As aforementioned, I thought Third Reich as well. I suppose any living survivor of the Franco-Prussian War awarded the Iron Cross 1st Class alive in the late 1930's, early 1940's would have been well into their eighties. Regardless, I think the $64,000 question would be if this cross was manufactured pre-1945. I think it is obviously not an 1870 issue piece. Thank you, gentlemen, for your always erudite comments thus far. . .
I wish to solicit the collective wisdom of our membership. My thoughts are that this cross is of Third Reich period manufacture given the pin, hinge, and clasp configuration. I would enjoy hearing from others. . . obverse: [attachmentid=57350]
Thank you, Mike. I can now see with these extreme close-ups, what I thought was "9" was in reality a deteriorating maker's stamp "8". I guess this means I am still looking for a "900"!
Here is the "900" that Micha has referenced. I shall obtain a close up of the maker mark, or examine it with a 30x scope to determine if it is a "9" or a truncated "8". . . obverse: reverse: maker mark:
Thank you, my friend, and yes, this one came from the land where the Iron Crosses grow. I know I paid too much for it, but as you pointed out, this is an extremely rare cross, and on some level price was of no consequence. I'm still looking for an L/15 in 2nd Class. I have only seen one. . .
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