Original German WWI & WWII Medal and Insignia Grouping with 1914 EKII & Hindenberg Cross – 14 Items Original Items

Original Items: Only One Set Available. This is a very nice collection of German WWII 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 War Merit Cross, Eastern Front Medal, Hindenberg Cross, and more!

This lovely set includes:

– One Imperial German WWI Iron Cross 1914 2nd Class Medal (Eisernes Kreuz 2. Klasse, or EKII). In really good cosmetic shape with a maker mark of M on the hanger ring. The Ribbon is unfortunately missing.

– One German WWI Honor Cross of the World War 1914/1918 (Hindenburg Cross) Medal without Swords, for actions not directly related to combat. Attached to small metal ribbon bar with pinback.

– One German WWII Cross of Honor of the German Mother in Bronze (3rd Class), in good condition, missing ribbon.

– One German Pre-WWII 1 MAI 1937 (May Day, labor day) Tinnie with pinback. Somewhat oxidized.

– One German WWII aluminum 1935 SEEFAHRT IST NOT (Seafaring is necessary) Tinnie. This was given out for German Seafaring Day (TAG DER DEUTSCHEN SEEFAHRT), May 25-26 1935. Maker marked PAULMANN & CRONE / LÜDENSCHEID.

– One German WWII Aluminum  Erkennungsmarke (identity disc or Dog Tag), marked 2. (E) / A. R. 2, most likely for an Ersatz (replacement) unit sent to an Artillery Regiment.

– One German WWII Army Heer Visor Cap Metal Open Wreath Insignia with attached Metal Tri-Color Cockade. All three brass attachment tabs are still intact.

– One German WWII Protection Police Visor Cap Aluminum Insignia with intact brass attachment pins.

– One German WWII BeVo Embroidered Panzer Cap Eagle Insignia, gray on black background.

– One German WWII Heer Army Obersoldat (Senior Private) “Pip” Embroidered Sleeve Badge.

– One German WWII Kriegsmarine Embroidered Reichasadler Breast Eagle – Gold on Navy Blue

– One German WWII Oak Leaf and Acorn Pin with intact back clips.

– One German WWII Motorized Pioneer Pennant Flag Tinnie, plastic with a pinback.

– One German WWII National Socialist State Veteran’s Association Enameled Stick Pin – NSRKB

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

German WWI Prussian Iron Cross 2nd Class with Ribbon:
Established by Frederick William in 1813 for gallantry in action, the Eisernes Kreuz (EK) 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 cross patee 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.

This example is marked on the back with 50 / R.V. / PFORZHEIM.

The Cross of Honor of the German Mother (German: Ehrenkreuz der Deutschen Mutter), referred to colloquially as the Mutterehrenkreuz (Mother’s Cross of Honour) or simply Mutterkreuz (Mother’s Cross), was a state decoration conferred by the government of the German Reich to honour a Reichsdeutsche German mother for exceptional merit to the German nation. Eligibility later extended to include Volksdeutsche (ethnic German) mothers from, for example, Austria and Sudetenland, that had earlier been incorporated into the German Reich.

The decoration was conferred from 1939 until 1945 in three classes: bronze, silver, and gold, to Reichsdeutsche mothers who exhibited probity, exemplary motherhood, and who conceived and raised at least four or more children in the role of a parent. A similar practice, that continues to this present day, was already established in France since 1920, by conferring the Médaille de la Famille française (Medal of the French Family), a tribute to the French mother who raised several children in an appropriate way.