Original Items: Only One Available. This is a fantastic WWII Iron Cross First Class 1939 offering, one of the most complete that we have ever had! Not only does this excellent condition cross come in the original presentation case, it even has the original maker marked cardboard shipping box! We almost never see these, and it looks almost like it was never really issued, just kept in storage for decades.

The original cardboard box measures 3"H x 2 3/4"W x 7/8", and does show age and deterioration to the cardboard. There is a tear on the top from the flap, which was stabilized internally with tape long ago, and the side flaps for that opening have torn off as well, but are included. The top of the box has the correct printed indication of the contents:-

EISERNES
KREUZ
I. KLASSE
1939

Nur vom Empfänger
zu öffnen

The last line translates to "To be opened only by the recipient", and is a standard warning on German WWII awards. The right side of the box has the maker information:

Fritz Zimmermann
Ordenfabrik
S T U T T G A R T

This is a known and desirable maker of the Iron Cross EKI, and the cross inside the leatherette case has a Magnetic core, flat design, and tapered pin attachment. The cross itself is unmarked, which is not uncommon, however we have compared it to known marked and unmarked examples of Fritz Zimmermann crosses, and the style of pin, catch, and hinge are completely correct. It also has a "left facing" pin bent flat wire catch, a known variation with unmarked F. Zimmerman crosses.

Having never really been issued, the Iron cross is in excellent condition. The silver is retained very well, and is still shiny in areas on the flat edge, while the border is now lightly tarnished due to contact with the case. There is very little wear of any kind to the award, though it shows age related degradation. The matte black paint on the central core cross is excellent, showing no wear through or other signs of age aside from some crazing and checking. The paint on the raised 1939 date and swas is still fully present, and there are no signs of repainting.

The award comes complete in its original black leatherette covered presentation case, with the Iron Cross emblem on the lid, and a functional catch on the front. The interior velvet and satin lining is well retained, with minimal wear, though there definitely is some age toning, and some staining to the interior of the lid. There is even the faint imprint of the award on the top satin. The exterior shows only light wear, with no tearing to the leatherette covering. The latch works great, showing some light oxidation from age.

The basic design of the WWII 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 1939 under a "mobile" swas. Second class crosses would have a ring at the top where a ring was attached, and had more markings on the back. The first class award, however, was meant to attach directly to the front of the uniform.

Please note 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.

A fantastic cased example by a desirable maker, complete with the original cardboard case! An offering that we are unlikely to have again anytime soon!

There is no more iconic German military award than the Iron Cross. The long history of this order began during the Napoleonic Wars. King Friedrich Wilhelm III of Prussia instituted the “Eisernes Kreuz” (Iron Cross) in March of 1813. The award criteria changed somewhat with time, but generally speaking, Iron Crosses could be awarded for individual acts of bravery, or for leadership achievements on the battlefield. The design was created by a Karl Friedrich Schinkel, his choice of the black cross with silver outline was derived from the heraldic emblem of the Teutonic Knights.

There were a number of different type and grades of Iron Cross awards throughout its long history, but the basic details of the most widely awarded grades: The Iron Cross 1st Class and Iron Cross 2nd Class- remained the same. The first class award was a breast badge, with fittings on the reverse to allow it to be worn on the uniform. These fittings varied widely over time and from maker to maker, and could be a simple in and catch, a screw post and retaining disc, or more elaborate setups. The second class award was suspended from a ribbon, originally in the Prussian colors of black and white, later in the Reich colors of black, red and white.

On the original versions of these crosses, in 1813, the front of the iron core of each grade was bare, and only the second class award had ornamentation: a crown over the initials “FW” representing the King, a sprig of oak leaves, and the date 1813. The core was redesigned in 1870, when the cross was re-instituted during the Franco-Prussian War. The reverse ornamentation on the Iron Cross 2nd Class remained the same, but the front of the core on both grades now bore another crown, a “W” representing Kaiser Wilhelm, and the date 1870. This pattern repeated again when the cross was reinstituted for WWI- everything stayed the same, only the date 1870 was replaced with 1914.

The final reinstitution of the cross came in 1939. For this version, the front of the core for both grades bore a swas and the date 1939. The oak leaves, crown and royal initials were removed from the reverse, with only the date 1813 remaining as a reminder of the legacy of this award. In WWII, hundreds of thousands of Iron Cross First Class awards were bestowed, and four and a half million Iron Cross Second Class awards. Iron Crosses were made by a large number of authorized manufacturers. Some variants of these awards were mass produced in huge numbers. Others were made in very limited quantities.

The Iron Cross was normally a military decoration only, though there were instances of it being awarded to civilians for performing military functions. Two examples of this were civilian test pilots Hanna Reitsch who was awarded the Iron Cross 2nd Class and 1st Class and Melitta Schenk Gräfin von Stauffenberg, who was awarded the Iron Cross 2nd Class, for their actions as pilots during World War II.