Original German WWI & WWII Medal and Insignia Grouping with 1914 EKII & Hindenburg Cross – 10 Items Original Items

Original Items: Only One Set Available. This is a very nice collection of German WWI, Interwar, and WWII era Insignia & Awards, which was brought back from the European theater by a USGI after the war was concluded. It includes some a wide variety of medals and insignia, including a WWI Iron Cross 1914 Second Class, Hindenburg Cross, and more!

This lovely set includes:

– One Imperial German WWI Iron Cross 1914 2nd Class Medal (Eisernes Kreuz II. Klasse 1918) – missing ribbon. Marked MFH on the hanger Ring, an unknown maker. There is some age to the paint and oxidation, but the silver is still present, with a lovely tarnished patina. 

– 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, maker marked on the back with G1.

– One German WWII Deutsches Frauenwerk (German women’s organization) membership pin. RZM marked M1/120 on the back, indicating manufacture by Wilhelm Deumer of Lüdenscheid, a German city known for it’s clothing accessories industry.

– One German WWII Luftaffe Medical Oberfeldwebel Shoulder Strap Rank Insignia. It has the correct “medical blue” piping and two pips for the Oberfeldwebel. It is the “sewn in” style and was removed from the uniform. Shows moth damage.

– One German WWII Heeresverwaltung Army Administration Official’s Shoulder Board Insignia. It has the correct green color and bears the H/V monogram pin for the army administration.

– One Pre-WWII German NSDAP Hindenburg A H Commemorative Medal 1933. It has lost the ring at the top, as well as the ribbon.

– One German WWII Army Heer Enlisted Sleeve Rank “Pip” Insignia for Obersoldat. Shows wear from service.

– One German WWII RAD Labor Corps Embroidered Cap Badge. Looks to be in unissued condition, with no signs of being attached to a cap at any point.

– One German WWII Luftwaffe Visor Cap Insignia: Aluminum Combined “Winged Oak Wreath” and Cockade.

– One German WWII Kriegsmarine Navy Embroidered Breast Eagle. Correct Yellow Gold embroidery work on dark navy blue background.

A wonderful totally genuine grouping perfect for the German Medal and Insignia collector.

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.