Condition: Excellent
Maker: Zimmermann “20”
Pattern: Light
Base Material: CupAl
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Product Description: This Zimmermann German Cross in Silver is a nice example of a scarce award that is missing from most collections. It’s a light version, with a back plate made of Cupal (bonded copper and aluminum). This piece weighs in at 46 grams. The obverse has a great look, with light wear and an attractive patina. The enameled swastika emblem shows some scratches from wear, but no chips. The Tombak (brass alloy) wreath has great toning to the original silvering, with only light wear. The starburst has most of the original finish as well, with wear to high points and edges exposing the golden tone of the base metal. This attractive badge is textbook in all aspects, with the correct 11 o’clock die flaw in the starburst area, as well as the expected date flaw in the “9.” The reverse of this Zimmermann German Cross in Silver has a light patina, and typical hardware with a wide pin and base plates for the hinge and catch. The pin still works, and there are no repairs. The correct hollow rivets are intact and un-messed with. Under the pin, this piece is stamped “20” for Zimmermann. This handsome and very desirable badge remains in excellent condition.
Historical Description:
The German Cross in Silver was instituted on September 28th, 1941. The German High Command saw it necessary to create an award which would bridge the gap between the War Merit Cross First Class and the Knights Cross of the War Merit Cross. Once instituted, the German Cross became one of Germany’s highest military decorations. 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 2,500 recipients of the German Cross in Silver. 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-pointed 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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