German Cross in Gold by Zimmermann

Product Description: A beautiful German Cross in Gold by Zimmermann in excellent condition.  This German Cross in Gold by Zimmermann shows light patina to the white disc, and a perfectly intact enamel swastika. The back plate is made of Cupal, and retains its original hardware, which has no repairs of any kind.  The assembly is held together by four hollow rivets, which are untouched.  The underside of the pin is maker marked “20” for the firm “C.F.Zimmermann”.  The 11 o’clock die flaw is present in the starburst, and the date die flaw is present as well. This German Cross in Gold by Zimmermann will make an excellent addition to any collection.

Historical Description: The German Cross was instituted on September 28th, 1941.  The German High Command saw it necessary to create an award which would bridge the gap between the Iron Cross First Class and the Knights Cross of the Iron Cross.  Once instituted, the German Cross became Germany’s second highest military decoration, second only to the Knights Cross and its subsequent grades.  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 26,000 recipients of the German Cross in Gold, and 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-point 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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