Original Item: Only One Available. This is an excellent original German WWII 1939 Iron Cross 2nd Class, or Eisernes Kreuz 2. Klasse 1939 (EKII or EK2), complete with its black, white, and red ribbon. Of particular collector interest, the suspension ring is maker marked 100, the Präsidialkanzlei des Führers Lieferant (Presidential Chancellery Supplier) number assigned to Rudolf Wachtler & Lange of Mittweida, Germany.

The cross is a very attractive example, retaining a crisp, well-defined frame with sharp inner crenulation. The silver frame is still bright and shiny, with only some tarnishing on the very corners, showing that it is real silver. The iron core likewise retains the original matte black finish almost completely, with only very minor age and handling wear. The raised details remain especially sharp. The obverse displays the central "mobile" swas (hook cross) above the 1939 date, while the reverse retains the traditional 1813 date at the lower arm.

Construction is of the familiar multi-piece pattern associated with wartime Iron Cross manufacture, with a blackened Tatzenkreuz (cross pattée) iron center enclosed within the separately assembled outer frame, which has a raised crenulated decorative border. The assembly seam can be seen around the edge of the cross, an expected feature of this traditional construction. Both the larger suspension ring and smaller connecting ring remain securely in place.

The accompanying black, white, and red ribbon remains threaded through the suspension ring. It retains particularly strong coloration and presents very well, with the expected age toning and handling wear. The exposed ends show some fraying and loose threads, particularly along the upper edge, but the ribbon remains intact and displays extremely well with the cross.

With its clearly maker marked 100 suspension ring, sharp frame detail, nearly complete matte black core finish, visible edge seam, intact suspension hardware, and original ribbon, this is a strong example of a German WWII Iron Cross 2nd Class by Rudolf Wachtler & Lange. The light frame tarnish and minor ribbon fraying are fully disclosed. It would fit especially well in an Iron Cross, Rudolf Wachtler & Lange, maker marked awards, German military decorations, or advanced WWII medal collection.

There is no more iconic German military award than the Iron Cross (Eisernes Kreuz, abbreviated EK). The long history of this order began during the Napoleonic Wars. It was established by King Friedrich Wilhelm III of Prussia in March 1813, backdated to the birthday of his late wife Queen Louise on 10 March 1813 (EK 1813), who was the first person to receive this decoration (posthumous). 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.