Spanish Cross in Silver with Swords – Petz & Lorenz

Product Description: This Spanish Cross in Silver with Swords is an absolutely beautiful award. This one was made by the firm of Petz & Lorenz. The badge is made of multiple pieces of a brass alloy (Tombak) that has been crisply die struck, and silver electroplated. The pointed Maltese cross base with swords, center disc with swastika motif, and four individual eagles, are all separate pieces, each directly soldered together. The badge retains approximately 95% of its original silver electroplated finish, with attractive, even age toning, and only extremely slight wear. The fine detail on this piece is exquisite. This cross is not maker marked on the reverse, but the distinctive reverse hardware conclusively identifies the maker as Petz & Lorenz in Unterreichenbach. The block hinge, banjo pin and sheet metal catch function flawlessly, and show no sign of any repair. All of the original finish is present on the reverse. This is really a very nice example of a Spanish Cross in Silver with Swords, that remains in excellent condition.

Historical Description: The Spanish Cross (Spanienkreuz) was instituted on April 14, 1939, to recognize the achievements of German personnel who participated in the Spanish Civil War between 1936 and 1939. It was in the shape of a Maltese cross with a swastika in the center and Luftwaffe eagle emblems in the spaces between the four arms. The pin-backed award was issued in four classes: Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Gold with Diamonds. Bronze and Silver classes were made both with and without swords. Silver and Bronze awards without swords were for non-combatants and was issued to military and civilian personnel with three months of wartime experience in Spain, with the silver version issued for merit. The Bronze award with swords was for combatants, the silver award with swords was for soldiers who took part in decisive battles and who had considerable fighting experience, and the Gold award was for great merit. The highest grade. The Spanish Cross in Gold with Diamonds, was very rarely awarded and reserved for those who showed the greatest merit or who had high leadership skills in battle. There was also a version made for the next of kin of men who had been killed; this was a medal suspended from a ribbon, rather than a pin-on badge. Unlike most German awards, the Spanish Cross was worn on the right side of the uniform.

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