Original German WWII Medal and Insignia Grouping with Three EKII & Two Diplomat Medals – 15 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 Three Iron Cross 2nd Class awards and two silver diplomatic Order of Merit of the German Eagle awards.

This lovely set includes:

– THREE German WWII Iron Cross 2nd Class 1939 (Eisernes Kreuz II. Klasse 1939) awards. One of these has a very good condition ribbon, while the other two are offered plain. Two are relatively oxidized, while one still has quite bright silver. This last one is also marked with a MINISCULE Präsidialkanzlei des Führers Lieferant (Presidential Chancellery Supplier) number 27 on the hanger ring, which represents maker Anton Schenkls Nachfolger of Vienna, Austria.

– TWO German WWII Order of the German Eagle Diplomatic Silver Medals of Merit with Ribbons. One of these has a very nice pin clip on the back of the ribbon, while the other does not, but does have “crossed swords”, indicating it was issued for a combatant.

– Two Small German WWII National Eagle Cap Metal Insignia.

– One Imperial German Miniature Iron Cross 2nd Class 1914.

– One Imperial German MARINE VEREIN (Marine Club) stick pin. Looks to be from the Tempelhof area near Berlin.

– One German WWII NSDAP Stick Pin Reichsadler Insignia. This looks to have at one time had another piece attached to it.

– One Ribbon from a German WWII Eastern Front Medal.

– One German WWII NSDAP Political National Pennant (Wimpel) measuring about 7″ x 10″. It is double sided with hang ties on each end.

– One German WWII High End Metal Cockade with a NSDAP Insiginia in the Middle. Looks to be silver plated, and the rear is RZM marked M1 / 8.

– One German WWII Bevo Eagle Insignia. Offered in very good condition, this eagle is the green color used on Heer uniforms throughout the war.

– One German WWII Wehrmacht Eagle Pith Helmet Badge. In good condition, with some slight bending of the zinc body and all three original clips still present. It is marked on the back CB 41.

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

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 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.

Please also 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.

The Order of Merit of the German Eagle (Verdienstorden vom Deutschen Adler) was an award of the German NSDAP regime, a diplomatic and honorary award given predominantly to prominent foreigners, particularly diplomats, who were considered sympathetic to NSDAPsm. The Order was instituted on 1 May 1937 by Adolf AH, and awarded until the end of the war in 1945.

In addition to awards to non-Germans, the Reich Foreign Minister and the Reich Protector of Bohemia and Moravia received a ‘Special Degree’ (Sonderstufe), with identical insignia to the Grand Cross of the Order. Accordingly, Foreign Minister Constantin von Neurath, received the Special Degree of the Order, with a further award to Joachim von Ribbentrop on his appointment as Foreign Minister in 1938. In 1943 Dr. Wilhelm Frick received the Special Degree after becoming Reich Protector of Bohemia and Moravia.

The award was offered in six degrees from 1937-1943, and in 9 degrees from 1943-1945. This version was originally the German Medal of Merit (Deutsche Verdienstmedaille), but after 1943 became the Silver Medal of Merit (Silberne Verdienstmedaille), both part of the Order of the German Eagle.