Pour Le Merite (BLUE MAX) WITH STYLIZED OAK LEAF BELIEVED TO HAVE BEEN MANUFACTURED IN THE EARLY 1920's AND POSSIBLY USED BY THE FREIKORPS
	Consistent with the tacit permission of the government to wear these decorations awarded by the previous monarchy, German medal manufacturers and jewelers continued throughout the entire period of the Weimar Republic, as well as the National Socialist era as well, to make and sell duplicates of the full range of imperial era decorations and insignia for wear by authorized veterans, displays for museums and collector purposes. Having been earned during World War I by Herman Goring and other senior military commanders, both during the Weimar and National Socialist eras, the Order Pour Le Merite was one such decoration that was still regularly and available for purchase and was continued to be worn during the entire life of the Third Reich.
	As an aside, while decorations displaying the swastika are still outlawed in Germany, and both the swastika and the initial W were replaced on the Iron Cross in 1957 to a spray of oak leaves, the making and selling of Imperial era items in Germany today remains completely legal, making it safe for collectors to purchase and own without fear of any unwanted difficulties with the authorities.
	In keeping with this, it should also be noted that it was very common practice for winners of the Order Pour le Merite (or "Blue Max" as it is more commonly known) to not wear their originally awarded medal, but rather alternatively wear a copy made by a private jeweler, so as to avoid losing it, and/or accidentally chipping or cracking its blue enamel surfaces. Most of these copies are known to have been unmarked as, for example, was the Blue Max being worn by Herman Goring when he surrendered to Allied forces in 1945 while his orignal BLUE MAX still sat in a Berlin bank's safe deposit box.
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