Original Imperial German WWI Prussian Iron Cross Second Class with WWII 1939 Clasp on Ribbon - Spange zum Eisernen Kreuz

Original Item: Only One Available. Established by Frederick William in 1813 for gallantry in action, the Iron Cross decoration was revived several times for later conflicts. The bulk of the issues are divided into 1st and 2nd class versions, but a rare and superior 'Grand Cross' was also awarded for successful field commanders. During WW1 the lower decoration was freely awarded with 5½ million second class types issued. Originally, the Iron Cross was an award of the Kingdom of Prussia, however given Prussia's pre-eminent place in the German Empire formed in 1871, it became an award for all of Germany.

With so many Iron Crosses issued in WWI, it was inevitable that soldiers who already had achieved the 1914 version of the award might receive another during WWII. When the 1939 Iron Cross began being issued, they also introduced the Clasp to the Iron Cross (Spange zum Eisernen Kreuz). This way, a holder of the 1914 Iron Cross could be awarded a second or higher grade of the 1939 Iron Cross. To permit the two medals to be worn together, a "1939 Clasp" (Spange) would be worn on the original 1914 Iron Cross. It depicted a national eagle clutching an oak leaf wreath surrounding a swas above a trapezoid bearing the year 1939. The clasp was attached to the 1914 Iron Cross medal ribbon. The ribbon was then worn through a tunic button of the uniform.

Here we have a lovely example of an Imperial German WWI Prussian Iron Cross Second Class, complete with it's original black and white ribbon, with an attached 1939 Clasp 2nd Class, indicating they received another Iron Cross Second class during the NSDAP period. The 1914 EKII shows a lovely tarnished patina on the silver areas, and the matte black paint on the core is still in great shape. We checked the hanger ring, and there is a maker marking, but we are not able to see what it says due to how it was struck. The attached ribbon is in lovely shape, with just a bit of wear and fraying at the ends, and it shows light age toning to the white stripes.

The 1939 Clasp is in lovely condition, showing a lightly tarnished patina, and is correctly attached to the ribbon with the 4 prongs on the back. It does not show any major damage or other issues, just a great aged patina.

This is a great chance to pick up a lovely example of one of the most iconic of all Imperial German awards, with a WWII addition indicating additional meritorious service. Ready to display!

German WWI Prussian Iron Cross 2nd Class:
Established by Frederick William in 1813 for gallantry in action, the decoration was revived several times for later conflicts. The bulk of the issues are divided into 1st and 2nd class versions, but a rare and superior 'Grand Cross' was also awarded for successful field commanders. During WW1 the lower decoration was freely awarded with 5½ million second class types issued. Originally, the Iron Cross was an award of the Kingdom of Prussia, however given Prussia's pre-eminent place in the German Empire formed in 1871, it became an award for all of Germany.

The basic design of the WW1 crosses is a central Tatzenkreuz (cross pattée) struck from iron and mounted in a silver frame which has a raised crenulated decorative border. The obverse of the cross bears the date 1914 under a crowned 'W' monogram. Reverse bears an oak leaf cluster with the date of the decoration’s institution, 1813 underneath - the crowned initials of Frederick William are in the top arm above the oak leaf cluster. Suspension for second-class types is by means of a ring, and frequently this ring bears a maker's stamp.

Please examine 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.