Königreich Sachsen, Orders & Decorations

[Fritz]

Militär St. Heinrich Orden

 

Königlicher Militär St. Heinrichs Orden, Ritterkreuz. Inst., 7. October 1736 by Kurfürst Friedrich August III. The oldest military decoration of the German states. Awarded only to officers. Motto: Virtuti in Bello. Removed from a medal bar. Unmarked, presumably by Scharffenberg, Dresden. Awarded altogether 3.450 times. Slight damage to enamel.
Silberne Medaille des Militär St. Heinrich Ordens. Awarded only to NCOs and other ranks, who were not entitled to an "Orden". It was also awarded in Gold. On replacement ribbon. Under neck portrait is signed FU for the medailleur Friedrich Ulbricht. Made by Juwelier Scharffenberg, Dresden. Awarded 1848-1918. 1914-1918 were 8.299 awards in silver.

[Fritz]

Königlich Sächsischer Albrechts Orden, Ritterkreuz 1. Klasse mit Schwertern. Inauguration 1850. Silver gilded, lower cross arm marked R for Roesner, Dresden
Königlich Sächsischer Verdienst Orden, Ritterkreuz 1. Klasse mit Schwertern. Inauguration, 1815. Silver gilded, lower cross arm marked S for Scharffenberg, Dresden
Both decorations awarded only to officers.
 

[Fritz]

Albrechts Kreuz in original case of presentation. Made by Scharffenberg, Dresden. With label on underside of Kunath, purveyor of ribbons.
Silver, with separate centre medallions. Ribbon confectioned in Saxon style.

 

[Fritz]

Medal bar to a civil servant

Medaille für Treue in der Arbeit, König Albert, 1894-1902
Verdienstkreuz in Silber
Medaille für Treue in der Arbeit, König Friedrich August III., 1904-1918
Silver. Medals mounted in a civil bar with dark green cloth backing, almost mint
The wearer served under 3 kings. König Georg, 1902-1904 is not represented here, as probably the decoration in the middle was awarded in place of the usual loyal work medal. The König Georg medal is the rarest of the series.

 

Allgemeines Ehrenzeichen in original presentation case by Scharffenberg, Dresden. Label to underside, Kunath, Dresden, purveyor of ribbons.
Fire gilded bronze, on much worn and soiled trifold ribbon.

[Fritz]

 

 

Friedrich August Medaille in Silver and Bronze. On peacetime ribbon with clasp (one splint broken), Weltkrieg 1914-16
the remaining examples on wartime ribbons.

Document for the Friedrich August Medaille in Bronze on war ribbon, September 1917.

Erinnerungskreuz für 1866. Fire-gilded Bronze with replacement ribbon, slight verdigris in places
Friedrich August Kreuz, 1915. For helping war services. Finely structured, toned Bronze on correct trifold ribbon.

[Fritz]

Dienstauszeichnungen

 

Dienstauszeichnung für lange und treue Dienste, 2. Klasse, till 1913, Silver
Dienstauszeichnung für lange und treue Dienste, 3. Klasse, till 1913, Bronze

Dienstauszeichnung 2. Klasse, 1913-1920, Bronze
Dienstauszeichnung 3. Klasse, 1913-1920, Nickel

[Fritz]

Landwehr-Dienstauszeichnung

 

Landwehr-Dienstauszeichnung, 2. Klasse till 1913, Clasp, gilt bronze
Landwehr-Dienstauszeichnung, 2. Klasse from 1913, medal, coated copper bronze. Copy ribbon

[Fritz]

 

[JamesT]

My 5 place 1870 Saxon medal group. Mounted in the Saxon manner. The medals are EK2 1870 version,  FrancoPrussian War Medal, Saxon 1866 Medal, Saxon 10 year Service medal (1868-1874 issue) on a 15 year service ribbon and Kaiser Wilhelm Centenary Medal. 

[JamesT]

Another Saxony Medal Group. The medals are Albert Order 1st Class and1870 EK2 with Oak leaves, 1866 Saxon Commemorative Cross in bronze, Franco-Prussian War Medal and Kaiser Wilhelm Centenary Medal. The Albert Order is WW1 variant but it is a nice filler until I can find the correct version. Anyone got one for sale?

[JamesT]

12 hours ago, JamesT said:

Another Saxony Medal Group. The medals are Albert Order 1st Class and1870 EK2 with Oak leaves, 1866 Saxon Commemorative Cross in bronze, Franco-Prussian War Medal and Kaiser Wilhelm Centenary Medal. The Albert Order is WW1 variant but it is a nice filler until I can find the correct version. Anyone got one for sale?

I have read somewhere that it was common for Saxon soldiers to wear the EK back to front. Is this correct of just a myth? I have never seen actual evidence. Thanks 

[JamesT]

Two Saxon Frackschnalle showing the different mounting styles. The left (or top) bar has a Berlin makers name to the rear. Curiously, the mounting pin is back to front.

On the left - EK2, Military Merit Medal of the Order of St.Henry and Friedrich August Medal in Silver. 
On the right - Military Merit Medal of the Order of St.Henry, EK2 and 9 year Service Medal.

[Fritz]

Nice collection. The Albert Orden is not too hard to find for around 350 Euros upwards. The EK was usually worn in the correct order, sometimes reverse mountings can be encountered, no apparent reason for this. Do you have a connection to Saxony, or just plain interest?

[JamesT]

7 hours ago, Fritz said:

Nice collection. The Albert Orden is not too hard to find for around 350 Euros upwards. The EK was usually worn in the correct order, sometimes reverse mountings can be encountered, no apparent reason for this. Do you have a connection to Saxony, or just plain interest?

Thank you Fritz. I have no connection to Saxony. It is an accidental interest where I acquired some Saxon medals as part of a lot I bought some years ago and became interested. In like to specialise rather than collect everything. 

Thank you for confirming that the reverse EK2 was not a policy. 

I will keep hunting for the correct Albert Orden. Please let me know if you know of one for sale. 

[Fritz]

Decorations when mounted in reverse order are known as a "Frackschnalle", this was as worn on a civilian frock coat, otherwise the iron cross was usually at the very front, at least in Prussia, other states had their own particular decoration at the front.

[JamesT]

A medal related question

I have this Saxony 1866 medal that is attributed to Carl August Körner with the dates 31 Jan 1840 - 18 Nov 1922. A quick search on Ancestry has also revealed that he had a son, Otto Bruno Körner (1868 - 1950) who served as a paymaster in German East Africa. The son also served in WW1. Is it possible to find out in which regiments the father and son served? 
Do records exist in Saxony? If they do exist can anyone give advice on how I might access them.

Many thanks

[Fritz]

Records may well exist in Saxony, Sächsisches Staatsarchiv, Dresden and other cities. One possible source to search is the Rangliste der Königlich Preußischen Armee, year by year, officers of all regiments are listed, the later editions such as 1914, etc. have the lists of the Schutztruppe for the colonies, recommended 1897-1914, and any books after these years.

Rangliste des Ehemaligen Deutschen Heeres, 1914-1918 (1926), section for East Africa,
no sign of (Zahlmeister) Körner here, but may be in previous annual editions of Ranglisten der Kgl. Preuß. Armee,
1897-1914 and earlier, published by Ernst Mittler & Söhne, Berlin

[JamesT]

Thanks Fritz, that is most helpful. According to my information Zahlmeister Körner served with the Schutztruppe for German East Africa from 1892-1901. Here are his medals. His minis suggest that the vast majority of the medals were awarded during WW1. If this is a correct group that is! When I bought these there was also a gift for his service with the Schutztruppe giving the dates of his service which I could not afford to buy, so I'm assuming that at least some of these medals are correct. I'm hoping that all are so it would be good to find evidence. 

[Deruelle]

Hello

Here is one of my Saxon officer's group

This one belonged to Leutnant d. R.  Fritz Berthold from Landwehr Infanterie Regiment Nr. 103. He died in 1916

The medal bar is composed by (L to R),

-SH3 : knight cross of St Henry of Saxe

- SA3bX : knight cross 2nd class with swords of Albert of Saxe

- EK2 : iron cross 2nd class

- RE3X : Cross of honor 3rd class with swords of Reuß

Here for the photo I have put the original boxes of each medal. Berthold has never received the iron cross

 

Christophe

[Deruelle]

Hi

Here is another group belonged to Leutnant d.R. Paul Hederich from Jäger Bataillon Nr. 13. He died in 1916.

Here , this is not a Frackspange. This kind of medal bar is an old fashion style from XIX Century.

From R to L

- SH3 : knight cross of St Henry of Saxe

- SV3bX : knight cross 2nd class with swords of Merit Order of Saxe

- SA3bX : knight cross 2nd class with swords of Albert of Saxe

- EK2 ; iron cross 2nd class

- RE3X : cross of honor 3rd class with swords of Reuß.

Christophe

 

[Deruelle]

Here I show the ribbon bar and other medals Hederich received during WW1. The shoulderboards is not with the good grade. But it is so rare to find one today.

I put with Jäger visor hat, P08 holster, pair binocular, map case, Feldgrau Feldbinde, knife wit portepee.

 

Christophe

[phantom]

very nice Christophe, welcome to the forum, look forward to seeing more of your collection 

[Deruelle]

Many thanks for your kind words. Here is another group from Major Schmidt from IR 134. The  Saxon officer' shoulderboards are very rare and more particularly with unit numbers.

Christophe

[Deruelle]

Another one for tonight

The ribbon bar belonged to Oberstleutnant Alfred von Heygendorff from R.I.R. Nr. 245

Christophe

 

[JamesT]

This is a pretty rare grouping with two Queen Carola Medals 

Saxony War Merit Cross, Civil Merit Medal - Knight’s Cross 1st class, Carola Medal in gold, Carola Medal in silver and Prussian Red Cross medal 2nd class.

Carola-Medaille was instituted on 17 Sep 1892 by King Albert on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the Albert club, whose patron was Queen Carola. The Medal was awarded for charity during the war and in the peacetime. Awarded in three classes: gold, silver and bronze. Totals awarded - first type: 46 gold, 1000 silver and 1000 bronze; second type: 6 gold, 300 silver and 860 bronze. Diameter - first type - 27.9 mm, second type - 27.95 mm.