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WWII GERMAN IRON CROSS 2nd CLASS -
The Iron Cross was a military decoration of the Kingdom of Prussia, and later of Germany, which was established by
King Friedrich Wilhelm III of Prussia and first awarded on 10 March 1813 in Breslau. In addition to during the
Napoleonic Wars, the Iron Cross was awarded during the Franco-German War, the First World War, and the Second World War.
The Iron Cross was normally a military decoration only, though there were instances of it being awarded to civilians
for performing military functions. Two examples, the civilian pilot Hanna Reitsch was awarded the Iron Cross First
Class for her bravery as a test pilot during the Second World War and Melitta Schenk Gräfin von Stauffenberg (also a
German female test pilot) was awarded the Iron Cross Second Class.
The Iron Cross was also used as the symbol of the German Army from 1871 to 1915, when it was replaced by a simpler
Greek cross. In 1956, the Iron Cross became the symbol of the Bundeswehr, the German armed forces. The traditional
design is black and this design is used on armored vehicles and aircraft. A newer design in blue and silver is used
as the emblem in other contexts.
The item featured here is a German Iron Cross of the 2nd type. As issued during WWII. Consisting
of two pieces holding a metal wafer in the center. A suspension ring is attached to the upper arm
of the cross. This is where the ribbon was threaded for the soldier to wear the cross.
BY THE NUMBERS
It is hard to determine the exact number of Iron Crosses that were produced. However, thanks to the record keeping
maintained by the Wehrmacht, it is possible to find how many crosses were actually issued.
The actual number of Iron Crosses produced is greater than the number that was issue. It must be accounted that the
armed forces would have a stock in hand so it could replace lost ones and issue new awards. In addition the factories
were likely to have warehouses with inventory at hand. The Iron Cross was one of the awards most widely distributed
during WWII.
The population of Germany in 1939 was approximately 64,000,000.
Some of the crosses were marked on the ring with an
LDO number.
The sample shown here does not have any markings.
The same type of Cross was issued during WWI but it did not have a Swastika in the center and
the color of the ribbon was different.
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The "Military minute" is a series of instructional videos created by MilitaryItems.com for the purpose of
providing basic information about military collectibles. The idea is to expose people to the exciting
world of military collectibles.
The video presentation coupled with detailed photographs and written information, including a military
collectible's price guide, enhances the visitor's experience.
Whether you are a long time collector, a beginner or simply have an interest in the history and value of
each collectible, we hope that you find the information presented here useful.
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This page is a recognition and identification guide for WWII German badges and awards. Multiple
detailed photos of a specific sample are provided. Descriptions point out clearly defined points
that should be noted.
One of the most commonly asked questions is "How much is my WWII German Iron Cross worth?". A price
guide is included here to address this question. The value of the badges and awards is reviewed
over a period of several years. A trend can be observed. The present worth of the German
badges in the collector's market is illustrated.
This service is provided free of charge to the visitor/enthusiast courtesy of
MilitaryItems.com,
a company dedicated to the preservation of military history and to providing quality military
antiques and collectibles to museums, institutions and the general public.
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COLLECTING IRON CROSSES
Collecting Third Reich memorabilia is a field that has been growing since the days the GI's rummaged around Europe
bringing back military souvenirs. German soldiers wore many of their awards on their uniforms when they went to battle.
Once the soldier was killed or captured, the American soldiers would take the awards as war trophies. Eventually all
these pieces came back to the United States where military history enthusiasts began to collect them.
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"I am trying to figure out if I should get into collecting Infantry Assault badges."
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Determining which military badges to collect can be a challenging decision. The combination of availabiilty and
cost will often set the pace of what can be collected.
The adjacent table outlines some of the advantages and disadvantages of collecting the Infantry Assault badge.
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This award is currently being
reproduced.
It is becoming more difficult to be able to tell the fake ones from the real ones because the quality
of the reproductions is improving. The collector must become familiarized with the construction style
and materials employed in the manufacturing of this badge. Attention to the details is critical in
order to be able to determine the authenticity of the badge.
If you have an interest is seeing other badges and awards of the Third Reich, you can do so by going
to our
WWII German Badges and Awards
identification guide. Where we cover Heer (Army), Navy (Kriegsmarine) and
Air Force (Luftwaffe) items.
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