Description
Product Description: A very nice example of the German Knights Cross of the Iron Cross produced by the firm of Klein and Quenzer. This German Knights Cross is produced of two “800” silver frame halves, a die stamped iron core, and an “800” silver ribbon loop. The two silver frames have the correct die-flaw seen on Klein & Quenzer Knights Crosses between the beads at the 11 o’clock position. This is also an earlier less encountered example which does not have the 12 o’clock flaw that developed on later Klein & Quenzer examples. The frame remains uncleaned and has developed an attractive even patina. The central core shows all the characteristics of a Klein & Quenzer Knights Cross, and retains all of its factory black paint. The upper “doughnut” eyelet is also a textbook characteristic utilized only by Klein & Quenzer. This Klein & Quenzer Knights Cross is also of the less encountered early production types with the ribbon loop not baring the “65” PKZ maker code stamp. Only the “800” stamp is utilized on the loop. A short piece of original wartime ribbon is fitted through the loop, and measures 28 cm (11 inches) in length. Overall, this German Knights Cross of the Iron Cross remains in very nice condition and is a much rarer early example as compared to the more common “65” marked examples from Klein & Quenzer.
Historical Description: The German Knights Cross of the Iron Cross. Instituted on September 1st, 1939, the Knights Cross has come to be known as one of the most recognized awards of World War Two and Germany. Awarded for extreme individual acts of bravery during combat, or successful battlefield leadership resulting in extraordinary success, the Knights Cross and its subsequent grades were among the German Military’s most prestigious decorations. The Knights Cross, suspended by a black, red, and white ribbon, was worn around the neck. Prior to the Knights Cross, Germany’s highest military, the Pour Le Merit, was reserved for Officers. The highest bravery awards an enlisted man could obtain was the Iron Cross 1stClass. Keeping with the National Socialist idea, and the breaking of the old Prussian aristocratic ways, Adolf Hitler created an award which, for the first time in the history of the Iron Cross, every member of Germany’s armed forces was eligible to be awarded, provided the requirements of awarding had been met. The awarding process determining whether a soldier was worthy of the award, began as a recommendation at the company level. This recommendation was then reviewed and either approved or denied. Upon approval, it would continue through the appropriate chain of command. If approval continued through unopposed, the recommendation ultimately ended in the hands Adolf Hitler, with himself making the final judgment. Most recommendations did not reach Adolf Hitler, or were lost in the chaos of war. The Knights Cross was awarded 7,364 times during the war. It is estimated that approximately 20,000 Knights Crosses were produced between September 1939 to May 1945.
Keeping with the rich heroic history of the Iron Cross, the Knights Cross was also constructed of three separate pieces, a core and two outer frames. The obverse displaying a rotating swastika in the center with the date “1939” for the year of introduction during the present conflict, and the reverse featuring only the date “1813” for the first year of the institution of the Iron Cross. The core, made of iron, zinc, or brass, was placed between the two outer silver frames and delicately hand soldered together. The cross was then suspended by a large loop through the frames top eyelet. A ribbon of black, white, and red was then threaded through the suspension loop. The production of the Knights Cross was strictly regulated, and only after the company’s granted approval by the government, were they legally allowed to produce the Knights Cross. In 1941, the German Government restricted the sale of the Knights Cross only to those with proper documentation proving their eligibility.
Wartime manufacturers of Knights Crosses are Juncker, Steinhauer & Luck, Klein & Quenzer, Otto Schickle, C.F. Zimmermann, Gebruder Godet, Unknown “3/4 Ring”.
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