Kaiserpreis, two variants

Larmo

New member
Greetings all

Thought perhaps you might enjoy seeing these two rather unusual, multi-award examples of the enlisted Kaiserpreis, one Infantry the other Artillery. The Infantry example is full size, of gilded brass and was awarded for three consecutive years 1908-1909-1910, the likely original owner being a long serving career NCO. The Artillery example is of a non Prussian pattern, also of gilded brass but now darkened from age. The unusal feature of this one is the addition of a stamped brass insignia dated 1912 beneath the regulation badge, again indicating an additional award. Both obverse and reverse views are shown.

I've always enjoyed the Kaiserpreis badges and thought of collecting them by year, then came to my senses and thought better just to put aside some "different" examples

Larmo



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Oops! almost forgot to add the photo of the guy wearing a standard one..he certainly appears proud of it, rightfully so, I believe only one company in each Army Corps per year won the right to wear it.
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Nice! I still have not worked out how/why a one-year volunteer like the one in the picture competed with the company. Obviously he did. It just goes to show that there are still a lot of things to be uncovered! :coffee:
 
Excellent examples, thanks for posting. To win it twice must have been a real rarity. Nothing like a period foto to go along with a collectible. I have one of these but the cloth backing as well as the tin renforcement are repros. I will try and post mine in the near future. Brian
 
Hi Guys

Glad you enjoyed them, although the first image appears to have gone "South". I really enjoy these awards and IMHO you can see the tradition established through them for the WWI MG Marksmanship Badges & WWII Campaign Shields worn by the Wehrmacht.

Joe, I have a Garde Schutzen one year volunteer waffenrock with a Jager pattern prize tailored as part of the uniform. The backing plate is inside the sleeve with the Jager device set directly upon the sleeve material, no backing material visible.

Brian looking forward to seeing your example and thanks to both of you for your response..

Larmo
 
Larmo said:
I have a Garde Schutzen one year volunteer waffenrock with a Jager pattern prize tailored as part of the uniform.

Larry. Could you start a new thread and show it? Would love to see it. :grommit:
 
Thanks for showing these. I have seen a lot of them over the years, but these multiple date examples are rarely seen and I think rate right up there with some of the scarcer branch examples.

Chip
 
Great pictures, wonderful patches. Still looking for an artillery patch. I have a question about the Kaiserpreis patches. I have a picture of the 4th Bavarian FAR standing around a field kanone and only one of the kanonieres has a Kaiserpreis, I don't see one on any other kanoniere's tunic. I thought that every one in the battalion received one if they were to win the competition. Am I wrong in this belief?? Dick
 
Hi Chip, glad you enjoyed these. I've one other multiple award example, an Infantry one for 1909-1910. It's missing its metal backing plate and blue wool covering.

Dick that's an excellent question, on page 175 of the two volume set The German Infantry from 1871 to 1914 by Ulrich Herr and Jens Nguyen, they state that the Kaisers Badge was established on 27 January 1895. "It was awarded to the company with the best performance in combat marksmanship in each army corps. It was worn by the other ranks on on the upper right sleeve of the tunic for one year." It goes on to say that Bavaria, Saxony and Wurttemberg had similar badges. I can only guess that for the artillery similar regulations applied, and in their case the prize was presented to a Battery. Again, just a guess no hard facts.

That set of books is my only information source on these wonderful old badges, and I didn't know multiple awards existed until I saw this book. A few months later an old collection was being broken up in Washington state and lo and behold, the examples I posted here and a few other standard ones were in the offer.

Larry
 
The artillery insignia was awarded on the battery level. Enlisted men were allowed to wear it for one year and Unteroffiziere somewhat longer (this is what it says in Kraus). Pietsch says that the NCOs could wear the insignia as long as they continued to be in the same battery.

Chip
 
Hi guys; Just one more question; in the photo that I mention the kanoniere is wearing the Kaiserpreis on his left sleeve, I don't think the photo has been "played with", why would this be on the left sleeve and not on the right sleeve, any ideas??
 
Was the negative reversed when the print was made? I read through Pietsch again and saw no mention of the insignia being worn on the left for any reason.

Chip
 
Hi Dick

On what side does it appear that he buttons up his tunic, right over left, or left over right. If it's the former the image is reversed.

Larry
 
I do not have the original photo, a copy was sent to me by a fellow collector [now deceased]. Interesting that when I looked at the picture from the backside the Kaiserpreis was on the right shoulder BUT the #4 on his helmet cover was not reversed, but the #4 on the kanoniere standing behind him was reversed!! I could'nt make out the buttons but I think everything was facing the correct way. Anyway just wondered why his Kaiserpreis was on the left?? sleeve, we may never know!! Tony thanks for the picture of the wonderful tunic, a great find for somebody!!! Dick
 
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