G004383 IRON CROSS 2ND CLASS 1870 WITH 25 YEAR JUBILEE OAK-LEAF CLUSTER.
BACKGROUND:
On March 10TH 1813, Prussian King Friedrich Wilhelm III established the Iron Cross as a temporary award for bestowal during times of war. The Iron Cross was introduced in three grades with a Grand Cross intended for award to Senior Commanders for successfully leading troops in combat and the First and Second classes for award to all ranks for bravery or merit in action. The Iron Cross’s were reinstituted by King Wilhelm I on July 19TH 1870 for award during the Franco-Prussian War and again on August 5TH 1914, by King Wilhelm II for award during WWI. The second class medal was for award to personnel who performed a single act of bravery in combat. On August 18TH 1895 King Wilhelm II introduced the Jubiläumsspange, (Jubilee Bar), to commemorate the twenty-fifth anniversary of the victorious Franco-Prussian War. The Jubilee Bar was intended for all recipients of the 1870 Iron Cross 2ND class but was only manufactured as a private purchase item with the eligible recipients being obliged to purchase it individually. The Jubilee Bar was generally worn suspended on the ribbon of the 1870 Iron Cross 2ND class. After the outbreak of WWI King Wilhelm II decided that recipients of the 1870 Iron Cross 2ND class who were providing exemplary contributions to the current war effort be rewarded with an appropriate emblem and introduced the Wiederholungsspange, (Recognition Bar), on June 4TH 1915, to be worn suspended on the ribbon of the 1870 Iron Cross 2ND class.PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: 1870 pattern (this would be a re-issue cross struck in 1895), die struck, three piece, iron and silver alloy construction Pattée style cross with a single piece iron core and two piece silver alloy frame. The obverse of the cross features an embossed, central, "W" cypher for King Wilhelm I, re-institution date, "1870", to the bottom arm and a King’s crown to the top arm. The reverse of the cross features an embossed, central, oak-leave cluster, with the "FW" cypher for King Friedrich Wilhelm III, a King’s crown to the top arm and the original institution date, "1813" to the bottom arm. All the emblems are in nice high relief. The black wash to the magnetic centre is retained about 75%. The ribbon suspension loop and ring are both intact. The cross comes with a piece of original ribbed rayon ribbon. The ribbon has a nickel/silver plated, stamped alloy, twenty-five year Jubilee oak-leaf cluster bar. The twenty-five year Jubilee oak-leaf cluster features three "fanned" oak-leaves with the central oak-leaf being superimposed on the two flanking oak-leaves and the embossed numeral, "25", on the central leaf. The leaves are nicely detailed with a subtly textured background field and embossed "veins". Scarce.
GRADE **** PRICE $1,429.00
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