BACKGROUND: The War Order of the German Cross was introduced on September 28TH 1941 in two classes of Gold and Silver. The Gold class Cross was awarded to military personnel for exceptional acts of bravery or achievement in combat while the Silver class was awarded for distinguished acts of service in the war effort. Criteria for bestowal of either Cross included that the recipient must first have been awarded the 1939 Iron Cross 1ST class or the 1939 Bar to the 1914 Iron Cross 1ST class. On introduction, a cloth version was also authorized for wear with the color of the base indicating which branch of service the cross was awarded to with a field-grey base for award to Heer and Waffen-SS personnel, black for Kriegsmarine and Panzer personnel and blue for Luftwaffe.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Five piece, slightly convex, die struck, tombac and alloy construction badge with enamel work. The cross features a double, overlaid, eight point, sunburst pattern with the top sunburst layer. The center of the sunburst pattern has a separate silver washed, circular panel with a raised, canted, black enameled swastika encompassed by an embossed, fire gilted, circular, stamped alloy, laurel leaf wreath with impressed introduction date, "1941", to the bottom center on a red enamel base. The red enamel base is visible as a fine outline to either side of the wreath. The solid reverse features four, hollow, dome headed retaining rivets, a soldered barrel type hinge inset in a rectangular recess, a heavy, broad, tapered, vertical pin and a heavy soldered catch inset into a circular recess all intact. Reverse has embossed maker’s code in an oval recess, "134," for Otto Klein, Hanau am Main. Complete with original case (Small ding to the top of the case). Scarce maker and super nice condition. Nice!