The 1914/1918 Ehrenkreuz

[HPL2008]

Just in is this new addition with which I am very pleased: It's the non-combatant equivalent to the medal bar shown in post # 131 two years back, again uniting the German Ehrenkreuz with its Austrian, Hungarian and Bulgarian equivalents.

Obverse view:




Reverse views:






The two bars in direct comparison showing the differences for active combatants vs. non-combatants: Ehrenkreuz für Frontkämpfer vs. Ehrenkreuz für Kriegsteilnehmer, Swords vs. no Swords on the Austrian medal's ribbon and combatants' vs. non-combatants' ribbon (white center stripe) on the Bulgarian medal.
Note, however, that the Hungarian medal is the same on both bars. The reason for this is that this version was awarded to all military personnel actively serving in WW1, regardless of whether they had fought on the frontlines or served in rear areas or the homeland. The non-combatants' version (with its different ribbon, no swords on the obverse and no helmet on the reverse) was awarded for other kinds of national service relevant to the war effort or active in care for the wounded or for POWs during WWI:

[HPL2008]

Just in, the latest addition to the ever-growing family.

Once again, the Ehrenkreuz für Kriegsteilnehmer is joined by the Hungarian WWI Commemorative Medal in a nice little grouping consisting of a medal bar, lapel bow and ribbon bar for these two medals, with an additional single ribbon for the Hungarian medal, mounted in the triangular Austro-Hungarian style.


A group picture:




The full-size medal bar, obverse and reverse views:








The lapel bow and ribbon bar, obverse and reverse views. Both are constructed with 15 mm wide medal ribbons:






The additional ribbon for the Hungarian medal. Obverse and reverse view and opened:

[Sarge]

What an outstanding thread on what most consider to be a rather dull/uninteresting medal series.
No idea why I had not looked at this thread till now???
I have several of these, but from looking at this, only a drop in the bucket!
I do however have several in the issue paper envelopes and cased, none of which has been shown or mentioned here. I also have the award document for all 3 variants.
Looks like I'm goin g to have to go retake photos of the award documents as I don't find them or the envelopes.
Best I can do is the case /swords. Here it is, lower left in the photo.
Sarge

[Glenn66]

I'm with you there Sarge, this thread has missed my gaze. Now I'm going to have to add one or two of these awards to my slowly growing imperial collection.

I wonder, given the relatively low cost of these awards, are fakes something to be worried about?

[HPL2008]

I'm with you there Sarge, this thread has missed my gaze. Now I'm going to have to add one or two of these awards to my slowly growing imperial collection.

I wonder, given the relatively low cost of these awards, are fakes something to be worried about?

Even these quite common and inexpensive awards are being reproduced now, but as far as I know, fakes are still so much rarer than originals as to be almost negligible in practice.

By the way: I know I can be a bit of a nit-picker, but... As the 1914/18 Ehrenkreuz was only instituted in 1934, it is actually not am Imperial German decoration, but a Third Reich one.

[Chopperman]

By the way: I know I can be a bit of a nit-picker, but... As the 1914/18 Ehrenkreuz was only instituted in 1934, it is actually not am Imperial German decoration, but a Third Reich one.

It is technically a TR award but sense this has turned into such a well done thread,
I did not have the heart to tell him.

[Glenn66]

You pair of Grognards. OK, it is a TR award related to Imperial times. Still going to get one and place it next to one of my WW1 helmets or Pickels.

[stuka f]

Didn't know that eighter!!
Intresting indeed.
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[ynot]

Even these quite common and inexpensive awards are being reproduced now, but as far as I know, fakes are still so much rarer than originals as to be almost negligible in practice.

I believe the cases are faked, I have about 4 and one of them has wear and tear that doesn't look right. Mind you, I've no idea of what the visual differences between good and reproduced boxes are.

Tony

[HPL2008]

I believe the cases are faked, I have about 4 and one of them has wear and tear that doesn't look right. Mind you, I've no idea of what the visual differences between good and reproduced boxes are.

That's right. The cases are quite heavily faked. I honestly don't know the characteristics of the real and fake ones, either, which is the main reason I haven't bought one yet.