Cased 1st Class Spange by Mayer

Product Description: This Cased 1st Class Spange is a phenomenal, near mint example, that would be extremely hard to upgrade. The Spange is gorgeous, and retains all of the original finish, with gorgeous original luster to the polished highlights contrasting with matte silver in the recesses. The front has only extremely slight age toning. The reverse is textbook, with a functional and unrepaired wide pin and barrel hinge, and attractive, light toning. It is complete with its original case, which is in incredible condition. The case has all of its original leatherette, and looks just as it did when it was made. The lid of the case bears an imprinted silver Spange design that is perfect. The case hinge and rectangular push button closure function flawlessly, and the black flocked case insert on which the Spange rests mades for a beautiful display. The Cased 1st Class Spange is an award that is missing from many collections, and this one is a pristine and extremely desirable piece.

Historical Description: When Adolf Hitler reinstituted the historical Iron Cross was decoration on September 1, 1939, he also instituted a special new award, the “Wiederholungsspange,” to recognize people who had earned the 1914 Iron Cross during WWI and whose actions in this new war merited being awarded the Iron Cross again. There were two different patterns of this Spange, for the First and Second Classes of the Iron Cross. Both of them took the form of a German national eagle and swastika emblem, with outstretched wings, over a bar with the date “1939.” The First Class award had a pin attachment or screwback, to enable it to be worn on the uniform pocket over the 1914 Iron Cross. Some combo-type awards are also known, with the Spange fastened to the top arm of the 1914 cross. The Second Class Spange had two or four prongs on the reverse, and was affixed to a length of 1914 pattern Iron Cross ribbon. Most of the Spange awards were made of a brass alloy (Buntmetall) with a silver finish, while late war examples were produced from zinc. As with most German combat awards, there were many variations of the Spange produced, including miniature awards for the ribbon bar. 

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