Karl Wurster Krim Shield

Product Description: This Karl Wurster Krim Shield is a beautiful piece, in outstanding condition. The obverse has a great look, and retains virtually all of the original bronze finish, with pleasant gold tones. There is no sign of wear, and all of the original fine detail is still present. There is only a slight hint of age toning. This gorgeous shield is still mounted to its original backing of typical wartime field gray wool. There are no moth holes or other damage, and no stitch holes or any other trace of ever having been worn. The reverse of this Krim Shield retains the correct upgraded leatherette backing paper. The paper shows some wear and splits around the edges of the backing plate, but remains complete; the outlines of all of the original prongs on the shield are visible through the paper. There is no maker mark, but this variant is known to have been made by the firm of Karl Wurster in Markneukirchen. The condition of this piece borders on near mint. It would be hard to find a more pristine example of a Karl Wurster Krim Shield.

Historical Description: The Krim Shield was a combat award of the German Wehrmacht, used to recognize the troops who fought on the Crimean Peninsula, on the Eastern Front, between September 21, 1941, and July 4, 1942. Crimea had been taken by the German Army Group South, specifically the 11th Army led by Generalfeldmarschall Erich von Manstein.  The shield was officially instituted by Adolf Hitler on July 25, 1942, by a proclamation stating that the award would recognize the “heroic battles” in Crimea. The shield depicts a German national eagle and swastika emblem as well as a map of Crimea, along with the word “Krim” and the dates 1941 and 1942. It was worn on the left upper sleeve of the uniform. To qualify for the award, soldiers had to have participated on one of eight specific battles that were a part of the campaign, to have been wounded in action, or to have served 3 months, without interruption, in the Crimea region. Members of all branches of the Wehrmacht, including the Luftwaffe and Kriegsmarine, were eligible for the award. The shield was made from steel, and later from zinc, and was issued affixed to a backing cloth that allowed it to be stitched to the uniform. Between 200,000 and 300,000 shields were awarded.

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