in silver

 Pour le Merite

in silver with baroque loop

#70

The Imperial Navy jacket extension chain with two WW1 buttons are marked 'Rochfeine Qualitat'
Worn with Imperial Navy Short Parade jacket 'Affenjacke'

The Pour le Merite was awarded to approximately 687 individuals during WW1 of the 5,319 awards made during its inception in 1740

The eagles legs are narrow, delicate pieces extending to small foot pads on the arms of the cross. The highest quality badges have very detailed, delicate eagles with cutout tail feathers. Although not marked, this piece appears to be a  fine  example because of the obvious quality mentioned is all present here and the medal is enameled in a lighter shade of blue which is also characteristic of all finer pieces. Note that the ribbon worn  is without center stripe.  Following November,1916, Pour le Merite's were made of silver due to the prohibition on using gold. There is considerable controversy regarding the connected u-r in Pour however, there are known war issued examples with the u-r being connected. The Pour le Merite was no longer issued after the abdication of the Kaiser. For the most part, jeweler made copies were worn well into the second world war  which was a requirement while in uniform with the original usually being kept in a safe place so as not to damage it or lose it . This PLM Comes with a case with a shortened piece of original ribbon ( 7.5") that has silver threads intertwined. As with some of the later issued awards this one has no specific hallmark.

The limited use of the Imperial Navy in WW1 is the reason why only 49 Pour le Merite awards were issued; five of which were awarded with the oak leaves. Of the 44 PLM's issued w/o the Oak Leaves, 11 awards were issued prior to the Nov.1916 conversion from gold to silver with apparently 33 PLM's issued from Nov. 1916 thru Nov,1918. The  last two awards being issued on Aug 18, 1918 to KaptLt. Wilhelm Werner of U55 and KaptLt. Paul Hindius of UB 103.

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#71 Knights Cross of the House Order of Hohenzollern with swords Hausorden von Hohenzollern   This Knights Cross was awarded for acts of bravery.   mkd  W   (Wagner)  .938 silver gold over silver  8,291 were awarded Earned by officers for acts of bravery and distinguished service  and   the intermediate decoration between the Iron Cross 1st Class and the Pour le Mérite for Prussian junior officers.

Kapitänlt Lothar von Arnauld de la Perière                                                                    Kptlt Hanse Rose               

                                            recipient of the Pour le Merite (11 Oct 1916) ,                                                                           recipient of the Pour le Merite (20 Dec 1917)                                  

                                 Knights Cross of the House of Hohenzollern,                                                                           Knights Cross of the House of Hohenzollern,                      

                                                      Iron Cross 1st Class & Iron Cross 2nd Class                                                                               Iron Cross 1st Class & Iron Cross 2nd Class                                               

U - 35                                                                                                          U - 53

#72

WW1 German Iron Cross 1st  Class          
three piece screw back              
Hallmarked German national mark 'crescent & crown',  AM  Adolph Mayer                   
Jugenstil silversmith, Frankfurt am Main                
.925 Sterling Silver            

#73

Deutsche

Militärische Medaille

 Military Honor Decoration 2^nd Class

silver, 25mm

Prussian Military Honour Decoration 2^nd Class, 1888-1918, Kaiser Wilhelm W over R cypher (Wilhelm Rex) on the obverse and KRIEGS VERDIENST (War Service) within a wreath on the reverse, silver metal, 

 rare medal, not the more common KRIEGER VERDIENST,  The  Military Honor Medal [Krieger-Verdienstmedaille] shows the two line inscription: "Kriegs Verdienst" (“Military Merit”) and is mounted on a combat ribbon.

This Second Class award with the unusual variation of having the motto "Kriegs Verdienst" rather than the usual "Krieger Verdienst". It also has a more decorated monogram than usually seen on the Kriegerverdienstmedaille. These may be variations made by a private manufacturer, and thus this particular example was probably worn by one of Prussia or Germany's European Officers .

#74 WW1 Prussian Honor Cross

#75

Grand Cross of the Iron Cross       

Großkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes     

62mm
.800 mark top of back arm

.800 marked on loop hanger
(highest ranking Iron Cross)
issued to only 5 General officers

Kaiser Wilhelm II, Generalfieldmarschall von Hindenburg, General Ludendorf, Generalfieldmarschall Leopold of Bavaria and Generalfieldmarschall von Mackensen
the medal is made of  .800 silver as marked and tested
the core is silver and not iron possible field wear
.800 mark top of back arm
unlike the Iron Cross 1st & 2nd Class  this Grand Cross was awarded not for bravery but for the
 "most outstanding strategic decisions affecting the course of the war".
marked .800

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 #76

Knights Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
Ribbon
&
Oak leaves  mkd .800

pre 1941 clasp (concave)

Official Government Issue

Präsidialkanzlei des Führers Lieferant (Führer Chancellery Supplier) number  20  CF Zimmerman,    Pforzheim

mkd .800 20
(CF Zimmerman)

Knights Crosses with stamped numbers without a letter prefix, i.e. “21,” are known as “Präsidialkanzlei”, marks. Sometimes, the same manufacturer used both designations , a number or a Letter and number according to the regulations for producing officially awarded and privately purchased decorations.  C.F. Zimmermann  produced awards for the government with the number  “20” and  privately for individuals with the using the designation “L/52.”

In total, 7,313 awards of the Knight's Cross were made. Only 883 received the Oak Leaves

                                                                                                    reverse of Knights Cross upper arm  800  20 (CF Zimmerman)                                         Early pre 1941 Oak Leaves mkd  800,  noticeably concave

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 #77

 Knights Cross Ribbon
&
Oak leaves
mkd .900
SILBRE
L/50
(J.Godet)

The clasp is comprised of  three oak leaves with a pebbled matted finish and with finished edges and central ribs burnished. The reverse side was concave on the earlier clasps  becoming flatter on the later issues. The silver content mark (.800 or .900) appears on the 9:00 'o' clock position with manufacturer designation appearing at the 3:00 'o' clock position. On the earlier awards, the central  raised rib of the right lower leaf was very close to the right hand edge of the top central leaf. Whereas, in 1941 private contractors under govt. license produced a second version with the central rib of the right lower leaf more regularly curved and at a greater distance from the edge of the central leaf. On October 22, 1941, the govt. called in all private manufacturer's stock and it was forbidden to purchase from retail outlets. The oakleaves thereafter were issued by the government and only six firms were authorized to manufacture them; CE Junkers, Gerbuder Godet & Co.,CF Zimmerman,Quenzer & Klein, Ottoo Schikel & Stein and Steinhauer und Luck.These firms also provided the official copies for purchase by recipients.

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