Original German Early WWII Iron Cross 2nd Class 1939 with Ribbon and WWI Frame – Schinkel Version Original Items

Original Item: Only One Available. This is a fantastic rare “Schinkel” example of a German WWII Iron Cross 2nd Class 1939 (Eisernes Kreuz II. Klasse 1939), complete with its original red, black, and white ribbon.  When the Iron Cross was re-instituted by AH on September 1st 1939, manufacturers jumped at the opportunity of using the most cost effective solution to make them. This involved using their left over stock of Imperial Iron Cross 1914 frames. Schinkel versions are these earliest Iron crosses and are named after the original designer Karl Friedrich Schinkel.

The easiest way to identify one is to look at the spacing around the Swas (Swas) with relation to the frame. The 1914 version frame wasn’t quite large enough, so the two meet, and sometimes a part hook cross has to be removed, as on this example. The cross itself is also often slightly smaller, as the frame was not designed to accommodate it.

The cross itself is a very fine example with crisp beading. The obverse of the cross bears the date 1939 under a “mobile” swas, with the 1813 date on the back. The silvering to the frame is oxidized to a nice dark patina, showing it is real silver. The core paint on the iron center is also virtually all present, on both sides, with the expected crazing in the enamel due to age. The cross comes with its original full length ribbon installed in the ring. There are still marks where it was attached to a pin at one point.

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.

This is a great example of the earliest issue of the WWII German Iron Cross, ready to display!

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.