Original Items: Only One Set Available. This is a very nice collection of German WWII Insignia & Awards, 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 good variety of medals and insignia, including a 1939 EKII, a desirable Panzer Officer Bullion Breast eagle, and more!

This lovely set includes:

- One Imperial German WWI Iron Cross 1914 2nd Class Medal (Eisernes Kreuz II. Klasse 1918), with ribbon. There is no maker mark but it is stamped with 800 on the ring, indicating .800 pure silver. There is some age to the paint and oxidation, but the silver is still present, with a lovely tarnished patina. The central core is loose inside the frame, and the ribbon definitely shows age.

- One Bavarian WWI Fireman's 25 Year Long Service Medal with Ribbon (Feuerwehr Ehrenzeichen für 25-jährige Dienstzeit). These were issued during the WWI Era to Bavarian firefighters with 25 years of service. It is in very good condition, though the ribbon is definitely faded and worn.

- One German WWII War Merit Cross 2nd Class with Swords (Kriegsverdienstkreuz II Klasse mit Schwertern) and Ribbon. The medal has a lovely lightly oxidized patina, and the ribbon is in very good shape, showing just a bit of age toning and staining.

- One German WWII 1939 War Merit Medal (Kriegsverdienstmedaille): Comes complete with the original ribbon, in very good condition. The ribbon is a bit frayed, but overall this is a very nice example.

- One German WWII Eastern Front Medal (Ostmedaille). The medal still retains the top hanger ring, though the ribbon is no longer present. It shows a lovely oxidized patina and some flaking on both sides.

- One German WWII Kriegsmarine Navy Embroidered Breast Eagle. It is in very good condition, showing some wear and moth damage to the dark navy blue background.

- One German WWII Kriegsmarine Navy Metal Bootsmannmaat Boatswain NCO’s Career Sleeve Insignia. For the standard Navy Blue uniform. It still has the original metal backing plate and cardboard.

- One German WWII Kriegsmarine Navy Field Gray Uniform Sleeve Chevron.

- One German WWII Luftwaffe Air Force Embroidered Cap Eagle, featuring silver gray threading on a Luftwaffe blue gray background. It shows wear, and looks to have been removed from a cap.

- One German WWII Luftwaffe Motor Vehicle Driver Trade Badge (Kraftfahrpersonal Tätigkeitsabzeichen). The badge is in excellent condition, with the colors well retained. It does not look to have been attached to a uniform previously.

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

More Details on some of the Items 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.

War Merit Cross 2nd Class (Kriegsverdienstkreuz) with Swords (for Combat)
This was a decoration of NSDAP Germany during the Second World War, which could be awarded to military personnel and civilians alike. By the end of the war it was issued in four degrees, and had a related civil decoration. It was created by Adolf AH in October 1939 as a successor to the non-combatant Iron Cross which was used in earlier wars. The award was graded the same as the Iron Cross: War Merit Cross Second Class, War Merit Cross First Class, and Knights Cross of the War Merit Cross. The award had two variants: with swords given to soldiers for exceptional service "not in direct connection with combat", and without swords for meritorious service to civilians in "furtherance of the war effort". As with the Iron Cross, Recipients had to have the lower grade of the award before getting the next level.

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.

The Eastern Medal (Ostmedaille), officially the Winter Battle in the East 1941–42 Medal (Medaille Winterschlacht im Osten 1941/42), was a military award of the Wehrmacht which was created by ordinance of Adolf H on 26 May 1942.

The Eastern Medal was awarded to any member of the Wehrmacht and Waffen-SS "in recognition of experience in the struggle against the Bolshevik enemy and the Russian winter within the period from 15 November 1941 to 15 April 1942." It was also awarded posthumously to any service member who died in the line of duty within the Soviet Union. It was wryly called the Frozen Meat Medal or the "Order of the Frozen Flesh" (Gefrierfleischorden).