Description
Product Description: This cased early German Cross in Silver is a very appealing gem. The cross is very nice, with no damage to the jeweler quality black enamel on the swastika emblem. The wreath of laurel leaves retains nice silver electroplating with typical slight age toning to the surface. The black starburst retains most of the original factory applied black finish, with some slight wear to the high points exposing some Tombak at the tips of the rays. This desirable early example does not have the 11 o’clock die-flaw that is seen on 95% of Zimmermann produced crosses. On the reverse, this German Cross in Silver has a solid tombak back plate with most of the original silver plating remaining. This piece has textbook hollow rivets, and classic Zimmermann hardware directly soldered to the tombak back-plate. The attachment pin is functional, and is unmarked on the underside, another hallmark of very early production. This attractive cross is housed in a rare to find German Cross in Silver case. The exterior of the case retains all of the original black leatherette surface, with minimal wear and a very light patina. The award is handsomely displayed on a nice black insert. The interior of the lid is lined with white rayon that has light spotting near the hinge area. The hinge and closure function with no issues. These silver-lined cases are extremely difficult to find. For some reason the most predominantly found German Crosses, the Zimmermann type, are usually Gold and found in gold lined cases; the silver examples are very tough to locate. This is a fantastic set and is in excellent plus condition.
Historical Description: The German Cross in Silver was instituted on September 28th, 1941, when the German High Command saw it necessary to create an award which would bridge the gap between the War Merit Cross First Class and the Knights Cross of the War Merit Cross. Upon institution, the German Cross became one of Germany’s highest military decorations. The German Cross was similar to the Knights Cross in regards that the award was not based off of any previous awards in German history. It was a unique creation which also ended with the war. There were approximately 2,500 recipients of the German Cross in Silver. This number, however, does not reflect the total amount of German Crosses produced.
The German Cross was actually not a cross at all. It took on the form of an eight-pointed star, resembling some of the former breast awards of the Imperial era. The award came in two forms, a metal version and a cloth version. The metal version being the most complex of the two, which consists of five separate pieces being fitted and held together using between four to twelve rivets depending on who the manufacturer was and the time period of production. The cloth version follows the exact same design as the metal produced version except the entire cross is cloth with the exception of the laurel wreath still being metal.
Known Manufacturers: Deschler & Sohn, Munchen; C.E. Juncker, Berlin; C.F. Zimmermann, Pforzheim; Gebruder Godet, Berlin; Otto Klein, Hanau
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