Orders and decorations: Manufacturer overview, markings and abbreviations
Various hallmarks and markings are often found on medals. These can be the familiar silver and gold hallmarks (333, 800, 900, 935, etc.), but also coded manufacturer's markings. Orders and decorations of the Third Reich, in particular, frequently bear these markings. There are two systems here. First, the system of the Presidential Chancellery for awarded pieces, with simple numbers from 1 to 142. And the so-called LDO system, where LDO stands for Leistungsgemeinschaft Deutscher Ordenshersteller (Association of German Medal Manufacturers). Orders and decorations could be purchased by the recipients in special shops and upon presentation of proof of purchase. These pieces were marked using the LDO system. Here, an "L" always precedes a number. They range from L/10 to L/66. These numbers do not coincide with the presidential system!
This marking is particularly common on Iron Crosses, Knight's Crosses and War Merit Crosses .
A similar system was used in the civilian sector by the RZM.
The Presidential Chancellery’s list of manufacturers:
1 Deschler & Son, Munich
2 CE Juncker, Berlin
3 Wilhelm Deumer, Lüdenscheid
4 Steinhauer & Lück, Lüdenscheid
5 Hermann Wernstein, Jena-Lobstedt
6 Fritz Zimmermann, Stuttgart
7 Paul Maybauer, Berlin
8 Ferdinand Hoffstätter, Bonn
9 Delivery Association of Pforzheim Jewelry Craftsmen, Pforzheim
10 Förster & Barth, Pforzheim
11 Grossmann & Co., Vienna
12 Frank & Reif, Stuttgart
13 Gustav Brehmer, Markneukirchen
14 Christian Lauer, Nuremberg
15 Friedrich Orth, Vienna
16 Alois Rettenmaier, Schwäbisch-Gmünd
17 Currently unknown
18 Karl Wurster KG, Markneukirchen
19 E.Ferdinand Wiedmann, Frankfurt a. Main
20 CF Zimmermann, Pforzheim
21 Brothers Godet & Co., Berlin
22 Boerger & Co., Berlin
23 Working Group for Army Supplies in the Engraver & Chasing Guild, Berlin
24 Association of Hanau Plaque Manufacturers, Hanau a. Main
25 Association of Engravers, Goldsmiths, and Silversmiths, Hanau am Main
26 BH Mayer's Art Mint, Pforzheim
27 Anton Schenkl's successor, Vienna
28 Eugen Schmidthauser, Pforzheim
29 Main Mint Berlin
30 Vienna Main Mint
31 Hans Gnad, Vienna
32 W. Hobachter, Vienna
33 Friedrich Linden, Lüdenscheid (FLL)
34 Willy Annetsberger, Munich
35 FW Assmann & Sons, Lüdenscheid
36 Bury & Leonhard, Hanau
37 Adolf Baumeister, Lüdenscheid
38 Currently unknown
39 Rudolf Berge, Gablonz
40 Berg & Nolte, Lüdenscheid (B&NL)
41 Bender Brothers, Oberstein
42 Bindermann & Co., Oberkassel near Bonn
43 Julius Bauer Sons, Zella-Mehlis
44 Jakob Bengel, Idar Oberstein
45 Franz Jungwirth, Vienna
46 Hans Doppler, Wela Oberdonau
47 Erhard & Sons AG, Schwäbisch-Gmünd
48 Richard Feix, Gablonz
49 Richard Feix Sons, Gablonz
50 Karl Gschiermeister, Vienna
51 Eduard Gorlach & Sons, Gablonz
52 Gottlieb & Wagner, Idar-Oberstein
53 Glaser & Son, Dresden
54 Currently unknown
55 JE Hammer & Sons, Geringswalde
56 Robert Hauschild, Pforzheim
57 Karl Hensler, Pforzheim
58 Artur Jakel & Co., Gablonz
59 Louis Keller, Oberstein
60 Katz & Deyle, Pforzheim
61 Rudolf A. Karnath & Son, Gablonz
62 Kerbach & Oesterhelt, Dresden
63 Franz Klast & Sons, Gablonz
64 Gottlieb Keck & Son, Pforzheim
65 Klein & Quenzer AG, Idar Oberstein
66 Friedrich Keller, Oberstein
67 H. Kreisel, Gablonz
68 Alfred Knobloch, Gablonz
69 Alois Klammer, Innsbruck
70 Lind & Meyrer, Oberstein
71 Rudolf Leukert, Gablonz
72 Franz Lipp, Pforzheim
73 Franz Manert, Gablonz
74 Carl Maurer Son, Oberstein
75 Currently unknown
76 Ernst L. Müller, Pforzheim
77 Bavarian Mint Munich
78 Gustav Miksch, Gablonz
79 Currently unknown
80 GH Osang, Dresden
81 Overhoff & Cie., Lüdenscheid
82 Augustin Prager, Gablonz
83 Emil Peukert, Gablonz
84 Carl Poellath, Schrobenhausen
85 Julius Pietsch, Gablonz
86 Paulmann & Crone, Lüdenscheid
87 Roman Palme, Gablonz
88 Werner Redo, Saarlautern
89 Rudolf Richter, Strike near Gablonz
90 August F. Richter, Strike near Gablonz
91 Joseff Rossler & Co., Gablonz
92 Josef Ruckert & Son, Gablonz
93 Richard Simm & Sons, Gablonz
94 Currently unknown
95 Adolf Scholze
96 Currently unknown
97 Currently unknown
98 Rudolf Souval, Vienna
99 Schwertner & Cie., Granz-Eggenberg
100 Rudolf Wächtler & Lange, Mittweida
101 Rudolf Tamm, Gablonz
102 Phillip Turks, Vienna
103 August G. Tam, Gablonz
104 H. Ulbrichts, Kaufing
105 H. Vogt, Pforzheim
106 B. Schneider, Vienna
107 Carl Wild, Hamburg
108 Arno Wallpach, Salzburg
109 Walter & Henlein, Gablonz
110 Otto Zappe, Gablonz
111 Ziemer & Sons, Oberstein
112 Rust & Hetzel, Vienna
113 A. Aurich, Dresden
114 Ludwig Bertsch, Karlsruhe
115 Currently unknown
116 Funke & Brüninghaus, Lüdenscheid
117 Hugo Lang, Wiesenthal
118 A. Menz & Son, Vienna
119 Currently unknown
120 Franz Petzl, Vienna
121 Currently unknown
122 Stahl, Strasbourg
123 Beck, Hassinger & Co., Strasbourg
124 Rudolf Schanes, Vienna
125 Eugen Gauss, Pforzheim
126 Eduard Hahn, Oberstein
127 Moritz Hausch AG, Pforzheim
128 S. Jablonski GmbH, Poznań
129 F. Kohm, Pforzheim
130 W. Schröder & Co., Lüdenscheid
131 Heinrich Wander, Gablonz
132 Franz Reischhauer, Oberstein
133 Currently unknown
134 Otto Klein, Hanau
135 Julius Moser, Oberstein
136 J. Wagner & Son, Berlin
137 JH Werner, Berlin
138 Julius Maurer, Oberstein
139 Hymmen & Co., Lüdenscheid
140 Schauerte & Hohfeld, Lüdenscheid
141 Sohni, Heubach & Co., Oberstein
142 AD Schwerdt, Stuttgart
The manufacturer list of the LDO (Association of German Order Manufacturers):
- L/10 Deschler & Son, Munich
- L/11 Wilhelm Deumer, Lüdenscheid
- L/12 CE Juncker, Berlin
- L/13 Paul Meybauer, Berlin
- L/14 Friedrich Orth, Vienna
- L/15 Otto Schickle, Pforzheim
- L/16 Steinhauer & Lück, Lüdenscheid
- L/17 Hermann Wernstein, Jena-Lobstedt
- L/18 BH Mayer's Hofkunstprägeanstalt, Pforzheim
- L/19 Ferdinand Hofstätter, Bonn
- L/21 Forster & Barth, Pforzheim
- L/22 Glaser & Son, Dresden
- L/23 Julius Maurer, Oberstein
- L/24 Fritz Zimmermann, Stuttgart
- L/25 Kachert, Vienna
- L/26 Klein & Quenzer AG, Idar Oberstein
- L/50 Brothers Godet & Co., Berlin
- L/51 E. Ferdinand Weidmann, Frankfurt a. Main
- L/52 CF Zimmermann, Pforzheim
- L/53 Hymen & Co., Lüdenscheid
- L/54 Schauerte & Hoefeld, Lüdenscheid
- L/55 Wächtler & Lange, Mittweida
- L/56 Funcke & Brüninghaus, Lüdenscheid (F&BL)
- L/57 Boerger & Co., Berlin
- L/58 Rudolf Souval, Vienna
L/59 Alois Rettenmaier, Schwäbisch-Gmünd
- L/60 Gustav Brehmer, Markneukirchen
L/61 Friedrich Linden, Lüdenscheid (FLL)
- L/62 Werner Redo, Saarlautern
L/63 GH Osang, Dresden
- L/64 FW Assmann & Son, Lüdenscheid
L/65 Dr. Franke & Co. KG, Lüdenscheid
- L/66 AD Schwerdt, Stuttgart
Manufacturer abbreviations and symbols
- A or A&S – Assmann & Sons, Lüdenscheid
- AS (in the triangle) – Currently unknown
- AGMuK – Working Group for Metals and Plastics, Gablonz
- AWS – Arno Wallpach, Salzburg
- Beco – Börger & Co., Berlin
- B&NL – Berg & Nolte, Lüdenscheid
- BSW (in the cloverleaf) – Brüder Schneider AG, Vienna
- CEJ – CE Juncker, Berlin
- CW – Carl Wild, Hamburg
- Deschler & Son, Munich
- EH – Eduard Hahn, Oberstein
- EWE – Presumably precious metal works List & Hertl, Vienna
- F&BL – Funcke & Brüninghaus, Lüdenscheid
- FCL (in the circle) – Dr. Franke & Co., Lüdenscheid
- FLL – Friedrich Linden, Lüdenscheid
- fo – Freidrich Orth, Vienna
- Frank & Reif, Stuttgart
- FZS – Fritz Zimmermann, Stuttgart
- GB – Gustav Brehmer, Markneukirchen
- GH Osang, Dresden
- GR&Co. – Grossmann & Co., Vienna
- GWL (in the district) – Gebrüder Wegerhoff, Lüdenscheid
- H.&C.L. – Hymmen & Co., Lüdenscheid
- HA – Hermann Aurich, Dresden
- Imme or JIMME or Imme & Son – Imme & Son, Berlin
- JB&Co. – Josef Berg & Co., Gablonz
- J. Deutschbein Euskirchen
- JFS – Josef Feix & Sons, Gablonz
- KWM (in the district) – Karl Wurster, Markneukirchen
- MK (in the triangle) – Currently unknown
- MK (1 to 7) – Metals & Plastics, Gablonz
- MuK 5 – Metals and Plastics, Gablonz
- OM – Currently unknown
- PM – Paul Meybauer, Berlin
- RRS – Rudolf Richter, Schlag near Gablonz
- RS – Rudolf Souval, Vienna
- RSS and RS& S. – Richard Simm & Sons, Gablonz
- RK – Rudolf Karneth, Gablonz
- SHuCo. – Sohni Heubach & Co., Oberstein
- Schwerin Berlin – Schwerin, Berlin
- ST&L – Steinhauer & Lück, Lüdenscheid
- ÜÜ – E. Ferdinand Wiedmann, Frankfurt a. Main
- W. Deumer Lüdenscheid – Wilhelm Deumer, Lüdenscheid
- WH – Wilhelm & Hobacher, Vienna
- WA – Wilhelm Annetsberger, Munich
Information on the system of political awards (RZO) can be found here.
