German tourist bracelet date

Among other things.

This one, the closest I have found to KSW's (it's not that close, for one thing, it's French), is listed as "French Enamel Family Crest Shield Panel Bracelet Vintage"

And I found it by searching on : Städte Panel Armband

Because the internet is nothing if not squirrely.

 

The only thing I've found that's possibly out of place is the Aachen shield. I'm only finding the eagle crowned in 19th century references (no, I am not suggesting a 19th century date for the bracelet).

However, given I can't read German, my research is... roadblocked.

 

could as well be before 1933. no swastikas then and no swastikas on jewelry items on most after 1933. the nearest I come with the mix of cities is that they belonged to the Prussian provinces in the west in one way or another, except one. Aachen has even the same eagle as the Prussian Rheinprovinz (which is the old Prussian eagle anyway); to get an idea of the complexity, please see the German wiki page with a good map.
https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rheinprovinz

 

There's a challenge!.
I agree though, I can't find one anywhere,not even similar. (....waits for INH to find ten of them...)

 

Not everything had swastikas. I have quite a bit of pre-war German jewellery, not a swastika on any of it. German swastikas would not be allowed through the front door anyway.

 

Having googled I feel the only way to make Head or tail of it is several years at university studying German Heraldry.
Not having that inclination I have put a message on the Genealogy Heraldry forum hoping there may be a boffin on there who can help.
The crown on Aachen keeps leading me back to Prussia.
Don't know if these are of any help?

This one has the crown top left.

 

The coat of arms of Aachen is the Holy Roman Empire eagle missing a head. The crown is a reference to Aachen being the town where the emperors of the Holy Roman Empire were crowned.
The Prussian eagle is also the Holy Roman Empire eagle missing a head. Prussia became an independent kingdom in 1701, and during the course of the 18th century the eagle received several attributes.
So both based on the Holy Roman Empire, none based on the other.

The coat of arms of the Holy Roman Empire was of course the famous double-headed eagle we know from so many Continental European crests.

 

Girl?

Thank you for his service.

 

It's an unusual clasp, like an earlier incarnation of what would become the foldover clasp. I think it also argues for an older piece.

 

I've emailed her!Thankyou

 

that German girl in America is - I say it in a proper continental manner - complete nonsense.
only because a US-born girlie thinks she knows anything about Germany because her parents were German - complete nonsense.
sorry, but if that counts as qualification here, then I'm a self-proclaimed specialist for New York from now on because I lived there from age 12 weeks to age 2.

 

I agree, she seems to have a tourist's view of Germany, not German, and there is nothing that says to me that she knows German jewellery history and styles. It is better to have German eyes on this imo.

 

Since my knowledge of geography is dismal, had to spend some time looking at maps to have any thoughts about this.

It's not meant to be representative of Germany as a whole. Since S. Valelly actually had her name put on the back, one letter per panel, have to think this collection of locations had particular meaning to her. One panel is not a city, Westfalen, but 2 of the cities are in Westfalen. When you plot them all out, they make an arc running from the west up around the north, ending in Berlin. Looks to me like the blank bracelet was pre-made & then the customer chose the little enamel shields to be glued in for a customized memento. Perhaps Valelly had to add in Westfalen in order to complete her 8.

I have to go with pre-war 1930s for it.

This is tourist jewellery & probably has little to do with German jewellery history & styles. Wouldn't surprise me if you couldn't buy the same bracelet with an appropriate choice of shields if you were in France during the same period. If GermanGirl actually had a collection of different German souvenir bracelets of different types & ages, she might be some help. What she has is a single modern bracelet with German shield charms & the eyes of someone who is looking to sell same to others.

 

I’ve emailed her so we will find out what she knows! Or not....

 

Yes, it is tourist jewellery, but much older than the ones I've seen on the German girl's site. She has the general shield bracelets, which are still being sold.
I don't think you would see the same in France, and it is different from the French (?) family crest bracelet. I have certainly never seen it here or in Belgium, both neighbours of Germany. This heavy style looks very German, and of a bygone era, which is why I think it would be good to have 'German jewellery eyes' on it.

 

This thread is so much more interesting than I expected it to be!. (No offence intended as you are all amazing) even if we can't date it it's fascinating.

Edit- Anyone have a German contact?

 

Not anymore. Those I had, wouldn't have known anyway...