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WWII German Stickpin - German Cross In Gold -
This is a German WWII stick pin. These items were issued to military, civilian and political individuals for various reasons.
In the case of military personnel, a stickpin was given along with a full size award. The soldier could wear the stick pin
instead of having to sport the full size badge.
The civilian and political stickpins were usually issued as an indication that the person had attended an event, or to
indicate the affiliation to a particular group.
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This award was instituted by Hitler as a means to recognize bravery beyond that required to earn the iron cross first class but not sufficient to warrant the Knight's cross to the Iron Cross. The German cross is not in the same lineage as the Iron Cross.
The instituting order for the award assigned it to the armed forces (Wermarch). However, it was also issued to members of the Waffen SS.
The designer of the award was Professor Klein of Munich. The award was officially recognized on September 28th, 1941.
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This page is a recognition and identification guide for WWII German Stick Pins. 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 stickpin worth?". A price
guide is included here to address this question. The value of the Stickpins is reviewed
over a period of several years. A trend can be observed. The present worth of the German
stick pins 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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The designation as a "Cross" was made as a reference to the Swastika residing in the center
of the piece. The award was produced in Gold and Silver.
| Cross Type |
Criteria |
| Silver | Awarded for outstanding service in the war effort. |
| Gold | Awarded for outstanding service in combat. |
The only difference in appearance between the two awards is the color of the wreath. One was gold while the other was silver.
Pre-requisites included that the soldier had already been awarded the Iron Cross 1st class, the respective clasp or the War Merit 1st Class Cross with Swords.
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This stickpin may be 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 stick pins of the Third Reich, you can do so by going
to our WWII German Stick Pins
identification guide. Where we cover Heer (Army), Navy (Kriegsmarine), Air Force (Luftwaffe),
Political, Police and many other items.
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