My Medal Bars or Ordensspange

[Chopperman]

Yep, it's a nice one.
Non-com 1870 with nonstardard style oakleaves.

[Claudius1]

This one was free. Not sure if I should keep it and find the medals to attach or give it to freind or something. I havent yet ID the last ribbon.

Hello leej11;
I hope you keep this bar and find the medals to re-assemble it. It shouldn't be too hard. The last award is very likely the Bavarian Prinz Luitpold Commemorative Medal. It is also not too hard to find.

Nice collection of medal bars.

[oradour]

The last award is very likely the Bavarian Prinz Luitpold Commemorative Medal. It is also not too hard to find.

Claudius1.....Welcome to the Imperial forum !..... it could also be for the Turkish "Liyakat" medal, a popular award for German forces fighting alongside thier Turkish allies. Heres a photograph of one, this medal is also shown as part of a set at post # 54 of this thread......the Prinz Luitpold medal ribbon is the same, i'll guess we will never know......so Lee could put either on his bar.
Prost ! Steve.

[leej11]

Nice collection of medal bars.

Thanks Claudius1. Glad you enjoyed them. Im still not sure what to do with that bar.

[Claudius1]

Hello Oradour;

Thank you for the welcome to the forum.

Besides the Luitpold or Liyakat, it could also be the Bav. 1918 Wedding Commemorative issued in 1921. It also used this ribbon combination. I naturally gravitated to the Luitpold because it seemed more likely candidate, with another Bav. award right next to it.
The bar in question doesn't have a LS, Centennial or uniquely officer awards. It appears to be to an EM, NCO or maybe a LtD. The Bav MVK made me think of the 1911 Luitpold Commemorative. It would be possible that the gent was an EM and just past his first year of draft service in 1911. Three years later he is in WWI and earned the Wurttemberg MMM in silver, EK2 and a BMK (not perhaps in that order).
The 1918 Wedding Commemorative is possible too; however I believe that longer serving Bavarian officers with a lot of other awards would have been receiving those. I haven't seen any on a "short" bar before.

The Liyakat is possible as a NCO or LtD with the right connections could get it, but the TWM (aka Gallipoli Star) was a more common award from Turkey. That was a breast badge, however sometimes it's shown as a just a red ribbon with two white stripes on an ordensspange. I view the Liyakat, Imtiaz or Medjidie as Turkey’s higher awards given to distinguished recipients. The Wurttemberg MMM in silver is somewhat common as is the BMK.

The medal bar in post #54 is very different than leej11’s bar. That gent had a LS and was perhaps an officer or long servicing NCO. The recipient may have had some Turkish connections made during his long service, perhaps overseas.

But as you say, we may never know for sure.

[oradour]

Claudius1, thank you for an well informed reply, I look forward to your contributions in the future, here on this section...your imput will be valued, I tend to collect over such a broad front (Imperial Army items) from medals to combat equipment, Pickelhaubes, uniforms etc, etc, that it would appear that I am more a "Jack of all trades" but sadly a master of none (but I am working on that !). Regarding Turkish war medal/Gallipoli Star/Eiserner Halbermond, one of my favourite awards !....I again show my Turkish made example, and a photograph of the ribbon (with rare clasp), that went with this medal. Prost ! Steve.

[leej11]

Great info guys! Funny that you were on this subject since my next bar includes the King Ludwig Cross 1916 and the Hochzeit medal. I had it written down somewhere but I cant remember what the last medal is and cant seem to find it on the net right now.

[Claudius1]

Thank you for posting this medal bar! This medal bar is excellent for our discussions here. I will start with just the medals first. (some of the medals are on the wrong ribbons)
from L-R
Ludwig Cross,
1918 Wedding Commemorative issued in 1921,
Hindenburg Cross,
Prinz Luitpold Commemorative Medal 1905 (the reverse is the key in identifying this medal)

The ribbons from L-R
Ludwig Cross (the medal is on the correct ribbon)
Wedding Commorative, or Liyakat or Luitpold medal ribbon,
Kyffhäuserbund war medal ribbon
??? (hard to tell from the faded ribbon and perhaps the photo, but it looks like solid yellow? That would actually make sense with imperial ordering)

The problem collectors have had for decades with medal bars with medals on hooks is that they get removed, moved or added around over the years. I think that is what happened here.
Now, I mentioned earlier, the Wedding Commorative, the Liyakat and the Luitpold all use the same ribbon (or close enough). The Ludwig Cross is with the correct ribbon in 1st place. In second place, it is very unlikely the Turkish Liyakat medal would be there (but not impossible?) The 1905 Luitpold is good candidate for position #2, but the Wedding Commorative may also work. Especially with a proud Bavarian during the crazy rules of the Weimer period.
The 3rd position is the Kyffhäuserbund medal . This is not the ribbon for the Hindenburg hanging below.
The last ribbon is hard to see what it was before fading. The medal is the 1905 Luitpold medal, but if the ribbon is a faded yellow the medal would have been the 1897 Centennial Medal. It's a great big round gold "gong" of a medal.

So, what I believe you have here is a Bavarian that served around the turn of the 19/20th century. He put his Bavarian awards first, war commemorative next and finally an imperial Centennial medal.

[leej11]

The last ribbon is blue and white striped like the faithfull service ribbons I have on page one. I think you are right though about the Deutscher Reichskriegerbund "Kyffhäuser" Ribbon. As soon as I come across one I will switch them out. VG Lee

[Walkwolf]

LeeJ11's medals shown above and their coresponding ribbons are - left to right:

Ludwig Cross
Luipold Commemorative Medal 0f 1905
Kyffhauser Medal
Bavarian Long Service Medal or Cross