BACKGROUND: On March 10^TH 1813, König von Preußen, (King of Prussia), Wilhelm III established the Iron Cross as a temporary award for bestowal during times of war. Wilhelm III had established the Iron Cross for bestowal during the Prussian war of freedom from Napoleon Bonaparte’s rule, (1813-1815), and the design of Wilhelm III’s cross was, reportedly, inspired by the cross utilized by the Order of Teutonic Knights. Originally 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 Crosses were reinstituted by Deutscher Kaiser und König von Preußen, (German Emperor and King of Prussia), Wilhelm I on July 19^TH 1870 for award during the Franco-Prussian War, (July 18^TH 1870-May 10^TH 1871), and again on August 5^TH 1914, by Deutscher Kaiser und König von Preußen King Wilhelm II for award during World War One, (August 2^ND 1914-November 11^TH 1918). On September 1^ST 1939 Adolf Hitler once more reinstituted the Iron Cross series of awards in the First and Second Classes and established the Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross. Hitler also established the Grand Cross of the Iron Cross that was only awarded once to Hermann Göring and two new, Wiederholungsspangen, (Reiteration/Repeat Clasps), commonly referred to as Spangen, (Clasps/Bars), for the first and second class awards to be bestowed to recipients of the 1939 Iron Cross who had also been awarded a first or second class 1914 Iron Cross during WWI. Originally the first pattern of this award had slightly scalloped tips to the ends of the date bar which was soon replaced with the second pattern award with diagonally angled ends. Besides the two, slightly different, patterns the Bars were also produced in two, slightly different, sizes with the standard size being roughly, 1 1/4", (3.1 cm), tall and wide, while a smaller, "Prinzen", (Prince’s), version, only available as a private purchase item was roughly, 1", (2.4 cm), tall and wide. Recipients of an Iron Cross Bar were permitted, with the proper documentation, to privately purchase a jeweler's copy of the award, at their own expense, if so desired. Due to the prestige of the award personnel who could afford it would opt to buy a jeweler's copy for everyday wear with the actual award being put away for safe keeping. Of Note: The LDO, Leistungsgemeinschaft der Deutschen Ordenshersteller, (Administration of German Medal Manufacturers), began regulating and standardizing the manufacture of German awards in March 1941 as a quality control agent for awards that were intended for retail sale and manufacturers were to use an assigned LDO, "L", code on their products destined for retail sales. Awards that were to be bestowed by the government were also issued an official numerical government contract code known as a, Lieferantnummer, (Contractors Number), that was issued by the Präsidialkanzlei des Führers, (Presidential Council of the Führers), for formally approved manufacturers. The manufacturing firms that were licenced by both the Präsidialkanzlei des Führers and the LDO and would have used the same dies to stamp both the official issue and retail sales types of awards making them virtually indistinguishable from one another except for the markings.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Nicely detailed, early, first pattern, die struck, magnetic metal construction award with a nickel/silver plating and a frosty silver/white wash, is in the form of a national eagle with outstretched wings, clutching an oak-leaf wreath which encompasses a canted swastika, positioned above a horizontal, trapezoidal, date bar with slightly inward, scalloped, diagonally angled ends, and the embossed institution date, "1939". The award shows nice detailing including feathering to the eagle’s wings and a subtly textured background field to the swastika and the date bar. The eagle’s wingspan is roughly, 1 1/4", (3.1 cm), from tip to tip, and the award is roughly, 1 1/4", (3.1 cm), tall. The award retains about 80% of its age dulled, frosty silver/white wash with the swastika, date and the raised, trapezoid date bar edges all polished to a high, silver sheen. The plain reverse of the award has two of the original four, soldered, attachment prongs intact. The award has no visible manufacturer’s markings. The award is mounted on a roughly, 1 3/8", (3.5 cm), wide, 3 1/2", (8.8 cm), long, piece of original, ribbed, black and white, rayon WWI Iron Cross 2^ND class ribbon. The ribbon shows light to moderate age and usage toning. The bar is secured to the ribbon by the two remaining prongs near the bottom and some hand stitching around the eagle’s neck. Scarce, early, magnetic award.