their time.

I would love to see more medals come to light, just so Jon can increase his collection

Jim

[Bob Hritz]

4 first patterns.

Bob Hritz

[Jon Fish]

4 first patterns.

Bob Hritz

Thanks for calling in Bob, I had factored your collection in the numbers

[shaneos3]

Hi Everyone,

Is there any chance that Bob, Jim, Erich or Jon could take an educated guess at how many 2nd Pattern Blood Orders have survived- I would think at least 10 times as many as the 1st Pattern. I agree entirely with Jim when he says "I think the Blood Order has to be one of the most politically important awards of the 20th century" but I assume he is referring only to the 1st Pattern or is the 2nd Pattern also fairly important given that it was given out much more liberally and to those not involved in 1923?

Kind Regards,
Shaneos3

[Jon Fish]

Hi Shane, As a very rough observation I would say I come across 3 or 4 available 2nd patterns for every available 1st pattern. That should be the fact anyway,one in three, as there were around 1500 1st and then nearly 3000 2nd.