Bidspirit auction | Original WWI Issued silver gilt

Original WWI Issued silver gilt Pour Le Merite Blue Max - Original WWI Issued silver gilt Pour Le Merite Blue Max. What we have up for auction here is an original WW 1 vintage Pour Le Merite or Blue Max. This is a real one not a jewelers copy. This award is of the silver gilt , baroque loop variation that was issued between 1916-1918. This is the only 2 years this style of Pour Le Merite was awarded. Before this period the Pour Le Merite was a pie slice variation . What this means is the suspension area at the top was either solid ( pie slice variation ) or had small loop instead. This version is called the baroque loop variation. In 1916 in order to save precious metal this award was issued with the smaller baroque loop and in silver substituted for gold. Some recipients went to an approved jeweler and had a gold award made for them but the issued award was made of silver . This particular medal is of a very late style and must have been awarded towards the very end of the war. Not as much attention to detail was displayed in the later awards as the war came to an end . This very award was recovered by an American GI during WW2 . I acquired this medal from a militaria dealer who had acquired a cigar box full of German war medals from an elderly widow in a nursing home. Her deceased husband brought it back from the war . She could not recollect much more about the cigar box of medals but who ever her husband had acquired it from must have been a high ranking officer because other such highly awarded medals accompanied this Pour Le Merite . Please see in the auction a picture of the very cigar box before the collection of medals was disbursed . The award has been examined by several experts and I have a few letters of authenticity for the medal including one from Stephen Previtara the author of the latest and best reference book ever written on the Blue Max call Prussian Blue. These letters will accompany the medal to the winner of the auction . As with some of the later issued awards this one has no specific hallmark but has all the characteristics of a Wagner or Friedlander specimen . The experts who have examined it all agree. It comes with an original length of neck ribbon that has the silver intertwined with the threads. The suspension loop is of the late narrower variation . It took me a long time to find an authentic award such as this and I can only imagine the GI taking these awards home from WW2 while wondering who�s they were. Certain financial circumstances bring me to the very hard decision to pass this beautiful award on. It comes in a nice glass presentation case. In case you are wondering the reserve is set at $10,000.00. The last authentic award that I know of sold for in excess of $10,000.00 . The medal may be examined in person if someone wishes to do so. Winner will pay actual shipping and insurance cost. Good luck bidding !