Expert: Dmitry Livshits - 8/26/2009

Question
I know I should be asking you about coins.  But you helped me with the medal that I had and now I have questions about several more in my possession.  1.  A commerative medal.  On one side is "maintiendrai 1901" On the other side is Wilhelmina/Hendrik with the following "KONINGIND MEDERLAN DEN AND HERTOG VON MECKIENS SCHW"  2.  A 1939 Nazi Iron Croiss  3.  a medal/pin that has on the front a large intertwining SV and it says Gratia Die Servatus and on the bottom (as far as I can make out) MDCCCLXXXI  4.  a belt buckle with Gott mit Uns and a swastika  5.  A pin/medal with what looks like lady liberty on the front with a sword and on the back it says "The great war for civilization" and the following countries 'FRANCE/ITALY/SERBIA/JAPAN/MONTNEGRO?RUSSIA/GREECE - THE US IN THE MIDDLE AND ON THE OTHER SIDE GREAT BRITIAN/BELGIUM/BRAZIL/PORTUGAL/RUMANIA/AND CHINA  6.  Another medal with an eagle slaying a dragon on the front with the words " Taku/Tientsin/Peking" and on the back a picture of a european looking face with mustache and it says "volker europas wahret eura heligstein guten"  7. and finally a medal with a woman with wings on the frontand the words "grinnerungen eir ringu g des konig (and something I can't read) and on the back is a building with the words Konig Theater su Weisbaden"  Whew.  Thank you if you can help me and if you can't I understand.  I am cleaning out an estate of my uncle who was in WWII and came across all this stuff.  Thanks again.  

Answer
1. This is a medal for the 1901 marriage of Wilhelmina of the Netherlands to Duke Heinrich of teh German State of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (later Prince Henrik of the Netherlands). It's most likely silver. Since I don't know the size or condition, I cannot give you a value. These medals typically go anywhere from $25 to $100+ for a good size piece without damage.

2. There are variations for this. The cheapest is a plain black cross with a pin-back, at $15. The regular version with a loop and bar range from $20-$30. There is another version with an additional crossed swords piece on top of the cross, which would be $50-$60. More expensive variations exist as well, but I'm not too familiar with those.

3. The date you mention is 1881, however, this sounds just like a medal that would have an eagle and cannon in the background. This is a medal of the G.A.R. or Grand Army of the Republic. This is a fraternal organization of veterans from the Union Army in the Civil War. Examples in good condition sell for around $25.

4. This is a Nazi 3rd Reich military belt buckle. There are fakes, but a real one in good condition is around $100, +/- $25.

5. Commemorative British medal of WWII. See attached picture... with original ribbon they sell for $20-$25 or so.

6. This appears to be a German medal from the early 1900's which refers to "the European protection of the good" of the Taku-Tientsin-Peking axis during the Boxer rebellion. I'm not familiar with the value for these medals.

7. Commemorative medal for a theater in Wiesbaden, in Hesse, Germany. Not too much value on these very local pieces perhaps $10-$20, more if it's silver.

Thanks again! =)