Deluxe Cased Imperial Iron Cross Second Class

Product Description: This deluxe cased Imperial Iron Cross Second Class is a rare, top-quality presentation version of this popular award, and a really nice set. The cross itself is near mint, with nearly all of the glossy black enamel painted finish still present on both sides of the core. The frame is made of real silver, and retains outstanding original luster, with only very slight toning. All of the detail is present on the core as well as on the frame beading. The original suspension ring is maker marked “CD” and also stamped “800,” indicating the silver content of the frame. The original award ribbon is present, and is extremely fresh, with almost no sign of age. This gorgeous, pristine cross is housed in an incredible award case. The exterior of the case is covered in fine leather, in an attractive, deep green color. The original leather is fully intact, with only a few small scuffs, and no damage. The lid of the case features tooled ornamentation. Inside, the case is lined with a fine white satin. There is an ivory-colored plush inlay, on which the cross rests, displaying it beautifully; a recess for the cross holds it in place. The inside of the lid features two satin retaining bands that hold the award ribbon. These deluxe cases are very desirable and scarce. Overall, the condition of this deluxe cased Imperial Iron Cross Second Class rates as excellent plus.

Historical Description: There is no more iconic German military award than the Iron Cross. The long history of this order began during the Napoleonic Wars. King Friedrich Wilhelm III of Prussia instituted the “Eisernes Kreuz” (Iron Cross) in March of 1813. The award criteria changed somewhat with time, but generally speaking, Iron Crosses could be awarded for individual acts of bravery, or for leadership achievements on the battlefield. The design was created by a Karl Friedrich Schinkel, his choice of the black cross with silver outline was derived from the heraldic emblem of the Teutonic Knights. There were a number of different type and grades of Iron Cross awards throughout its long history, but the basic details of the most widely awarded grades: The Iron Cross 1st Class and Iron Cross 2nd Class- remained the same. The first-class award was a breast badge, with fittings on the reverse to allow it to be worn on the uniform. These fittings varied widely over time and from maker to maker, and could be a simple in and catch, a screw post and retaining disc, or more elaborate setups. The second-class award was suspended from a ribbon, originally in the Prussian colors of black and white, later in the Reich colors of black, red and white. On the original versions of these crosses, in 1813, the front of the iron core of each grade was bare, and only the second-class award had ornamentation: a crown over the initials “FW” representing the King, a sprig of oak leaves, and the date 1813. The core was redesigned in 1870, when the cross was re-instituted during the Franco-Prussian War. The reverse ornamentation on the Iron Cross 2nd Class remained the same, but the front of the core on both grades now bore another crown, a “W” representing Kaiser Wilhelm, and the date 1870. This pattern repeated again when the cross was reinstituted for WWI- everything stayed the same, only the date 1870 was replaced with 1914. The final reinstitution of the cross came in 1939. For this version, the front of the core for both grades bore a swastika and the date 1939. The oak leaves, crown and royal initials were removed from the reverse, with only the date 1813 remaining as a reminder of the legacy of this award. In WWII, hundreds of thousands of Iron Cross First Class awards were bestowed, and four and a half million Iron Cross Second Class awards. Iron Crosses were made by a large number of authorized manufacturers Some variants of these awards were mass produced in huge numbers. Others were made in very limited quantities.

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