Original World War Two German Iron Cross First Class manufactured by C. F. Zimmermann of Pforzheim.
On March 10, 1813, Prussian King Friedrich Wilhelm III established the Iron Cross as a temporary award for bestowal during times of war. Initially, the Iron Cross was introduced in three grades: a Grand Cross for Senior Commanders who successfully led troops in combat, and the First and Second classes for all ranks for bravery or merit in action. King Wilhelm I reinstated the Iron Cross on July 19, 1870, for award during the Franco-Prussian War, and again on August 5, 1914, by King Wilhelm II for award during World War I. On September 1, 1939, Hitler reinstated the Iron Cross series of awards in the First and Second Classes and established the Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross. The first class medal was awarded to personnel who performed three to five acts of bravery in combat and had already been awarded the Iron Cross second class.
The 1939 pattern, die-struck, three-piece, iron and nickel/silver-plated alloy construction award features a Pattée-style cross with a single-piece iron core and a two-piece alloy frame. The obverse displays an embossed, central, canted swastika flanked by the re-institution date, “1939,” on the bottom arm. The swastika stands out in high relief, while the date is slightly lower. The plain reverse has a soldered, block-type hinge, a broad, tapering vertical pin, and a heavy soldered catch, all of which are intact. The reverse of the pin is well-marked with the stamped manufacturer’s numerical code, “20,” indicating its manufacture by C. F. Zimmermann of Pforzheim.
