{"product_id":"original-german-wwii-wehrmacht-iron-cross-2nd-class-1939-by-glaser-sohn-of-dresden-with-ribbon","title":"Original German WWII Wehrmacht Iron Cross 2nd Class 1939 by Glaser \u0026 Sohn of Dresden with Ribbon","description":"\u003cp\u003eOriginal Item: Only One Available. This is a very nice example of a German WWII Iron Cross 2nd Class 1939 (\u003cem\u003eEisernes Kreuz II. Klasse 1939\u003c\/em\u003e) with its original red, black, and white ribbon. The award itself is maker marked on the hanger ring with LDO number\u003cstrong\u003e L\/58\u003c\/strong\u003e, which represents \u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGlaser \u0026amp; Sohn of Dresden\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e. The LDO, (\u003cem\u003eLeistungs Gemeinschaft der Deutscher Ordenshersteller\u003c\/em\u003e - Administration of German orders Manufacturers), was a self-governing organization formed in 1941 which regulated the manufacturing of all German awards. The firm \u003cem\u003eGlaser \u0026amp; Sohn\u003c\/em\u003e was partially licensed in the organization, entry number 58.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNOTE:\u003c\/strong\u003e There is some disagreement regarding which firm was number 58 in the LDO, with most attributing it to Glaser \u0026amp; Sohn. However, some others attribute it to Rudolf Souval of Vienna, with Glaser being number 22, which most attribute to Souval. Definitely some nice research potential here.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe cross itself is a very fine example with crisp beading, showing light wear and no damage to the border \/ frame. The silvering to the frame has tarnished to a lovely patina, showing that it is definitely real silver. The matte core paint on the iron center is in excellent condition on the front, showing just a bit of crazing, while the reverse has aged a bit more, with an area in the center having degraded and flaked off. The cross comes with its original ribbon, which shows age related degradation, and is threaded through the hanger ring.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePlease also note the edge seam on the cross 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe basic design of the WWII crosses is a central \u003cem\u003eTatzenkreuz\u003c\/em\u003e (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 \u003cstrong\u003e1939\u003c\/strong\u003e 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is a very nice representative example of an Iron Cross 2nd Class as issued. Ready to display!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThere is no more iconic German military award than the \u003cstrong\u003eIron Cross\u003c\/strong\u003e. 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThere 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOn 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe 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.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Original Items","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43517250109509,"sku":"ONSV23BLS79","price":225.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1524\/1342\/files\/ONSV23BLS79__01.jpg?v=1756998389","url":"https:\/\/www.ima-usa.com\/products\/original-german-wwii-wehrmacht-iron-cross-2nd-class-1939-by-glaser-sohn-of-dresden-with-ribbon","provider":"International Military Antiques","version":"1.0","type":"link"}