German Cross in Gold by Zimmermann

Product Description: The German Cross in Gold by Zimmermann is by far the most iconic badge of the Third Reich. This is a stunning and breath taking badge that certainly appears to be one that was actually issued and used. From the overall wear of the badge you can tell it has a great “field” look.  The maker of the German Cross in Gold is Zimmermann, and is stamped “20” under the pin for the companies PKZ number. The cross features the 11 o’clock die flaw on the starburst as well as the flaw in the numeral “9” in the date. The enamel is completely undamaged which is very hard to find on worn examples. The white disc behind the swastika has patina’d very nicely over the years. It is uncleaned, and both the front and back of this German Cross in Gold by Zimmermann have a rich patina that has developed from age and wear. It’s a very substantial, light variant, weighing 45.2 grams. The rivets are all nice and tight. The hinge and catch are both soldered directly to the Tombak backplate, and show no sign of repair. Overall, a nice, representative example of what is likely a relatively early German Cross in Gold by Zimmermann, with a lot of character, and perfect for display on a combat tunic!

Historical Description: : The German Cross in Gold 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. 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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