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Condition: Excellent Plus
Maker: Zimmermann
Base Material: CupAl
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Product Description: Incredible German Cross In Gold Cased by Zimmerman is an exquisite example of a really rare set to find. The German Cross In Gold Cased is made by the firm of C. F. Zimermann in Pforzheim. This cross is the lightweight version from Zimmermann, utilizing the CupAl backplate, and is extremely eye-catching and attractive, with a really great look. All of the original glossy, deep black enamel is still present on the swastika, with no cracks or chips. The white disk behind the swastika remains bright silver, with only slight age patina and attractive luster. The dated wreath is nice finished in gold, with virtually all of the original finish intact, and attractive age toning. The sunburst is gorgeous, with the correct 11 o’clock die flaw, and virtually all of the original dark burnishing still present. On the reverse, this German Cross in Gold cased retains great finish, with normal age toning and patina. The hardware on this badge is textbook Zimmermann, with four hollow rivets and the expected “20” maker mark under the pin. This incredible cross is complete with a lovely original case of issue. The case is very nice, with a nice leatherette exterior that retains attractive original color. The edge of the lid is outlined in gold, indicating the grade of the award. Inside, the upper lid of the case is lined with white rayon fabric, which has light even patina throughout. The black plush insert has light matting to the surface, and displays the cross wonderfully. A German Cross In Gold Cased is an extremely desirable Wehrmacht award, missing from most collections. This one would be very hard to upgrade.
Historical Description: The German Cross in Silver was instituted on September 28th, 1941. The German High Command saw it necessary to create an award which would bridge the gap between the War Merit Cross First Class and the Knights Cross of the War Merit Cross. Once instituted, the German Cross became one of Germany’s highest military decorations. The German Cross was similar to the Knights Cross in regards that the award was not based off of any previous awards in German history. It was a unique creation which also ended with the war. There were approximately 2,500 recipients of the German Cross in Silver. This number, however, does not reflect the total amount of German Crosses produced.
The German Cross was actually not a cross at all. It took on the form of an eight-pointed star, resembling some of the former breast awards of the Imperial era. The award came in two forms, a metal version and a cloth version. The metal version being the most complex of the two, it consisted of five separate pieces being fitted and held together using four to twelve rivets depending on who the manufacturer was. The cloth version follows the exact same design as the metal produced version except the entire cross is cloth with the exception of the laurel wreath still being metal.
Known Manufacturers: Deschler & Sohn, Munchen; C.E. Juncker, Berlin; C.F. Zimmermann, Pforzheim; Gebruder Godet, Berlin; Otto Klein, Hanau
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