Original Items: Only One Set Available. This is a very nice collection of German WWI & WWII Awards and Insignia, which was brought back from the European theater by a USGI after the war was concluded. Many solders traded these on the way back, and would end up with a pocket full of various different collectible items, and this set represents the typical "haul" one might have come back with. It includes a nice WWI Iron Cross 1914 Second class and a Hindenburg Cross with Swords, as well as awards and insignia from the WWII period.

This lovely set includes:

- One Imperial German WWI Iron Cross 1914 2nd Class Medal (Eisernes Kreuz II. Klasse 1918) with ribbon. It is maker marked G on the ring, for Godet & Sohn of Berlin. There is just a bit of age to the paint, and the silver is still present, with a lovely tarnished patina. The ribbon is in very good shape, showing wear and fraying consistent with being over 100 years old.

- One Pre-WWII German WWI Honor Cross of the World War 1914/1918 (Hindenburg Cross) Medal with Swords (for Combat) with ribbon. This example is in very good condition, showing just a bit of wear and oxidation, and is marked on the back with L. / NBG.. The ribbon is in very good shape, having been sewn around the hanger ring, and has a lovely aged toned look.

- One German WWII 1939 War Merit Medal (Kriegsverdienstmedaille): Comes complete with the original ribbon, in very good condition. The ribbon shows just a tiny bit of fraying and age toning, making this a very nice example.

- One German WWII Kriegsmarine Oberbootsmannmaat (Boatswain's Mate 2nd Class) Embroidered Ratings Badge. This features a navy blue backing with gold embroidered insignia. There is a fouled anchor with a chevron underneath, indicating a 2nd Class Petty Officer. Condition is excellent, showing just a bit of wear, and it does not appear to have ever been installed on a uniform.

- One German WWII Heer Army Gefreiter Sleeve Chevron Patch. This is made from the correct diamond weave silver tress on a dark bottle green background.

- One German WWII Era HJ National Youth Organization BeVo Embroidered Armband Insignia. This is in very good shape, and was never installed on a uniform, though it has suffered some staining and fraying since then, as shown.

- One German WWII Heer Army Sleeve Rank Pip Insignia for Obersoldat with Black Background. We have seen these on both field gray uniforms, as well as on the black panzer uniforms, where it would be for an Oberpanzerschütze.

- One German WWII Luftwaffe "L G" Breast Eagle Triangle. There is some confusion over the exact meaning of these, with some feeling that "L G" stands for Luft Gau, indicating use by Civilian Employees, but others feel it stands for Lehr Geschwader, indicating use by pilot training.

- One German WWII NSDAP lapel or cuff insignia.

- One German WWII era 1937 dated 2 Reichsmark coin turned into a cuff link.

A wonderful totally genuine grouping perfect for the German Medal and Insignia collector. Ready to research and display!

More information on some of the awards in this set:

German WWI Prussian Iron Cross 2nd Class:
Established by Frederick William in 1813 for gallantry in action, the decoration was revived several times for later conflicts. The bulk of the issues are divided into 1st and 2nd class versions, but a rare and superior 'Grand Cross' was also awarded for successful field commanders. During WW1 the lower decoration was freely awarded with 5½ million second class types issued. Originally, the Iron Cross was an award of the Kingdom of Prussia, however given Prussia's pre-eminent place in the German Empire formed in 1871, it became an award for all of Germany.

The basic design of the WW1 crosses is a central Tatzenkreuz (cross pattée) struck from iron and mounted in a silver frame which has a raised crenulated decorative border. The obverse of the cross bears the date 1914 under a crowned 'W' monogram. Reverse bears an oak leaf cluster with the date of the decoration’s institution, 1813 underneath - the crowned initials of Frederick William are in the top arm above the oak leaf cluster. Suspension for second-class types is by means of a ring, and frequently this ring bears a maker's stamp.

Please examine the edge seam for authentication, which is not present on reproductions. Iron crosses were commonly constructed from an iron core sandwiched in a surrounding two part silver frame, normally the seam of these two silver parts is visible around the edge of the cross as is seen on this fine example.

Hindenburg Cross with Crossed Swords (for combat):
The Honor Cross of the World War 1914/1918 (German: Das Ehrenkreuz des Weltkriegs 1914/1918), commonly, but incorrectly, known as the Hindenburg Cross was established by Field Marshal Paul von Hindenburg, President of the German Republic, by an order dated 13 July 1934, to commemorate the distinguished deeds of the German people during the First World War. This was Germany's first official service medal for soldiers of Imperial Germany who had taken part in the war, and where they had since died it was also awarded to their surviving next-of-kin. Shortly after its issuance, the government of NSDAP Germany declared the award as the only official service decoration of the First World War and further forbid the continued wearing of German Free Corps awards on any military or paramilitary uniform of a state or NSDAP Party organization.

The War Merit Medal (Kriegsverdienstmedaille) was a World War II German military decoration awarded to recognize outstanding service by civilians in relation to the war effort. It was instituted on 19 August 1940 and usually awarded to those workers in factories who significantly exceeded work quotas. The War Merit Medal was awarded only to Germans and non-Germans civilians, to men and women. An estimated 4.9 million medals were awarded by the end of the war in Europe. It was closely related to the War Merit Cross, which could be awarded to military personnel and civilians alike for outstanding service to the war effort.

The medal was designed by Professor Richard Klein of Munich. It was a circular bronze award bearing the design of the War Merit Cross on the front (obverse), and the inscription "For War Merit 1939" (Für Kriegsverdienst 1939) on the reverse side. It was suspended from a ribbon colored similar to the War Merit Cross, except for a thin red vertical strip added to the center of the black portion. When worn, it was either as a medal ribbon bar above the left breast pocket (soldiers who had earned the medal as civilians could wear it on their uniform), or with the ribbon only through the second buttonhole of a jacket. Since this was a non-combat award, the medal never incorporated swords. After 15 May, 1943, the award of this medal to foreigners was superseded by the Medal of Merit of the Order of the German Eagle.